Dehydrofreezing technique involves one step of partial dehydration before freezing, in order to diminish the tissue damage by removing part of water from vegetable tissue prior to freezing. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of osmotic dehydration and hot air-drying, applied previous to the freezing process, on the end quality of pineapple slices. Quality loss was quantified through drip loss, ascorbic acid content and mechanical properties changes of tissue. Freezing was carried out in a conventional air-blast tunnel at -31.5 +/- 2 degrees C. Mechanical properties of fresh and dehydrated fruit, with and without the later process of freezing, were evaluated through compression tests. Ascorbic acid content was quantified by liquid chromatography. Osmotic dehydration and hot air-drying have the beneficial effect of reducing the time necessary for pineapple samples freezing. The freezing-thawing process affects the values of pineapple samples mechanical properties. Ascorbic acid losses were somewhat greater during the osmotic dehydration than with air dehydration. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.