Effects of frozen storage on the quality characteristics of frozen whole buckwheat extruded noodles

•Various frozen storage time of whole buckwheat extruded noodles (WBEN) were prepared.•The structural results of starch and water implied the retrogradation pronounced at first 30 days.•The changes in starch-gel networks due to ice growth decided noodles quality in long-term storage.•Overall, frozen storage can chronically maintain the quality of WBEN and inhibit its digestibility. The effects of frozen storage (-18 °C, 180 days) on the quality of frozen whole buckwheat extruded noodles (FWBEN) were investigated. The water content of FWBEN decreased, while the reheating time, water absorption, and dry consumption rate increased with prolonged storage time. Cooking loss increased from 3.20% to 4.31%. Texture analysis indicated that the hardness initially increased, then decreased. Microstructure results showed that the starch gel structure was damaged to a certain extent after storage for a longer period of time, whereas the porous structure became non-uniform with the appearance of cracks. The relative crystallinity gradually increased, and the freezable water content decreased with prolonged storage. These results demonstrated that FWBEN quality was affected by starch retrogradation and ice recrystallization. In general, FWBEN quality was relatively stable during 180 days of frozen storage at −18 °C.