The aim of this work was to study the influence of atmospheric, vacuum and microwave vacuum drying methods on the quality of dried beetroots. Three different red beetroot species ('Alto F1', 'Cylindra', 'Detroit') were chosen in this study. The microwave vacuum method reduced the total time of drying and decreased the shrinkage compared to the other drying methods. The quality of the dehydrated material was described by its color change, antioxidant capacity, total polyphenol, betacyanin, betaxanthin and each phenolic acids content. The attempts were made to suggest the microwave vacuum method for red beetroot samples as a gentle drying technology to reach a special texture that is favoured by costumers. During the experiments relevant differences could be observed between the investigated beetroot species on the effect of different drying methods. According to the examined parameters the 'Cylindra' species proved the most appropriate beetroot variety for microwave vacuum drying. Based on the results, the combined methods with hot-air at 60 °C followed by microwave vacuum finish drying was the most suitable assay to preserve the investigated parameters in the highest amount.

To overcome the problems of seasonality and geographical location in fruit production and processing, the production of aseptic semi-finished juice is an excellent solution. Even without refrigeration, aseptic pressing has a shelf life of more than a year, making it possible to produce finished products all year round. The production technology involves the addition of ascorbic acid to the pulp to fix or preserve colour. There is an increasing customer demand for ascorbic acid substitutes on the international market. In Hungary, one of the most important exports is aseptic sour cherry juice. In our work, ascorbic acid used for colour fixation was replaced by acerola concentrate. The anthocyanin content and colour coordinate values (L*, a*, b*, H, C) of aseptically filled sour cherry juice were determined and compared with the control sample during the 12 months of storage.