The present experiment was carried out to standardize suitable drying techniques for hybrid tea rose variety ‘Valencia”. Two types of desiccants viz., silica gel and boric acid were used as embedding materials for drying, and the flowers were dried in hot air oven with different temperature and time combinations such as 40°C for 24 hours and 48 hours, 45°C for 24 hours and 48 hours, 50°C for 24 hours and 48 hours, 55°C for 24 hours and 48 hours, 60°C for 24 hours and 48 hours. Different observations were taken such as fresh and dry weight of flowers and hence moisture loss percentage calculated, petal diameter before and after drying were taken and hence petal shrinkage was determined. Sensory evaluations such as flower colour, shape, texture and overall acceptability was also determined. Results show that maximum moisture loss percentage (86.44%) was obtained in flowers embedded with silica gel and dried at 60°C for 48 hours; largest difference between petal diameter of fresh and dry flowers, and also maximum petal shrinkage of 14.27% occurred in those embedded with silica gel and dried at 60°C for 48 hours, whereas best score in sensory evaluations in terms of flower colour, flower shape, flower texture and overall acceptability were obtained with rose flowers embedded in silica gel and drying at 50°C for 48 hours.

No abstract