This work investigated the technique of vacuum freeze drying of avocado pulp (Persea americana var. Pollock) to produce a dried cake which could be blended into a powder to be used in various food applications. Frozen, mashed avocado pulp samples were dried in a Benhay SB-4 vacuum freeze dryer. For comparison, fresh pulp samples were also oven-dried in a Unitemp drying cabinet at 60°C. Samples were dried until constant weight was achieved after which they were blended into powders and analysed. Analyses included determination of moisture content, water activity, pH and total soluble solids content, colour assessment, proximate analyses, physical properties, rehydration behaviour and a preliminary storage assessment. Drying data was used to generate rate and Moisture Ratio (MR) curves and thin layer models applied to the MR data. The moisture content and water activity values of the fresh pulp averaged 3.16 g H2O/g dry matter (76.0% wet basis) and 0.889, respectively. Samples were successfully dried in the freeze dryer to an average moisture content of 0.02 g H2O/g dry matter (2.1% wet basis) after 72h, and a final average water activity of 0.356. Drying occurred in the falling rate period and the drying rate constant (k1) averaged 0.2496 1/h. The Verma model was found to best fit the Moisture Ratio (MR) data. Compared with oven-dried samples, the freezedried samples dried to lower equilibrium moisture values, did not show any signs of browning and was higher in protein and fat content. The freeze-dried 'cake' was easier to blend to a light, free-flowing powder which easily rehydrated to a form which closely resembled fresh avocado puree. Freeze drying is therefore an attractive option to produce a high-quality Pollock avocado powder, without the use of heat or the application of chemical preservatives to preserve colour.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.