Effect of drying temperature and slice size on quality of dried okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

Abstract

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench) is an important vegetable crop of India. Dried okra pods have wide use in snacks and are in great demand for domestic as well as export market. Hence, effect of four slice sizes (1, 2, 3 and 4 cm) and four drying temperatures (50, 60, 70 and 80°C) on quality of hot air dried okra were studied. Okra pods were dried in the form of slices cut across the length at different temperatures. Quality assessment of okra was done on the basis of protein, ascorbic acid and fibre content. Okra slice sizes and drying temperatures affected all the quality parameters significantly (p<0.05). Maximum retention of protein, ascorbic acid and fibre content were found in 2 cm long slices dried at 60°C temperature.

Effect of microwave drying on quality kinetics of okra

“…Similar findings were also reported by several authors for various foods using microwave drying (Maskan 2000;Soysal 2004). The drying times obtained in this study were much shorter (4-7 min) as compared to the results reported by Pendre et al (2012) using a convective hot air dryer for drying okra. The appearance of okra at different levels and time intervals is shown in Fig.…”

“…Because of its sensitivity to storage, most fresh okras are preserved in some way. Okra is a good source of carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A and C (Pendre et al 2012). Vegetables are highly perishable because of their high metabolic activity.…”

Studies on Effect of Slice Thickness and Temperature on Drying Kinetics of Kothimbda (Cucumis Callosus) and its Storage

“…As the ascorbic acid is highly sensitive towards the temperature and rapidly degrade in the presence of heat, the samples with more thickness and dried with lower temperature, retain maximum ascorbic acid. Similar results are reported by Ramallo and Mascheroni [10] during drying of pineapple half slices, Marfil et al [11] for tomatoes and Pendre et al [12] in case of okra drying.…”

Drying kinetics and colour change of lemon slices

“…Accordingly, they exhibit relatively high metabolic activity compared with other plantderived foods such as seeds. This metabolic activity continues after harvesting, thus making most fruits highly perishable commodities (Atungulu et al, 2004;Pendre et al, 2012).…”

“…Accordingly, they exhibit relatively high metabolic activity compared with other plantderived foods such as seeds. This metabolic activity continues after harvesting, thus making most fruits highly perishable commodities (Atungulu et al, 2004;Pendre et al, 2012).Drying improves the product shelf life without addition of any chemical preservative and reduces both the size of package and the transport cost (Al-Harahsheh et al, 2009;Figiel, 2010;Singh et al, 2010). Drying also assists in reducing post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables especially, which can be as high as 70% (Tunde-Akintunde and Ogunlakin, 2013).…”