Effects of Processing Methods on the Quality of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.)

Abstract

Summary The quality of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), the ’king of spices’, is largely dependent on the postharvest handling and processing methods. Pungency and aroma are the most important qualities of black pepper, which are attributed to its oleoresin and volatile oils, respectively. Conventional open sun drying and shade drying were tested for different pretreatment curing of black pepper. The quality improvement and reduction in drying duration were exhibited for the sun-dried samples. The highest oleoresin content (8.15% w/w) was recorded in direct open sun-dried samples, whereas in shade-dried samples it was as low as 6.96% w/w. The highest essential oil content of 2.00 mL/100g (v/w) was obtained from the berries blanched for 2 minutes and sun-dried samples. Blanching followed by direct sun drying of berries had the highest acceptability score relative to the overall quality. Therefore, the physicochemical quality analyses performed proved that blanching and sun drying are effective in producing high-quality black pepper for export.

The Role of Thermal and Electrical Energies to Increase the Pepper Quality: A Review

“…These processes at the farmer level usually are harvesting, filling, ripening, soaking, peeling, washing, drying, checking, filtering, storing, and selling (Figure 1). The postharvest handling and processing methods are major factors that influence the quality of peppers [11]. All these processes might be varied not only at the country level but even at the farmer level.…”

Effect of different processing methods on functional and physiochemical properties of turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) rhizome Var. Kapurkot Haledo-1

“…Conversely, the lowest total ash content of 7.10% and 7.03% was observed in cooked/ oven-dried and sun-dried samples, respectively, again with no significant difference between these treatments. The ash content provides insights into the overall amount of inorganic substances, including trace and major minerals, present in the turmeric powder (Hirko et al, 2019). Increased boiling duration appears to have a greater impact on the total ash content in the rhizomes.…”