The Influence of Blanching Process on Dehydrated Plum Fruit Quality

Abstract

Dehydrated plums are distinguished by a pleasant taste, but at the same time they are also distinguished by a special nutritional value, which brings many benefits to human health. After apples, plums are the most cultivated fruits in Romania. Quality as a notion is a general and specific characteristic being represented by certain features that condition both the marketing and the use of the finished product. The physical condition of dehydrated plums is determined by the anatomical structure, structural firmness, water content and appearance. The composition of the soluble dry matter is influenced by the variety, the degree of maturation, at which the raw material has been processed and by the qualitative changes undergone by each component, during dehydration. In this paper, we followed the influence of blanching treatment on 4 varieties of plums, dehydrated in a stream of warm air, at a temperature of 70 °C. The fruits taken into analysis were characterized by a water content of 75-84%, soluble dry matter 9-24%, total sugar 7-13%, acidity 0.45-0.98% and 2-17 mg ascorbic acid. After dehydration, the analyzed parameters were as follows: 16-24% water, total sugar 31-51%, total acidity 1.1-2.3%.