DRYING OF MUSHROOM VACUUM DRIED MUSHROOM QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS | Page 2

DEDICATED DRYING MACHINES MANUFACTURER Conventional air drying is one of the most frequently used methods for mushroom dehydration, which involves thermal and/or chemical pretreatment and drying at temperature maintained between 50 and 70 0 C. Due to long drying time and overheating of surface during hot air drying, the problems of darkening in colour, loss in flavour and decrease in rehydration ability occur . Freeze drying produces a high quality product, but being an expensive process, its application for mushroom drying is limited. Recently, vacuum drying (VD) has been developed as an alternative to dry heat-sensitive products since it can combine the advantages of drying at reduced temperature. The low temperature and fast mass transfer conferred by vacuum combined with rapid energy transfer by heating generates very rapid, low temperature drying and thus it has the potential to improve energy efficiency and product quality. The acceptance of a dehydrated product by consumers depends on important characteristics of the product such as structural, textural, sensory, microbiological and rehydration properties. DRYING MATHODS: PHASE DIAGRAM OF WATER Mushroom slices of 7.5 mm thickness as well as whole button mushrooms were dried to a final moisture content of about 6% using vacuum drying and hot-air drying method. Dedicated Analytical Solutions Corporate Office KDM Analytical B-2/41 First Floor, Rohini Sector-16, Delhi-110089 India Tel +91-9643480893 +91-9540666954 Fax +91- 22612722 E -mail [email protected] Application Lab D-198, Mundka Industrial Area Delhi-110081 web www.kdmanalytical.com