Texture and Rehydration of Dehydrated Carrots as Affected by Low Temperature Blanching

Whole carrots were blanched at four temperatures for five time periods, then blanched again for 6 min at 100°C. A control sample was blanched 8 min at 100°C. All samples were then dehydrated. Very slight differences in rehydration ratios between treatments were observed. The 50°C blanch gave a firmness equal to or less than the control for all blanch times. The carrots blanched at 55°C for 15, 30 and 45 min were less firm than the control while the 60 and 90 min blanched samples were firmer than the control. The 60 and 65°C blanched samples had significantly firmer texture than the control when blanch time was > 30 min. Blanching carrots for 45 min at 65°C increased firmness of the rehydrated product by 51% for uncooked and 27% for cooked.     

Structural and physical properties of dried Anaheim chilli peppers modified by low‐temperature blanching

The effect of low‐temperature blanching and drying processes on the ultrastructural and physical properties of Anaheim chilli pepper was studied and optimum conditions to provide a final product with maximum firmness were determined. Lots of Anaheim pepper were blanched in water for 4 min at 48, 55, 65, 75 and 82 °C and maintained for hold times of 35, 45, 60, 75 and 85 min, blanched again for 4 min at 96 °C and dehydrated at 53, 60, 70, 80 and 87 °C. After treatment the samples were rehydrated in water at 30 °C. Rehydration ratio, texture and structural changes were evaluated. Optimisation used a second‐order rotatable central composite design. Texture and rehydration ratio were affected by blanching temperature and the interaction of blanching temperature with hold time (p ≤ 0.05); drying temperature did not show a significant effect. The best results, ie those which gave greatest firmness, were obtained by blanching at 64 °C for 4 min, holding for 55 min after blanching, followed by a second blanching at 96 °C for 4 min and then drying at 70 °C. Evaluation of the rehydrated dried pepper by microscopy showed that low‐temperature blanching close to the optimum conditions provided a protective effect in maintaining cell wall integrity. The results of processing increased firmness in the rehydrated product by a factor of 1.97. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

The effect of blanching on the quality of dehydrated broccoli florets

Different blanching treatments were applied to broccoli florets prior to dehydration in order to improve product quality. The pretreatments used were a conventional blanching in water at 99ǃ °C, and a stepwise blanching (a blanching at low temperature followed by a short blanching at high temperature after a holding time) using different temperatures for the first step (50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 °C). Five rehydration temperatures were used (25, 40, 55, 65 and 80 °C). Rehydration rate (D_eff and W_e), chlorophyll content and texture of the rehydrated product were evaluated. Rehydration was modelled according to Fick's diffusion equation. A good agreement between the model and the experimental data was obtained when D_eff and W_e values were identified for each temperature (average explained variance 96.9%). Samples stepwise blanched at 60 °C showed, on the average, the lowest W_e values. Stepwise blanching at 60-65 °C and rehydration at 25-55 °C were the combinations that gave the firmest product. Stepwise blanching at 50 °C together with the conventional blanching (99ǃ °C) and rehydration between 25 and 65 °C were the combinations that allowed preservation of the highest chlorophyll content. From these results, it seems difficult to obtain firm samples with a high chlorophyll content without additives.     

Pulsed electric field treatment of carrots before drying and rehydration

BACKGROUND: In this study the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment were evaluated during drying and rehydration of carrots. Carrots pretreated with an electric field intensity of 1 kV cm^?1 (capacitance 0.5 µF, 20 pulses) or 1.5 kV cm^?1 (capacitance 1 µF, 20 pulses) as well as blanched (100 °C, 3 min) carrots were used for the study. Following pretreatment, samples were oven dried at 70 °C and then rehydrated in distilled water (1:30 w/v) at room temperature (24 ± 1 °C). RESULTS: PEF pretreatment increased the drying rate of carrots. However, the rehydration rate of PEF‐pretreated carrots was lower than that of blanched carrots. There were no colour differences between PEF‐pretreated and blanched carrots before drying and after rehydration. In terms of texture, PEF‐pretreated carrots were firmer than blanched carrots. PEF pretreatment reduced the activity of peroxidase by 30–50%, while blanching completely inactivated the enzyme (>95%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results suggest that PEF could be an effective pretreatment during drying and rehydration of carrots. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Kinetics of water absorption and soluble‐solid loss of hot‐air‐dried carrots during rehydration

Cubes of carrots dried at 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C were rehydrated at 20 and 95 °C. Kinetics of water gain and soluble‐solid loss were monitored and described by Peleg model. Dry matter holding capacity, water absorption capacity and rehydration ability were derived to assess the rehydration process. It was found that leaching flow was higher for the samples dried at higher temperatures. Rehydration ability and dry matter holding capacity of the samples rehydrated at 95 °C were higher than those observed for the samples soaked at 20 °C. Swelling of carrots during rehydration neither depended on temperature of drying nor on the temperature of the water. The results indicate that the use of low drying temperatures is suitable for preserving the quality attributes of carrots after rehydration.     

Influence of Drying Temperature and Rehydration on Selected Textural Properties of Carrots

Cubes of carrots dried at 60, 70, 80, and 90°C were rehydrated up to 180 min at 20°C and up to 10 min at 95°C. Kinetics of cutting strength were determined for the samples soaked at 95°C. Compression stress relaxation behavior of the samples was studied on carrots rehydrated at 20 and 95°C. Kinetics of cutting strength were satisfactorily described by means of a first-order kinetic model. The compression stress relaxation of carrots was analyzed using five element Maxwell and empirical Peleg models. Both of the models were found to be appropriate for characterizing viscoelastic properties of dried and rehydrated carrot cubes. The results indicated that the use of low drying temperatures was suitable for preserving the quality attributes of carrots after rehydration, and drying air temperature of 60°C was chosen as the most appropriate for hot air processing of carrots.     

Rehydration of Freeze‐Dried and Convective Dried Boletus edulis Mushrooms: Effect on Some Quality Parameters

ABSTRACT: Quality of rehydrated products is a key aspect linked to rehydration conditions. To assess the effect of rehydration temperature on some quality parameters, experiments at 20 and 70 °C were performed with convective dried and freeze‐dried Boletus edulis mushrooms. Rehydration characteristics (through Peleg's parameter, k₁, and equilibrium moisture, W_e), texture (Kramer), and microstructure (Cryo‐Scanning Electron Microscopy) were evaluated. Freeze‐dried samples absorbed water more quickly and attained higher W_e values than convective dried ones. Convective dehydrated samples rehydrated at 20 °C showed significantly lower textural values (11.9 ± 3.3 N/g) than those rehydrated at 70 °C (15.7 ± 1.2 N/g). For the freeze‐dried Boletus edulis, the textural values also exhibited significant differences, being 8.2 ± 1.3 and 10.5 ± 2.3 N/g for 20 and 70 °C, respectively. Freeze‐dried samples showed a porous structure that allows rehydration to take place mainly at the extracellular level. This explains the fact that, regardless of temperature, freeze‐dried mushrooms absorbed water more quickly and reached higher W_e values than convective dried ones. Whatever the dehydration technique used, rehydration at 70 °C produced a structural damage that hindered water absorption; consequently lower W_e values and higher textural values were attained than when rehydrating at 20 °C.     

Survival and growth of B. cereus group and presumptive Cronobacter spp. contaminated naturally in rehydrated sunsik

Survival and growth of Bacillus cereus group and presumptive Cronobacter in the rehydrated sunsik were investigated to control the pathogens. Five sunsik contaminated naturally by the pathogens were rehydrated with hot waters of 50, 60, 65, and 70°C and kept for 24 hr at 5 and 25°C. Survival and growth of B. cereus seemed to be influenced not by rehydration water temperature, but by storage temperature and time after rehydration. However, survival and growth of Cronobacter was influenced by both rehydration temperature and storage conditions. Especially, storage temperature and time seemed to be more important than the rehydration temperature to limit the growth of Cronobacter. Therefore, it is required to take immediately the sunsik after rehydration with at least 65°C water, otherwise within 6 hr at room temperature for the risk reduction of B. cereus and Cronobacter.     

Determination of microwave drying and rehydration kinetics of green peppers with the bioactive and textural properties

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of microwaves on drying and rehydration kinetics of green pepper varieties (sweet, green, and bell) and the bioactive and textural properties of dried and rehydrated peppers. Drying was performed at 90, 180, and 90 + 180 W and dried peppers were rehydrated at 25, 50, and 70°C. The best drying fits were obtained using the equations of both Sigmoid and Hii et al. for drying, and two term exponential decay was the most appropriate model for rehydration. The lowest and highest final rehydration ratio values were obtained for the peppers dried at 180 and 90 W, respectively at each temperature and pepper variety. Among peppers, bell pepper showed the lowest color change (ΔE) and it was the most potent to recover initial color in rehydration. Peppers had softer texture in both drying and rehydration treatment. Total phenolic content of peppers was reduced around 56–65% compared to the fresh pepper by drying and this decrement was reached up to 87% in rehydrated peppers. Results showed that drying at 180 W and rehydration at 70°C provided faster drying and rehydration as well maintained the quality characteristics of green peppers.     

EFFECT OF BLANCHING AND SULFITE TREATMENT ON THE QUALITY OF FROZEN CAULIFLOWER

The influence of blanching time and post-blanching sulfite treatment on the sensory quality and texture of frozen cauliflower were assessed after storage at -18°C for up to one year. The treated cauliflower florets, sealed in polyethylene bags, were placed in waxed paperboard cartons and frozen in a contact plate freezer at -35°C. Samples blanched for 3 min and dipped in a solution containing 1000ppm of SO₂ for 5 min gave a significantly (p<0.05) superior product even when stored for one year. The residual SO₂ content of 50 ppm found in these stored samples disappeared after a 3 min cooking in boiling water. Cauliflower texture was influenced by blanching time but the textural differences of blanched samples diminished following freezing and storage. After a 3 min cooking, the texture of all thawed samples were comparable to that of fresh cauliflower cooked for 10–12 min.     

Quality changes of frozen vegetables

Unblanched and blanched vegetables (carrot, cauliflower, French bean, onion, leek and swede) were stored at ?20°C and ?30°C for up to 15 months. Lipid and peroxidase analyses and sensory evaluations were performed every three months.Unblanched leek, onion and swede did not change appreciably during the 15 months' storage, either chemically or organoleptically, and they were scored better than the blanched samples. Carrot, cauliflower and French bean, on the other hand, had to be blanched, but a 5% residual activity of peroxidase did not affect the quality during storage.     

Effects of low temperature blanching on texture,microstructure and rehydration capacity of carrots

The effect on quality of stepwise blanching (first 10 min at 65 °C, 50 min holding time, and 1 min at 95 °C) prior to drying of carrot slices was compared with conventional blanching (95 °C, 1 min). As quality parameters, rehydration capacity (effective diffusivity D_e, equilibrium moisture content W_e), texture (puncture test) and microstructure (SEM and Cryo‐SEM) were chosen. Non‐significant differences were found between the W_e of stepwise blanched samples and conventionally blanched ones, both values being similar to the moisture content of fresh carrots. D_e of conventional blanched carrots was higher than for stepwise blanched ones. Maximum force of stepwise blanched samples was higher than those of conventionally blanched ones and not significantly different from fresh carrots. Microstructural observations showed that stepwise blanching preserved cell to cell contacts better than conventional blanching; this fact was attributed to pectin‐methyl‐esterase activation at 65 °C, resulting in the differences in the maximum force between both treatments. Conventionally blanched samples tended to separate along their cell walls, forming voids among the phloem parenchyma cells. These voids would be filled with water during rehydration, thus showing the slightly higher W_e and the higher D_e for conventionally blanched carrots. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Processing of cauliflower by ohmic heating: influence of precooking on firmness

The feasibility of processing cauliflower by ohmic heating was investigated. Firstly, cauliflower florets were precooked in tap water at low temperatures (40–70 °C) for 0 to 60 min. A control sample was cooked at 95 °C for 5 min. No significant textural differences were found between samples treated at 40 or 50 °C and fresh samples, but the firmness of samples cooked above 60 °C decreased. The effect of precooking time was not found to be significant. Secondly, low temperature precooking was performed in salted water for 30 min and followed by ohmic heating (holding time 30 s at 135 °C). After ohmic heating, florets pretreated at low temperatures were firmer than control samples. The firmness of florets precooked at 40 °C or 50 °C was considerably increased (>300%) compared to those precooked at 95 °C. Low-temperature precooking increased the firmness of cauliflower subjected to ohmic heating. The experimental results show that ohmic heating combined with low-temperature precooking in saline solutions offers a viable solution to high temperature/short time sterilisation of cauliflower florets. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optimisation of osmotic dehydration of carrot cubes in sucrose-salt solutions using response surface methodology

Osmotic dehydration of carrot cubes in ternary solution of water, sucrose and sodium chloride at different solution concentrations, temperatures and process durations were analysed for water loss and solute gain during osmotic dehydration. The osmotically pre-treated carrot cubes were further dehydrated in a cabinet dryer at 65 °C and were then rehydrated in water at ambient temperature of water for 10–12 h and were analysed for rehydration ratio, shrinkage and overall acceptability after rehydration. The process was optimised for maximum water loss, rehydration ratio and overall acceptability of the rehydrated product, and for minimum solute gain and shrinkage of rehydrated product by response surface methodology. The optimum conditions of various process parameters are 50°B+10% w/v aqueous sodium chloride concentration, 46.5 °C solution temperature and 180 min process duration.     

The effect of blanching on the mechanical and rehydration properties of dried potato slices

 Short-time blanched (2 min, 90  °C), long-time blanched (30 min, 90  °C) and non-blanched potato slices were dried in a convective air drier and their mechanical and rehydration properties were compared. Blanching increased the flexibility and strength of dried potato slices, although the effects of short and long blanching were not significantly different. Unblanched potato slices did not have larger rehydration ratios than blanched ones. After rehydration for 30 min, samples from all treatments had higher strength and flexibility than cooked potatoes. Received: 2 November 1998 / Revised version: 15 February 1999     

Rehydration Capacity of Chilean Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens): Effect of Process Temperature on Kinetic Parameters and Functional Properties

Slabs of Chilean papaya hot air-dried at 60 °C were rehydrated at 20, 40, 60, and 80 °C to study the influence of process temperature on mass transfer kinetics during rehydration. Diffusive and empirical models were selected to simulate the experimental rehydration curves. All models parameters showed dependence with temperature, thus activation energy could be estimated according to an Arrhenius-type equation. Among the applied models, Weibull provided the best fit for each rehydration curve based on the statistical tests RMSE, SSE, and chi-square. According to these results, this model could be used to estimate the rehydration time of Chilean papaya. In addition, rehydration ratio and water-holding capacity were analyzed. Both indices showed a decrease with increasing rehydration temperature indicating modification of the papaya cell structure due to thermal treatment which resulted in a reduction of the rehydration ability, in particular at high rehydration temperatures.     

Microwave and convective dehydration of ethanol treated and frozen apple – physical properties and drying kinetics

The objective of this study was to examine how the drying kinetics and physical properties of apples are affected by pre-treatment with 95% ethanol or freezing at –18 °C before microwave-assisted air dehydration at 50, 60 and 70 °C. Microwave heating was used to obtain these temperatures in the centre of the apple cubes. After dehydration the shrinkage and rehydration capacity were measured. The texture of dehydrated and rehydrated samples was analysed with a puncture test in a texture analyser. Samples were also analysed with confocal laser scanning microscopy to determine the correlation between physical and microstructural properties. Diffusivity in the different dehydration processes was calculated. Ethanol-treated apples showed both high rehydration and high effective rehydration capacity compared with the other samples. Freezing before dehydration increased the diffusivity and reduced the firmness of rehydrated apples compared with no pre-treatment.     

Effect of Blanching and Drying Temperature on Polyphenolic Compound Stability and Antioxidant Capacity of Apple Pomace

The effects of blanching and drying treatments on stability, physical properties, and antioxidant activity of apple pomace polyphenols were evaluated. Blanched and unblanched apples were extracted, and the pomace was dried in a cabinet dryer at a speed of 3 m/s at 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C. The color, total phenolics, flavonoids, individual polyphenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and total antioxidant activity were analyzed. The blanching process caused a major retention in color, total polyphenolic content, and total flavonoid content for fresh apple pomace when compared with fresh unblanched pomace. Drying of either fresh blanched or fresh unblanched pomace caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in total polyphenol and flavonoid content leading to a reduction in the total antioxidant activity. When compared with the unblanched treatment, drying the blanched pomace at 80 °C resulted in a product with significant amounts of total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. The individual phenolic compounds were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in blanched pomace that was not dried when compared with unblanched samples. Drying blanched apple pomace did not cause a significant change in the concentration of individual polyphenolic compounds, but drying unblanched apple pomace caused a reduction in the concentrations of epicatechin and caffeic acid, with an important reduction in p-coumaric acid at temperatures higher than 60 °C. However, the drying process caused a significant reduction in the antioxidant capacity. Therefore, a combination of blanching and drying processes for apple pomace results in a product that maintains antioxidant capacity.     

BREAKAGE SUSCEPTIBILITY of SHELLED CORN DUE to REHYDRATION and REDRYING

Processing activities such as drying expose grains to temperature and moisture gradients resulting to increased susceptibility of corn breakage. the effect of rehydration and redrying rates on the breakage susceptibility of corn was compared and evaluated. Dried corn samples were rehydrated and redried artificially. Breakage susceptibility of the samples were tested using a food grinder (blender) and Instron testing machine. Treatments consisting of a cycle of rehydration and redrying represented different rates of moisture sorption. Initial sample moisture, rehydration methods and redrying temperatures were used in comparing breakage susceptibility. Samples of low initial moisture had higher breakage susceptibility as compared to higher initial moisture samples. the rehydration method representing the highest moisture adsorption rate resulted to samples which were more susceptible to breakage than the two rehydration methods representing intermediate and slow rates of moisture adsorption. Temperature of redrying also showed significant effects with high temperatures (80°C) resulting to grains with higher breakage susceptibility compared to samples redried with unheated air (30°C). Breakage susceptibility increased when samples were rehydrated and increased much more when they were redried.     

Low-temperature Blanch Improves Textural Quality of French-fries

Potatoes, CV. Alpha, were sorted (specific gravity), peeled, cut, and blanched at four temperatures (55—70°C) for several times (0—60 min.) before frying in vegetable oil (200°C, 4 min). Multiple puncture (raw potatoes) and single puncture and Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) of French-fries were used. Limpness angle and oil retention (Carver press) were also evaluated. Firmness and some TPA parameters (chewiness, cohesiveness) were increased (>200%) by blanch. Limpness and oil content were reduced by treatment. Improvement of French-fries texture resulted after blanching for 30—45 min. at 60—65°C.