Effects of Different Drying Methods on the Quality Changes of Granular Edamame

In this article, the quality changes of the granular fruits and vegetables dried by vacuum microwave drying, freeze drying, hot air drying, and combined hot air-vacuum microwave drying are investigated, and the quality parameters compared on the basis of vitamin C and chlorophyll contents, shrinkage and rehydration capacity, color, texture, and microstructure changes. The quality parameters of products dried by vacuum microwave drying are slightly lower than those obtained by freeze drying, but much better than those obtained using conventional hot air drying. The quality characteristics of product dried by combined hot air-vacuum microwave are significantly improved compared to those simply hot air-dried.     

Drying Characteristics and Quality of Restructured Wild Cabbage Chips Processed Using Different Drying Methods

The drying characteristics of restructured wild cabbage chips dried using microwave vacuum (MVD), hot air (AD), and microwave freeze drying (MFD) were compared. Some of the key quality parameters of restructured wild cabbage chips such as fracturability and color and sensory characteristics were measured. Results showed that the drying time was reduced with the increase of microwave power (MVD/MFD) and in the case of air drying by the temperature (AD). Drying time was the shortest in the MVD process. Optimal quality of dried chips was obtained with the MFD process at a microwave power level 2.0 W/g.     

Effect of Drying Methods on the Quality of the Essential Oil of Spearmint Leaves (Mentha spicata L.)

Drying is one of the primary processes involved in the manufacture of herbs, which themselves come in the form of stems, leaves, and roots. The quality of the final product depends on the procedure used and drying method. This article presents the results pertaining to the drying behavior of spearmint in both hot air drying and freeze drying conditions. Conventionally, herbs are dried at high temperatures (40–45°C), which results in a deterioration of product quality. The characteristics of vacuum freeze–dried herbs were studied, and the quality of the freeze-dried products was assessed. It was found that drying time and essential oil content were strongly influenced by chamber pressure. Higher chamber pressure tended to lengthen the drying time but preserved the major volatile compounds of spearmint in the final product. The quality of the freeze-dried product was assessed as being lower than that of the raw material but higher than that of a convectively dried product. Four different mathematical models were fitted to the drying data. A water absorption test confirmed that the rehydration ratios of vacuum freeze–dried mint leaves were higher than those that were convectively dried.     

干燥方式对红枣动力学及挥发性成分的影响

采用热风干燥、真空冷冻干燥和微波真空干燥对红枣进行干燥处理，结合顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱（headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry，HS-SPME-GC-MS）和电子鼻对枣片挥发性成分进行了分析，并对比了3种干燥方式对红枣色泽、动力学和挥发性成分的影响。结果表明，热风干燥和微波真空干燥对枣片色泽影响较大，真空冷冻干燥能够更好的保持原始色泽；对动力学方程进行拟合，发现Page 模型为预测红枣3种干燥方式干燥特性最适合的数学模型；干燥对枣片挥发性成分种类及相对含量差异显著，其中干燥前后相同的挥发性成分有19种。挥发性物质主要有酸类、酯类、醇类、醛类、酮类、烃类、杂环类和其他化合物，干燥过后枣片中酸类和烷烃类挥发性成分相对含量显著增加，醛类和杂环类物质显著降低。电子鼻结果表明干燥后枣片香气特征与新鲜红枣有较大的区别，热风干燥和微波真空干燥香味特征较为接近，微波真空干燥枣片的焦甜香特征更为明显。相较于热风干燥和真空冷冻干燥，微波真空干燥效率较高、能耗较低、周期较短，更适于制备干燥枣片。     

Effect of three drying methods on the drying characteristics and quality of okra

The objective of this study was to compare the drying characteristics and quality of dried okra obtained by vacuum freeze drying (VFD), microwave vacuum drying (MVD), and pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying (PSMVD). The quality parameters include color (L*, a*, and b*), texture (hardness and fracturability), shrinkage ratio (SR), nutrient retention (chlorophyll, flavonoids, and vitamin C), and sensory score was investigated. Vacuum freeze drying maximally preserved the original properties of samples. And the samples dried by PSMVD showed higher quality and more uniformity compared to MVD. Considering of all aspects comprehensively, such as cost-effectiveness, practicability, and scale-up, PSMVD was a promising technique which would match results obtained by vacuum freeze drying.     

Modularer Trocknungsprozessor zur Anwendung kombinierter Trocknungsverfahren

A modular drying processor for the development of energy and time efficient combined drying processes was constructed. It allows the serial and/or parallel application of different drying methods such as freeze‐, hot‐air‐, infrared‐, contact‐, microwave‐ or vacuum‐drying without interruption between the processes. Depending on the drying method precise product structures could be achieved by using the example of carrot cubes. The serial combination of freeze‐ and microwave vacuum drying shortened the process time about 40 % while highest product quality was obtained.     

Effects of Four Different Drying Methods on the Quality Characteristics of Peeled Litchis (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)

Four different drying methods, namely, air drying (AD), microwave-assisted vacuum drying (MWVD), coupled microwave–hot air drying (MWAD), and freeze drying (FD), were studied, in terms of drying time, color, reducing sugar content, shrinkage, microstructure, and sensory evaluation. The drying rate of MWVD and MWAD were notably faster than that of AD and FD. The highest reducing sugar content was observed in MWAD, followed by MWVD. No significant differences were observed in reducing sugar between air-dried and freeze-dried products. FD had the best color and shrinkage among the other drying methods. The color and shrinkage of MWVD drying is close to the fresh litchis and much better than hot air and MWAD. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the MWVD and FD litchis have a porous structure, whereas AD and MWAD litchis have a compact structure. The sensory evaluation suggests that peeled litchis dried by the four studied drying methods are of a quality that is accepted by consumers.     

A Combination of Freeze Drying and Microwave Vacuum Drying of Duck Egg White Protein Powders

High energy consumption during freeze drying (FD) is a major concern that limits its application on common food product manufacturing. In this research, fresh duck egg white protein (FDEWP) powder and desalted duck egg white protein (DDEWP) powder were obtained by a combined two-stage tandem drying technologies (FD and microwave–vacuum drying [MVD]) in order to reduce energy consumption while maintaining good product quality. The results showed that the drying time for the FDEWP and DDEWP powders was significantly decreased by FD + MVD compared to those obtained by the FD-only process. The FDEWP powders dried by FD + MVD had a better color (higher L* and lower b*), lower apparent density, and lower foaming stability but higher emulsifying index than those dried by FD only. The DDEWP powder dried by FD + MVD had a product quality similar to that of FDEWP powder, suggesting that the DDEWP powder could be widely used as a food ingredient.     

Dehydration of Concentrated Ganoderma lucidum Extraction by Combined Microwave-Vacuum and Conventional Vacuum Drying

Combination of microwave-vacuum drying and conventional vacuum drying was investigated as a potential method for drying concentrated Ganoderma lucidum extraction. The Ganoderma lucidum was extracted by hot water (60–65°C) and then concentrated to moisture of about 70% (wet basis) in a rising-film evaporator. The concentrated sample was dried by microwave-vacuum until the moisture content reached 10% (wet basis), and then by conventional vacuum drying at the temperature of 55–60°C to final moisture content about 6% (wet basis). The retention of polysaccharide and triterpenes of Ganoderma lucidum dried by this method were evaluated and compared with those dried by freeze drying and conventional vacuum drying alone. The comparison showed that the quality of extraction dried by the current method was close to that of freeze-dried extraction and much better than that of conventional vacuum-dried ones.     

A Two-Stage Vacuum Freeze and Convective Air Drying Method for Strawberries

Strawberries were dehydrated in a two-stage combination drying consisting of vacuum freeze drying (FD) followed by hot air drying (AD), and in a two-stage hybrid method involving FD and finish AD(FAD) to obtain dehydrated strawberries of high quality at reduced cost. Energy consumption and physicochemical properties of the FAD product were compared with single-stage AD and single-stage FD. The quality parameters of the products were also analyzed. It was found that the quality of combined FAD-dried products approximated that of single-stage FD. Hence, the proposed two-stage combination drying method is recommended for dehydration of strawberries to obtain a high-quality product at lower cost when compared with vacuum freeze drying alone.     

Microwave-Assisted Spouted Bed Drying of Lettuce Cubes

Microwave-assisted spouted bed (MSBD) drying of lettuce cubes was investigated experimentally. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the process with spouting air temperature, microwave power level, and superficial air velocity. The dried product obtained was compared with that obtained using other drying technologies such as hot air drying, air spouted bed drying, vacuum microwave drying, and vacuum freeze drying. The comparison is based on the rehydration ratio, chlorophyll content of the product, color, and the drying time required.     

A Two-Stage Vacuum Freeze and Convective Air Drying Method for Strawberries

Strawberries were dehydrated in a two-stage combination drying consisting of vacuum freeze drying (FD) followed by hot air drying (AD), and in a two-stage hybrid method involving FD and finish AD(FAD) to obtain dehydrated strawberries of high quality at reduced cost. Energy consumption and physicochemical properties of the FAD product were compared with single-stage AD and single-stage FD. The quality parameters of the products were also analyzed. It was found that the quality of combined FAD-dried products approximated that of single-stage FD. Hence, the proposed two-stage combination drying method is recommended for dehydration of strawberries to obtain a high-quality product at lower cost when compared with vacuum freeze drying alone.     

Effect of freeze dried,hot air dried and fresh onions on the composition of volatile sulfocompounds in onion oils

The bioactivity of onion, particularly its oil, has gained increasing research attention. Preparation of onion oil is challenging due to its low oil content and abundance of water. In this study, pilot-scale drying combined with laboratory extraction was conducted for sample preparation. GC/MS and solid phase microextraction (SPME) analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between onion oil and drying. Results showed that drying significantly influenced the sulfocompounds composition of onion oils. Dipropyl disulfide and dispropyl trisulfide were the most abundant compounds in fresh onions (accounting for 68.41% to 93.13% of the total volatile sulfocompounds). The total contents of sulfocompounds in vacuum freeze dried and hot air dried onion powder were 4.96% and 39.79%, respectively, which account for 24.59% to 48.89% of the total content. Dimethyl sulfides and thiophenes were the main compounds in the onion oils. The highest content of sulfocompounds was obtained in the oil of hot air dried powder. Pilot-scale hot air drying was the optimal pretreatment method for onion oil extraction. It enjoys lower energy lost, shorter process time, and higher quality of the oil compared with freeze drying. The results may be helpful for onion oil production and bioactivity evaluation.     

Dehydration of Concentrated Ganoderma lucidum Extraction by Combined Microwave-Vacuum and Conventional Vacuum Drying

Combination of microwave-vacuum drying and conventional vacuum drying was investigated as a potential method for drying concentrated Ganoderma lucidum extraction. The Ganoderma lucidum was extracted by hot water (60-65°C) and then concentrated to moisture of about 70% (wet basis) in a rising-film evaporator. The concentrated sample was dried by microwave-vacuum until the moisture content reached 10% (wet basis), and then by conventional vacuum drying at the temperature of 55-60°C to final moisture content about 6% (wet basis). The retention of polysaccharide and triterpenes of Ganoderma lucidum dried by this method were evaluated and compared with those dried by freeze drying and conventional vacuum drying alone. The comparison showed that the quality of extraction dried by the current method was close to that of freeze-dried extraction and much better than that of conventional vacuum-dried ones.     

Combined Microwave-Vacuum and Freeze Drying of Carrot and Apple Chips

A combination of microwave-vacuum (MWV) drying and freeze drying was investigated as potential means for drying carrot and apple chips. The sample was first dried by microwave-vacuum to dehydrate some amount of internal free water and then by freeze drying to a final moisture content of less than 7% (wet basis). Chemical properties (carotene and vitamin C retention) and physical properties (shrinkage, color, texture, and rehydration ratio) of carrot and apple slices dried by this method were evaluated and compared with those dried by freeze drying alone, MWV drying alone, and conventional hot air drying, respectively. The comparison showed that the carotene retention of carrot slices and the vitamin C retention of apple slices dried by the current method were close to those of freeze-dried carrot and apple slices and much better than those of conventional hot air–dried ones. The samples prepared by the current method exhibited very close rehydration capacity, color retention, and texture with those of the freeze-dried ones but with a little higher shrinkage. However, the samples still showed the attractive external appearance without marked warp.     

Vacuum Drying for Ultrafine Alumina Powders

It is well known that the drying of liquid-borne powders will create agglomerates and the problem of agglomeration is particularly acute in the nanoscale range. To eliminate/mitigate the agglomeration problem, in this study, a vacuum drying technique was used for drying the colloid solution with θ-Al₂O₃ ultrafine particles. For comparison purposes, other drying methods including oven drying, microwave drying, and freeze drying were also applied for drying of the same kind of colloid solution. The results indicate that the redispersibility, which is closely related to the degree of agglomeration, of the dried powders obtained from vacuum drying is better than that obtained from freeze drying. More surprisingly, results showed that the dried powders obtained from the vacuum drying assisted by microwave heating has the redispersibility close to 100%.     

Drying kinetics and product quality of green soybean under different microwave drying methods

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different microwave drying techniques on the drying kinetics and product quality of dried green soybean. Experiments were conducted using microwave vacuum drying (MVD), pulse-spouted vacuum microwave drying (PSMVD), pulse-spouted microwave drying (PSMD), and microwave freeze drying (MFD). Parameters of apparent density, color, processing temperature, expansion ratio, rehydration ratio, texture, and microstructure of the dried products were determined. The results showed that the MFD green soybean had a small change on bright color, compared with the fresh samples, but the drying time was the longest among the four methods. The bright color value of PSMVD/PSMD/MVD, respectively, was 79.77, 71.43, and 55.45, and drying time of them was slightly different. The PSMVD/PSMD showed advantages over MVD by improving the product quality.     

The Effects of Predrying Treatments and Different Drying Methods on Phytochemical Compound Retention and Drying Characteristics of Moringa Leaves (Moringa oleifera Lam.)

The most appropriate maturity stage of Moringa oleifera leaves was selected for drying based on phytochemical content, including quercetin and kaempferol. Desorption isotherms were developed and were best fit by the modified Henderson model. Prior to drying, samples were left untreated, blanched in boiling water, and blanched in NaHCO₃/MgO. The leaves were dried by hot air tray drying (TD) and heat pump–dehumidified drying air (HPD) at air temperatures of 40, 50, and 60°C. Alternatively, leaves were subject to microwave drying (MWD) at 150, 450, and 900 W and to freeze drying (FD). The moisture versus time data were fitted to five drying models. In general, a three-parameter model gave the best fit. The drying constant was related to the drying temperature or microwave power using an Arrhenius model. Effective moisture diffusivity (D _eff) increased with higher drying temperature, higher microwave power, or blanching treatments. Structural changes in the leaves after drying and upon rehydration were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Leaves blanched and dried using HPD at 50°C and fresh and dried using FD showed a partial breakdown of the tissue structure upon rehydration. HPD and blanching reduced the drying time by 8.3% and increased quercetin and kaempferol levels by 42.1 and 51.4%, respectively, compared to TD at 50°C. MWD provided the quickest drying followed by HPD and TD, respectively. HPD drying of M. oleifera after blanching resulted in relatively greater quality compared to TD and MWD.     

黑加仑真空冷冻与微波真空联合干燥工艺研究

以黑加仑为原料,对其进行了真空冷冻与微波真空联合干燥工艺的研究。结果表明：先真空冷冻后微波真空干燥（FDMV）的组合方式是可行的;联合干燥合理工艺参数为：微波功率1．34kW。绝对压力11kPa,转换含水率为20％（wb）;通过试验验证,联合干燥生产的脱水黑加仑的感官品质和营养成分接近真空冷冻干燥,联合干燥方式对节省干燥时间和降低能耗是有效的。     

Effect of infrared pretreatment on low-humidity air drying of apple slices

The dried apple is used in the preparation of weaning foods and bakery products. The current drying processes, especially hot air (HA) drying, still face the problem of longer processing time and product quality degradation. The low-humidity air (LHA) drying can be an option to retain product quality in heat-sensitive food such as apple. The present work focuses on the effect of pretreatment of apple slices with potassium metabisulfite and infrared (IR) waves on drying characteristics when subjected to LHA drying and comparing the product quality with conventional hot air and freeze drying (FD). Pretreatment with IR waves reduced the drying time by nearly 23 and 17% in LHA and HA drying, respectively. The results indicated that IR-treated and LHA-dried slices retained nearly 82–90 and 72–74% of ascorbic acid and total phenolic content, respectively and was comparable to FD slices. The drying time for LHA was nearly 37% lesser than that for HA drying. LHA-dried apple slices had better color and rehydration ratio compared to FD- and HA-dried slices.