STORAGE STABILITY OF DRIED ONION

The effect of predrying treatment and conditions of storage on color stability of dried onion was investigated. The variety of onion had little effect on color stability, but storage time prior to drying affected the color of the dried onion. Steeping of sliced onion in water or dipping in starch solution lessened browning and allowed for longer storage. Ascorbic acid in the steeping solution yielded dried onion with a pink unacceptable color. Osmotic dewatering imparted a yellow color to the onion, but improved the color stability of the dried product. Light was an important variable in the storage stability of dried onion.