Two-Stage Intermittent Microwave Coupled with Hot-Air Drying of Carrot Slices: Drying Kinetics and Physical Quality

To display the advantages of two-stage intermittent microwave coupled with hot-air (60 °C) drying (IM&AD), different drying methods were compared. The activation power density of samples dried by IM&AD increased slightly and then rapidly as moisture content decreased. Drying kinetics, specific energy consumption and dried product quality, such as colour, rehydration ratio and α- and β-carotene contents, of carrot dried by IM&AD under the optimum conditions were assessed and compared with those of carrot dried by hot-air (60 °C) drying, hot-air (60 °C) drying followed by low-power microwave (145 W) drying, high-power microwave (175 W) drying followed by hot-air (60 °C) drying and high-power microwave (175 W) drying followed by low-power microwave (145 W) drying. The effective diffusivity increased gradually and then rapidly as moisture content decreased in all five drying processes. The IM&AD is a promising way for industrial application because it showed the lowest drying time with relatively low energy consumption and provided the best quality of final products with the best colour appearance, highest rehydration ratio and highest α- and β-carotene contents.