PEELING OF YAMS FOR PROCESSING

White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) lye or flame peeled were evaluated for quality characteristics and peeling loss in comparison to hand peeling. Lye concentration (15–20% at 98°C with a dipping time 3–5 min) effectively removed the histological peel as the flame method, (flame temperature was 857°C and exposure time was 9 min) with a peeling loss of 4% which was significantly lower than for hand peeling. Fresh yams were more readily peeled by these methods than stored yams. The yams peeled by lye or flame when cooked were quite acceptable as hand peeled yams. The adaptability of these methods for industrial scale up are examined.