• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of combined osmotic dehydration and hot-air drying on the quality of dried apple products. Apple cylinders were steeped in 30% and 50% sucrose solutions at different steeping times. During the osmotic dehydration, as the concentration of the sucrose solution and steeping time increased, weight reduction and water loss increased, and the solid gain showed similar results. Osmotic dehydration in the sucrose solutions was followed by hot-air drying at 50 and $70^{\circ}C$. The experimental data were fitted successfully using the modified Page model. At the drying temperature of $50^{\circ}C$, the drying time increased from 4.15 hr for the control to 5.78 hr and 6.42 hr for the 30 and 50% sucrose solution treatments, respectively. Similar results were shown at the $70^{\circ}C$ drying temperature. The k and n values of the apple cylinders decreased by osmotic dehydration, and the k and n of the apple cylinders steeped in the 50% sucrose solution were lower than those of the samples steeped in the 30% sucrose solution. The qualities of the dried apple products were compared to samples that did not undergo osmotic dehydration. The shrinkage and rehydration capacity of the apple products decreased via osmotic dehydration, and decreased as the concentration of the sucrose solution increased. The compressibility ratios of the apple products to raw apple cylinders increased by osmotic dehydration, and increased as the concentration of sucrose solution increased. The sensory evaluation results for the apple products rehydrated in yoghurt indicate that osmotic dehydration greatly enhances the palatability of apple products in terms of appearance, taste, and texture.