Application of Intermittent Drying of Cyclic Temperature and Step-Up Temperature in Enhancing Textural Attributes of Dehydrated Manilkara zapota

Uneven hardness and difficulty in masticating dried fruits are common product quality problems. The product rejection rate is relatively high due to these problems. This study found that the textural attributes of dried fruits can be controlled or standardized by applying novel drying techniques, viz. intermittent hot air-dehumidified air drying. In addition, identification of the critical moisture content that contributes to case hardening of dried product is presented in this article. A textural attributes comparison was conducted for the continuous hot air, continuous dehumidified air, and intermittent hot air-dehumidified drying techniques. It was found that samples subjected to 5h dehumidified air and 19h hot air (5C-19H) intermittent drying gave the best hardness and chewiness attributes.