Cooking Characteristics and Quality of Noodles from Food Sorghum

Abstract

ABSTRACTThree white food sorghums, ATx631*RTx436, ATxARG*RTx436, and SC283‐14, were decorticated, milled into flour and processed into 100% sorghum noodles. Flour, water, and salt (1%) were preheated using a hotplate or a microwave oven. The mixtures were put through a forming extruder to produce noodles. Extruded noodles were dried by three methods: air‐dry method (23°C, 48 hr); one‐stage (60°C, 30% rh, 3 hr), or two‐stage (60°C, 100% rh for 2 hr followed by 60°C, 30% rh for 2 hr). Noodles were evaluated dry and after cooking. Sorghum flours with smaller particle sizes yielded better noodles. The microwave preheating method yielded better noodles than the hot‐plate method. Stronger and firmer noodles, dry or cooked, were prepared using two‐stage drying compared with the other drying methods. Fine flour that was preheated using a microwave oven and dried using the two‐stage method gave the best noodles with moderate (10%) dry matter loss. Optimized processing conditions yielded sorghum noodles with good qualities when properly cooked.