Effect of various drying methods on the physical characteristics of arrowroot powder

Abstract

Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a large herb found in rainforest habitats. In Indonesia, Arrowroot (or known locally as Ubi garut) is usually processed into a powder ingredient for many foods such as puddings and cookies. One of the crucial processes in producing arrowroot powder is drying. In this study, the effect of various drying methods on the characteristics of arrowroot powder was evaluated. They were solar drying (SD), cabinet drying (CD), and pneumatic drying (PD). The pneumatic dryer used was self-made with a total dimension of 1600×500×2500 mm. It was made from stainless steel plate with 3 mm thickness and equipped with heater, blower, feeder, cyclone, and drying chamber (heater fins of 4,500 watts). The moisture content showed that the CD sample has the lowest moisture content than other methods. The PD has a great potential to be used to produce arrowroot powder while retaining its color and nutritive values.