Optimization of osmotic dehydration of pear followed by conventional drying and their sensory quality

Abstract

The best condition for the osmotic dehydration of pears was evaluated by an experimental design as: sucrose osmotic solution at 45° Brix, 1:4 (g:g) of fruit:osmotic solution, 1.0 g/100 mL of CaCl2 and 3 h of immersion without agitation at room temperature. This condition resulted in about 20 g/100 g of solids gain and 30 g/100 g of water loss. When the osmotic dehydration (OD) was combined with a conventional drying (CD) (60 °C, until a final moisture of around 20 g/100 g), it resulted in dried pear slices with a 7.6 score for the overall sensory acceptance, a value 17% higher than the only conventionally dried pear. Furthermore, the time to reach 20 g/100 g final moisture using combined OD and CD was 41.8% lower than those dried only with CD.