Abstract
Chopped green bell pepper pieces were blanched (95 °C, 5 min) and chemically pretreated (1% potassium metabisulphite solution, 25 min at room temperature) before drying in hot air dryer (HAD) at various temperature ranges (60 – 80 °C). Three vacuum levels (200, 400, 600 mm Hg) and microwave power levels (100, 200, 300 W) were also used to dry green bell pepper samples in a vacuum assisted microwave (VAM) (2.45 GHz, 0.8 kW) dryer. VAM drying methods offered a maximum reduction by four to five times in drying time as compared to that in HAD. The logarithmic model was found to have the best fit based on high R2 and small values of reduced χ2 and RMSE. VAM method has higher values for effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) and lower values for activation energy (Ea), in comparison to the HAD method.
Highlights
Green bell peppers (Capsicum annum L.) are a non-pungent pepper variety of the genus Capsicum of Solanaceae family
The aim of the present work was to investigate vacuum-assisted microwave drying characteristics of green bell pepper and to compare with hot air drying with respect to drying kinetics
The relationship between moisture content and drying time for hot air dryer (HAD) and vacuum-assisted microwave (VAM) dried samples are shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, and exhibited a non-linear decrease of moisture with drying time
Summary
Green bell peppers (Capsicum annum L.) are a non-pungent pepper variety of the genus Capsicum of Solanaceae family. They are thickfleshed and have unique heart shape, 7 to 10 cm in length and 5 to 7 cm wide (medium, elongate) and are consumed green or ripe in salads, soups, pasta, stews, pickles, tarts, risottos, and relishes. Like other vegetables, they are quite perishable, facing high losses due to storage problems, and inappropriate processing technologies.
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