Study on dehydration of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)

Abstract

The present study was carried out to study different pre-treatments, optimum drying time and temperature of cauliflower and rehydration of dried cauliflower. The sample cauliflower was prepared by soaking the blanched pieces in solution of different concentrations of salt and sucrose prior to drying. The samples of 250 gm for each treatment were dried in tray dryer at drying temperature 50⁰C. It was observed that the moisture content decreased with the drying time. The time required for samples of respective treatment to reduce moisture from 1308.45%(db) to 11.04%(db), 10.54%(db), 8.98%(db), 11.92%(db), 11.13%(db), 10.73%(db), 14.08%(db), 11.93%(db) and 12.75%(db) respectively was 10-12hrs. Similarly, for quarter cut the time required for dehydration was about 11.5 hrs to 17.5 hrs. It is evident from these results that the drying was faster for pieces followed by quarter at 50oC temperature. The treatment of 5%NaCl+0.1%KMS gave minimum time of 10 hrs with drying temperature of 50⁰C.The maximum rehydration ratio was 5.7 for the treatment of 5%Sucrose+ 5%NaCl+0.1% KMS with drying temperature of 50⁰C. The optimum treatment was soaking in 5% Sucrose + 5%NaCl + 0.1%KMS for 1 hr. at room temperature and drying in a tray dryer at 50⁰C.