The Effect of Hybrid Drying Methods on the Quality of Dried Carrot

The study investigated the effect of a combination of drying techniques: convection, microwave, and freeze-drying, on selected physical properties of the dried material (carrot) to determine which form of hybrid drying is the best alternative to traditional freeze-drying. Carrots were dried by freeze-drying, convection-drying, and microwave-drying as well as in hybrid methods: freeze-drying-convection, freeze-drying-microwave as well as convection-freeze-drying or microwave-freeze-drying. The color, porosity, shrinkage, water activity, dry matter content, and internal structure of carrots dried using various methods were examined. The dried samples obtained with the hybrid method were compared with those obtained with a single drying technique. Freeze-drying-microwave-drying (F-M) as an alternative drying method for freeze-drying allowed us to obtain dried material with a water activity similar (p < 0.05) to that of freeze-dried samples, at the same time reducing the duration of the process by 20 h. The combination of convection-drying methods with freeze-drying (K-F) and microwave-drying with freeze-drying (M-F) allowed us to obtain dried material with lower shrinkage than in the case of convection (K) or microwave (M) drying.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of hybrid drying methods, including convection, microwave, and freeze-drying, on the physical properties of dried carrots. The goal is to find the best alternative to traditional freeze-drying. The study compares the color, porosity, shrinkage, water activity, dry matter content, and internal structure of carrots dried using different methods. The findings show that certain hybrid drying methods can achieve similar water activity to freeze-dried samples while reducing drying time and minimizing shrinkage.