FRUIT DRYING BY VACUUM DRYING METHOD

• Main Author: Zuljana Qisthi, Zikrizihni
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85962
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The abundance of pineapples and mangoes in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province can be utilized to produce food products with a longer shelf life, which can be offered as unique souvenirs to tourists visiting Labuan Bajo. The best way to produce dried fruit with commercial quality is through vacuum drying. Drying is conducted until a constant dry weight is achieved, complying with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 3710:2018 for dried fruit, which stipulates a maximum moisture content of 20%. Research was conducted to determine the impact of temperature on the drying rate during vacuum drying, as well as alternative drying methods using greenhouses and minigreenhouses. The study also investigated the influence of pre-treatments on fruit samples. Temperature variations during vacuum drying were set at 60°C, 75°C, and 90°C. The results showed that higher temperatures accelerated the drying process. As for pretreatments, citric acid solution (pH 4) and 5% salt solution were used. Citric acid slightly accelerated the drying process of mangoes, especially in greenhouse drying, while salt solution slightly slowed it down. However, these effects were not significant. Pretreatments can influence the drying rate by altering the physical and chemical properties of the fruit, such as water activity and tissue structure.