Drying of fruits and vegetables

Abstract

Fruits and vegetables tend to deteriorate shortly after harvest due to their high moisture content. The aroma, color, appearance, and nutritional properties of these products start to decrease if a preservation method is not used. In order to prevent these quality losses and increase the shelf life of the products, various preservation methods have been applied. The most common and economical method is drying. It has advantages over other preservation methods, such as convenience in transportation and storage, more concentrated nutrient content, long-term preservation, and less packaging costs. The aim of this chapter is to examine the sorption properties, pretreatments, drying methods, quality criteria, and energy costs.