Solar Drying of Selected Fruit and

Vegetables

By

S.I. Idris, N.A. Sale

Agricultural Engineering and Irrigation Department,
NAERLS, ABU, Zaria

TABLE OF CONTENT
Content
INTRODUCTION

Pages
5

DRYING OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Different Method of Drying Fruit and Vegetables

Food dehydrators

Dehydrator features to look for

Types of dehydrators 8
Oven Drying 8
Room Drying 9
Dehydrofreezing

SUN DRYING

10

SOLAR DRYING

11

Classification of Solar Dryer 13

Direct mode solar dryer

13

Indirect mode solar dryers

15

Mixed mode solar dryer

18

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SOLAR FRUIT

AND VEGETABLES DRYING
Selection and Cleaning

.19

.19

Pretreatments .19
Pretreatment Methods for Fruits and Vegetables
Sulfuring

.20

.20

Sulfur fumes .20

Sulfite solution

.20

Blanching with water or steam

.21

Procedure for steam blanching

..21

Procedure for water blanching

..22

Cutting and Slicing

..22

Positioning of the Dryer and Loading the Trays

Drying the Prepared Fruit and Vegetables
Determining Dryness of Fruits
Conditioning Fruits

..22

..23

..23

..24

DRYING PROCEDURES FOR SELECTED

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

..24

Tomatoes

..24

Red Pepper

..24

Green Pepper ..25

Onion ..25
Carrot ..25

Okra

..25

REFERENCE

..26

INTRODUCTION
Vegetable can be any part of a plant root, stern, leaf, flower or fruit while fruit is generally the
fleshy part of plants that contain the plant ripe seeds. In Nigeria fruit and vegetables are
produced mainly in the Savannah ecological zone of the country. Major fruits produced in the
country are mango, citrus, guava, pawpaw, while vegetables include onion, tomato, okra, pepper,
carrot, melon, Hibiscus sabdariffa (sobo), Adansonia digtata (baobab leaves) etc.
Being highly perishable in nature, fruit and vegetable are abundant and cheap during their season
and scarce and expensive when their season is off. This problems couple with the inadequate
handling storage structures causes tremendous losses to the fruit and vegetables farmers and
marketers as well. Considering the abundant solar radiation available in the country, utilization
of this energy in the preservation of fruit and vegetables cannot be overemphasize. Therefore the
bulletin will introduce different method of using solar energy in drying of fruit and vegetables,
with more emphasis on tomato, okra and onion. Figure 1 below shows different types of fruit and
vegetables.

Fig. 1: Different types of fruit and vegetables

DRYING OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

In general drying removes moisture from food such that bacteria, yeast and mold cannot grow
and spoil the food. It also slows down the action of enzymes (naturally occurring substances
which cause foods to ripen), but does not inactivate them.
When the moisture is remove from high moisture content foods such as fruit and vegetables, the
foods becomes smaller and lighter in weight. When the food is ready for use, the water is added
back, and the food returns to its more or less original shape.
Foods can be dried in the sun, in an oven or in a food dehydrator by using the right combination
of warm temperatures, low humidity and air current.
In drying, warm temperatures cause the moisture to evaporate. Low humidity allows moisture to
move quickly from the food to the air. Air current speeds up drying by moving the surrounding
moist air away from the food.
Different Method of Drying Fruit and Vegetables
Below is a brief description of different method of drying fruit and vegetables. Advantages and
disadvantages of each method was pointed out. Being the subject of the bulletin, more emphasis
was given to solar drying.
Food dehydrators
A food dehydrator (figure. 2) is a small electrical appliance for drying food indoors. A food
dehydrator has an electric element for heat, fan and vents for air circulation. A food dehydrator
uses a heat source and air flow to reduce the water content of foods. The water content of food is
usually very high, typically 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables. Removing moisture
from food restrains various bacteria from growing and spoiling food.
A food dehydrator is one of the safest, easiest and most efficient process for dehydrating seasonal
fruits that can be enjoy throughout the year without really altering the taste.

Fig. 2: Food dehydrator

Dehydrator features to look for
Here are some standard features that one should look for when buying a food dehydrator.
Double wall construction of metal or high-grade plastic with enclosed heating elements and an
enclosed thermostat with temperatures from 30C to 70C.

A dial for regulating temperature and a timer to prevent food from over-drying and
scorching.

An easy-to-use, counter top design.

A fan or blower to ensure flow of air and circulation.

Four to ten open mesh trays made of sturdy lightweight plastic. Trays should be easily
washable and low on maintenance.

The UL seal of approval with a one-year guarantee.

Easy to maintain and use with proven after-sales service.

Types of dehydrators
Usually, dehydrators come in two designs where one has a horizontal air flow since the heating
element and fan are located on the side while the other model has a vertical air flow with the
element and fan located at the base.
Dehydrators with a horizontal flow of air have several advantages mixing of flavors is reduced
which allows several foods to be dried simultaneously, there is no dripping of liquid or juices and
all trays are heated equally. Vertical flow dehydrators cannot prevent mixing of flavors and this
can increase the time for drying different types of foods.

Oven Drying
Oven drying is the simplest way to dry food because you need almost no special equipment. It is
also faster than sun drying. But oven drying can be used only on a small scale. To use an
ordinary kitchen oven for drying, set the oven on the lowest possible setting and preheat to 60C.
It is important to keep the oven temperature at 60 to 70C. So put an oven thermometer on the
top tray about half way back where you can see it easily. Check the temperature about every half
hour. As shown in figure 3, arrange the food in a single layer on each tray. Put one tray on each
oven rack. Allow 1-1/2 inches of space on the sides, front, and back of the trays so that air can
circulate all around them in the oven. To stack more trays in the oven, use blocks of wood in the
corners of the racks to hold the trays at least I inches apart. Dry no more than four trays of food
at a time. A lighter load dries faster than a full load.
Keep the oven door open slightly during drying. A rolled newspaper, a block of wood, or a hot
pad will keep the door open so that moist air can escape while the heat stays in the oven. 4 to 6
inches for electric ovens or 1 to 2 inches for gas ovens is usually enough space for ventilation,

but use a thermometer to check the oven temperature to make sure it stays at 60C. An electric
fan placed in front of the oven door helps to keep the air circulating.
Shifting the trays often is important for even drying because the temperature is not the same
everywhere in the oven. Rotate the trays from top to bottom and from front to back every half
hour. It helps to number the trays so you can keep track of the order in which you rotate them.
Stirring fruit or vegetables every half hour or so also helps the food to dry evenly.

Fig. 3: Drying Oven

Room Drying
Drying food in the room is different from sun drying. Here the food that has to be dried is placed
in a well-ventilated room or covered space. Vegetables and herbs such as hot peppers and
moringa are usually dried in this manner.
To dry herbs and hot peppers, either suspend them from a string or tie in bundles and suspend
them from overhead racks. Keep the herbs and peppers covered in paper bags with small
openings to allow air circulation. The paper covering will protect them from dust, insects and
other pollutants.
Dehydrofreezing
Dehydrofreezing is a new method of food preservation that uses both the techniques of drying
and freezing. Fruits that have been dried at home usually have 80 percent of their moisture
removed while vegetables have 90 percent. However, if only 70 percent of the moisture is

removed and then, the fruit or vegetable is stored in the freezer, the final product will definitely
be better tasting. Dehydrofreezing achieves this by combining freezing and drying.
However, it is important to understand that dehydrofreezing is not the same as freeze-drying.
Freeze-drying is an expensive commercial technique that creates a vacuum while the food is
freezing. This technique of food preservation cannot be performed at home.
In dehydrofreezing, the foods are partially dried and then, frozen. The low temperatures in the
freezers prevent food from mold, bacteria and general spoiling. Moreover, since they have been
dried, they take less space. In addition, the taste and color of such foods is definitely better than
foods that have only been dried. Another great advantage of dehydrofrozen foods is that they
reconstitute in about one-half the time it takes for dried foods, making the former a quicker and
easier option.

SUN DRYING
Sun drying of fruits and vegetables is still practiced largely unchanged from ancient times.
Traditional sun drying takes place by storing the product under direct sunlight. Sun drying is
only possible in areas where, in an average year, the weather allows foods to be dried
immediately after harvest. The high sugar and acid content of fruits make them safe to dry in the
sun while vegetables are not recommended for sun drying due to low sugar and acid content
which increases the risks for the food spoilage. To dry in the sun, hot, dry, breezy days are best.
A minimum temperature of 30C is needed with higher temperatures being better. It takes several
days to dry foods out-of-doors. Because the weather is uncontrollable, sun drying can be risky.
Fruits dried in the sun are placed on trays made of screen, sacks or sometimes bare ground, tar
road and or rocks. Place the trays on blocks to allow for better air movement around the food.
Because the ground may be moist, it is best to place the racks or screens on a concrete driveway
or if possible over a sheet of aluminum or tin. The reflection of the sun on the metal increases the
drying temperature. Cover the trays with cheesecloth to help protect the fruit from birds or
insects. Fruits dried in the sun must be covered or brought under shelter at night. The cool night
air condenses and could add moisture back to the food, thus slowing down the drying process.

The main advantages of sun drying are low capital and operating costs and the fact that little
expertise is required. The main disadvantages of this method are as follows: contamination, theft
or damage by birds, rats or insects; slow or intermittent drying and no protection from rain or
dew that wets the product, encourages mould growth and may result in a relatively high final
moisture content; low and variable quality of products due to over or under drying; large areas of
land needed for the shallow layers of food; laborious since the crop must be turned, moved if it
rains; direct exposure to sunlight reduces the quality (colour and vitamin content) of some fruits
and vegetables. Moreover, since sun drying depends on uncontrolled factors, production of
uniform and standard products is not expected.
The quality of sun dried foods can be improved by reducing the size of pieces to achieve faster
drying and by drying on raised platforms, covered with cloth or netting to protect against insects
and animals. The figure below shows the working principle of open sun drying.

Fig. 4: (a) Open sun drying (b) Working principle of open sun drying

SOLAR DRYING
Solar dryers have some advantages over sun drying when correctly designed. They give faster
drying rates by heating the air to 10-30C above ambient, which causes the air to move faster
through the dryer, reduces its humidity and deters insects. The faster drying reduces the risk of
spoilage, improves quality of the product and gives a higher throughput, so reducing the drying
area that is needed. However care is needed when drying fruits to prevent too rapid drying,
which will prevent complete drying and would result in case hardening and subsequent mould
growth. Solar dryers also protect foods form dust, insects, birds and animals. They can be

constructed from locally available materials at a relatively low capital cost and there are no fuel
costs. Thus, they can be useful in areas where fuel or electricity are expensive, land for sun
drying is in short supply or expensive, sunshine is plentiful but the air humidity is high.
Moreover, they may be useful as a means of heating air for artificial dryers to reduce fuel costs.
Solar food drying can be used in most areas but how quickly the food dries is affected by many
variables, especially the amount of sunlight and relative humidity. Typical drying times in solar
dryers range from 1 to 3 days depending on sun, air movement, humidity and the type of food to
be dried.
As depicted in figure 5, the principle that lies behind the design of solar dryers is as follows: in
drying relative and absolute humidity are of great importance. Air can take up moisture, but only
up to a limit. This limit is the absolute (maximum) humidity, and it is temperature dependent.
When air passes over a moist food it will take up moisture until it is virtually fully saturated, that
is until absolute humidity has been reached. But, the capacity of the air for taking up this
moisture is dependent on its temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the absolute
humidity, and the larger the uptake of moisture. If air is warmed, the amount of moisture in it
remains the same, but the relative humidity falls; and the air is therefore enabled to take up more
moisture from its surrounding.
To produce a high-quality product economically, it must be dried fast, but without using
excessive heat, which could cause product degradation. Drying time can be shortened by two
main procedures: one is to raise the product temperature so that the moisture can be readily
vaporized, while at the same time the humid air is constantly being removed. The second is to
treat the product to be dried so that the moisture barriers, such as dense hydrophobic skin layers
or long water migration paths, will be minimized

Fig. 5: Principle of operation of direct mode solar dryer

Classification of Solar Dryer

Solar dryer are basically classified into three;

The direct mode solar dryer,

The indirect mode solar dryers and
The mixed mode solar dryers.

In all the cases the dryer can be forced or natural convection. In forced convection fan is used to
circulate air into the drying chamber while in natural convection air flows naturally due to the
difference in density between the cool and hot air.
Direct mode solar dryer
As shown in figure 6, direct drying consists of using incident radiation only, or incident radiation
plus reflected radiation. Most solar drying techniques that use only direct solar energy also use
some means to reflect additional radiation onto the product to further increase its temperature. It

consists of a hot box with a transparent top and blackened interior surfaces. Ventilation holes in
the base and upper parts of side walls maintained a natural air circulation.
An example of direct absorption dryer is the hot box dryer as shown in Figure 4. The advantages
of this type of solar drying over open sun drying are to improve product quality by reducing
contamination by dust, insect infestation, and animal or human interference and it is Simpler and
cheaper to construct than the indirect-type for the same loading capacity. Moreover a cabinet
dryer has the following limitation

Liability to over-heat locally, causing crop damage.

Poor vapour removal rates leading to relatively slow overall drying rates
Small capacity limits it to small scale applications.
Discolouration of crop due to direct exposure to solar radiation.
Moisture condensation inside glass covers reduces its transmittivity.
Insufficient rise in crop temperature affects moisture removes.
Limited use of selective coatings on the absorber plate and inside the cabinet dryer.

(a) Natural convection

(b) Force Convection

Fig. 6: Direct solar dryer

In figure 7, a large scale greenhouse type direct mode solar dryer is shown. The main idea behind
this type of a dryer is to obtain a low cost multi-product system. The need to choose a drying
chamber able to accommodate different kinds of trays and act in itself as a solar collector.

(a) Large-scale solar greenhouse dryer

(b) tomato in the greenhouse dryer

Fig. 7: Greenhouse Type Solar Dryer

Indirect mode solar dryers
The indirect mode solar dryers differ from direct dryers with respect to heat transfer and vapour
removal. The crops in these indirect solar dryers are loaded in trays or shelves inside an opaque
drying cabinet and a separate unit termed as solar collector is used for heating the air entering
into the cabinet. The heated air is allowed to flow through the wet crops which provides the heat
for moisture evaporation by convective heat transfer between the hot air and the wet crop.
Drying takes place due to the difference in moisture concentration between the drying air and the
air in the vicinity of crop surface. Figure 8 shows a system that utilise the principle of indirect
solar drying.

Fig. 8: Indirect mode solar dryer (Suncore Solar Power Systems, india)
The advantages of indirect solar drying are:

Offers a better control over drying and the product obtained is of better quality than sun

drying.
Localized heat damage do not occur as the crops are protected and opaque to direct

radiation.
Can be operated at higher temperature, recommended for deep layer drying.
Highly recommended for photo-sensitive crops.
Have inherent tendency towards greater efficiency than direct solar drying.
However, they are relatively elaborate structures requiring more capital investment in
equipment and incur larger maintenance costs than the direct drying units.

The solar tunnel dryer shown in Figure 9 and 10 consists of a plastic sheet-covered flat plate
solar col1ector, a drying tunnel and set of smal1 axial flow fans. To simplify construction and
reduce costs, the solar col1ector is connected directly to the drying tunnel without any additional
air ducts.

Fig. 9: Solar tunnel dryer

1. Air inlet, 2. Fan, 3. Solar module, 4. Solar collector, 5. Side metal frame, 6. Outlet of
the collector, 7. Wooden support, 8. Plastic net, 9. Roof structure for supporting the
plastic cover, 10. Base structure for supporting the tunnel drier, 11. Rolling bar, 12. Outlet
of the drier tunnel

Fig. 10: solar tunnel dryer

A rock-bed dryer is shown in Figure 11. In this dryer, air, drawn by natural convection through
an air inlet, circulates the heat collected by the primary solar energy collector throughout the
drying chamber which is packed with limestone rocks of relatively uniform diameter. The heat
would then stratify across the rock bed but, since rocks are poor thermal conductors, temperature
differences would slowly disappear when air is not moving through the rock bed. Thus samples
positioned above the rock-bed can continue drying during the night. This type of a solar dyer
requires very little maintenance.

Fig. 11: Rock bed solar dryer

Mixed mode solar dryer
The mixed mode solar dryers (figure 12) combine the features of the direct and indirect type
solar-energy dryers. Here the combined action of incident direct solar radiation on the product to
be dried and air preheated in a solar collector heater produces the necessary heat required for the
drying process.

Fig. 12: Mixed mode solar dryer (a) active mode (b) passive mode

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SOLAR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

DRYING
Selection and Cleaning
The fruit to be dried should be of good quality i.e. it should not be overripe or spoiled as it could
ruin the taste of all the fruit dried in the batch.
The fruit and vegetables should be washed with some type of disinfectant and plenty of cold
water. During washing care should be taking not to break the skin of the gentler fruits; it could
lead to the contamination of the inner tissue.
Pretreatments
Although many foods can be dried without pretreatment, it generally improves quality,
particularly for vegetables. The major reasons for treating foods before drying are to preserve
color and flavor, minimize nutrient loss, stop decomposition (enzyme action), ensure more even
drying and extend storage life

Pretreatment Methods for Fruits and Vegetables

The Pretreatment Methods for Fruits and Vegetables are ascorbic acid/citric acid dips, Steam
blanching, salt solution, dip Water blanching, syrup blanching, honey dip and sulfating.
Blanching with water or steam do not required any specialized equipment or expensive chemical
solution; it will be discuss in detail.
Sulfuring
Sulfuring is the best antioxidant treatment for preserving color. Without a permanent, antioxidant
treatment, apples and other fruits with light-colored flesh will turn dark during drying and
storage. Sulfur also helps prevent loss of vitamins A and C. Sulfur is not a preservative in itself,
but it discourages insects and microbes, which can cause spoilage.
You don't need to worry about sulfur being harmful in the amounts used for treating fruits. Sulfur
is a mineral that occurs naturally in foods and is necessary for life. Sulfur forms sulfurous acid
when it combines with the water in the fruit, but the acid evaporates during drying. The residue is
a harmless compound that the body easily excretes.
To keep fruit from discoloring, you should expose it to sulfur immediately after preparing it.
There are two methods of sulfuring, each with its own advantages and disadvantages: using (1)
sulfur fumes or (2) a sulfite solution.
Sulfur fumes
Sulfur fumes are more effective than sulfur solutions, but this method takes more time and
equipment. You need a wooden or cardboard box and wooden trays or screens covered with
cheesecloth. Several of the recommended references describe methods for making a sulfur box.
They also explain how to load and operate the box.
The sulfuring time for each type of fruit is different, so check your references. Fruits sulfured by
this method should not be dried indoors because the odor of the fumes is unpleasant. And take
care: sulfur are irritating to the eyes and nose.
Sulfite solution
Soaking fruit in a sulfite solution is easy. The pieces of fruit are, however, less thoroughly
sulfured than they are by fumes. Because of the soaking involved, the fruit absorbs some water,

so the drying time is lengthened. Fruit that is sulfured by this method may be dried indoors or
outdoors.
To make a sulfite solution, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sodium bisulfite to 1 gallon of water. Mix
thoroughly. Soak the prepared fruit in the solution for 5 to 10 minutes. Soak lighter fruit longer.
Use a weighted plate to keep the fruit submerged in the solution. Drain the pieces of fruit and
then blot them dry on absorbent toweling. Do not rinse the fruit in water. Start the drying
procedure immediately.
Sodium bisulfite is usually available at drugstores, winemakers' shops, and some health food
stores. Use only pure reagent or food-grade bisulfite. Don't use practical-grade bisulfite because
it is not pure enough for sulfuring fruit. Do not use garden-dusting sulfur either.

Blanching with water or steam

Steam/water blanching fruit is an alternative to sulfuring, but it is not as effective. More vitamins
are lost and drying takes longer. For these reasons it is not much recommended.
In general blanching is used in to halt the action of enzymes. However, blanching of fruit is
optional. Steam blanching is recommended because it prevents the loss of some nutrients and the
products being dried will not adhere to one another. Care should be taken not to under-blanch,
because the enzymes will not be completely deactivated and the dried vegetables will deteriorate
during storage.
Procedure for steam blanching
Pour several centimeters of water into a large cooking pot that has a close-fitting lid. Heat the
water to boiling and place a wire rack or basket over it holding a layer of the fruits or vegetables
(not more than 5 cm deep). Maintain the rack high enough to keep clear of the water. Cover and
let the product steam for required time (according to the recipe), then test to make sure all pieces
are reached by the steam.
A sample from the center of the layer should be wilted and feel soft and heated through when it
has been properly blanched.

Remove the fruit and spread them on paper towel or clean cloth to remove excess moisture while
you steam the next load. Cover with towel while waiting for further treatment or before taking
them to the drying trays.
Procedure for water blanching
Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water, cover and bring to a rolling boil. Place the vegetables in a wire
basket or a colander and submerge them in the water. Cover and blanch according to directions.
Begin timing when water returns to boiling. If it takes longer than one minute for the water to
come back to boiling, too many vegetables were added. Reduce the amount in the next batch.
Cutting and Slicing
To avoid contamination, and spoiling of the product during and after drying; the knife to be used
should be sterile with a bleach solution. Cutting surface should be disinfected and apart from
washing hand glove should be worn.
In addition, thickness of the slices could either reduce or increase your drying time. This could
play a major role in weather your fruit will survive or become spoiled before being completely
dried. Thicker slices will take a longer time to dry, and may sometimes not dry completely;
creating the potential for mold. On the other hand, very thin slices burn easily or become too
brittle when being removed from the tray.
Positioning of the Dryer and Loading the Trays
To reduce the risk of contamination from flies and other insect the dryer should be place in a
clean area that has direct exposure to solar radiation.
The dryer should also be place with it closed side in the direction where wind predominantly
blows; this will reduce the cooling effect of the wind blowing direct into the drying cabinet;
lengthening drying times. It will also reduce the possibility of dust entering the cabinet.
Loading the trays properly is also critical for efficient drying. But before any fruit is loaded,
make sure the trays are disinfected and cleaned from past batches. The spacing of the fruit on the

trays is important. Too high density with too little spacing can create problems. Many sources
recommend about 6 mm of separation between slices.
Drying the Prepared Fruit and Vegetables
During solar drying of fruit be sure to place the fruit in a single layer on the drying trays. The
pieces should not touch or overlap and dry until the food tests dry.
In the case of vegetables, after blanching, dip it briefly in cold water. When they feel only
slightly hot to the touch, drain it by pouring them directly onto the drying tray held over the sink.
Wipe the excess water from underneath the tray and arrange the vegetables in a single layer.
Then place the tray immediately in the dryer. The heat left in the vegetables from blanching will
cause the drying process to begin more quickly.
In both cases watch the foods closely at the end of the drying period. They dry much more
quickly at the end.
Determining Dryness of Fruits
Since dried fruits are generally eaten without being rehydrated, they should not be dehydrated to
the point of brittleness. Most fruits should have about 20 percent moisture content when dried.
To test for dryness, cut several cooled pieces in half. There should be no visible moisture and you
should not be able to squeeze any moisture from the fruit. Some fruits may remain pliable, but
are not sticky or tacky. If a piece is folded in half, it should not stick to itself.
After drying, cool fruit 30 to 60 minutes before packaging. Packaging food warm can lead to
sweating and moisture buildup. However, excessive delays in packaging could allow moisture to
re-enter food.
For vegetables, it should be dried until they are brittle. Some vegetables would actually shatter if
hit with a hammer. At this stage, they should contain about 10 percent moisture. Because they are
so dry, they do not need conditioning before storage.
Conditioning Fruits

When dried fruit is taken from the dryer, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally
among the pieces because of their size or their location in the dryer. Conditioning is a process
used to equalize the moisture and reduce the risk of mold growth.
To condition the fruit, take the dried fruit that has cooled and pack it loosely in plastic jars. Seal
the containers and let them stand for seven to ten days. The excess moisture in some pieces will
be absorbed by the drier pieces. Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check for moisture
condensation. If condensation develops in the jar, return the fruit to the dryer for more drying.
After conditioning, fruit are package and store.

DRYING PROCEDURES FOR SELECTED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Tomatoes
Solar drying of tomato yields products with higher sensory and sanitary quality in a shorter
drying time compared to the conventional sun-drying method. Both 2% sodium metabisulfite
(Na2S205) and 2% citric acid pretreatments can be used to protect the bright, red colour of
tomatoes. However, citric acid did not prevent the growth of moulds and yeasts effectively.
Therefore, dipping into sodium metabisulfite solution for 3 minute is the best type of
pretreatment. Tomatoes can be dried at 55C in solar tunnel dryer without a darkening in colour.
At this temperature the drying takes 4-5 days to a final moisture content of 11%
Red Pepper
Red peppers are deseeded, cut into small pieces, and washed before loading into the tunnel solar
dryer. Pretreatment with 2% sodium metabisulfite for 1 second gives the best colour. Moreover,
the drying temperature and piece size of red peppers affects the final product quality.
Temperatures higher than 60C results in dark brown colour formation in red peppers. Red
peppers that are cut into bigger pieces needs a longer time period to dry and therefore the colour
of the final product is darker. Drying at low temperatures (45-50C) for about 1 day gives good
results. To increase the capacity of the solar dryer, a double layer system can be constructed, but
with this system, drying needs a more careful control. Final moisture content of dried red

peppers which are pretreated with sodium metabisulfite for 1 second is 3.5%. The yield is 9% for
both pretreated and naturally dried peppers
Green Pepper
Green peppers are washed, deseeded and cut into small pieces before loading into the dryer.
Green peppers are very sensitive to high temperatures and light. Therefore, it should be dried
under dark and at 45-50C to preserve the natural green colour. 2% sodium metabisulfite dipping
for 1 sec can be applied to obtain a microbiologically safe product. Drying at 45-50C under dark
conditions takes about 1 day. Green peppers dried under these conditions have a final moisture
content of 6%, and a yield of 10%.
Onion
Before drying, onions are peeled and sliced into desired shapes. Onions can be dried at 45-50C
for 2-3 days to a final moisture content of 15% in tunnel solar dryers. Sodium metabisulfite
dipping can be used to preserve colour. Drying temperatures of onions should not exceed 50C in
order to prevent browning of the product. The yield in onion drying is 8%.
Carrot
Before loading into the dryer, carrots are peeled, washed, cut into small cubes and treated with
2% sodium metabisulfite solution for 1s and 10s or dried as natural. Carrots can be dried at 5055C for 1-1.5 days to a final moisture content of 7.5 %. Naturally dried carrots loss their bright
orange colour. The sodium metabisulfite treated ones preserve their colour to the largest extent.
Okra
Before loading into solar dryer, okra is wash, trim, slice crosswise in 1/8- to 14-inch disks and
its head remove. On the basis of colour, flavour and microbiology of the final product, it was
observed that high quality dried okra was obtained using 2% sodium metabisulfite dipping as a
pretreatment and drying of okra at 50-55C in the solar dryer under dark conditions. Drying time
is about 1day. Blanching of okra before drying needs ice-bath dipping. Therefore it is not
considered as a practical method.

REFERENCE
Donald G. Mercer. (2012). A Basic Guide to Drying Fruits and Vegetables. Department of Food
Science University of Guelph Ontario, Canada.
Drying Food: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agriculture Cooperative
Extension Service Circular 1227
Guide for Solar Fruit Drying in Totogalpa, Nicaragua. An initiative prepared by D-Lab, UC
Davis for Grupo Fenix, UNI and the Solar Women of Totogalpa Processed Fruits
and

Vegetables

2011

From:

http://piet1.ucdavis.edu/projects/solar-

dryer/2011DLabI-SolarFruitDryGuideEnglish Access on 28/09/2016

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