Abstract:
The paper has studied the effect of drying temperature (50, 60, 70, 80, 90,
100ºC) and wind speed (1.3; 1.7; 3.3; 4.1 m/s) on the kinetics of dehydration in pumpkin. The
experimental data were satisfactorily fitted to the generalized drying curve model, but closer
correlations were achieved after dividing the period of the drying speed decrease in two parts.
The drying period was highly affected by air temperature and wind speed during the drying
process, while blanching before drying has exerted a negligible influence. The carotenoids
content from dried pumpkin was measured and we found that drying at a higher than 70ºC
temperature led to their destruction. The carotenoids content in the blanched sample was by
39% higher than in the control.
