Effects of drying on the physical characteristics of dehydrated watermelon rind candies

M. Nur Farah Hani, W.Z. Wan Nur Zahidah, K. Saniah and H.S. Mohd. Irwani

Abstract

Dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind candy was prepared using osmotic dehydrated process that involves slow impregnation of syrup before drying at 50 °C and 60 °C for 8, 14 and 20 h. It can be seen that the drying temperature and time significantly affected the moisture content and water activity of the dehydrated candy. The moisture content and water activity significantly decreased with increasing drying temperature and time. The hardness and stickiness of the watermelon rind candy slightly increased with increasing drying time at 50 °C and 60 °C. For colour evaluation, the L* values of dehydrated watermelon rind candy slightly decreased with increasing drying time while the a* values slightly increased with increasing drying time. Watermelon rind candy that was dehydrated at 50 °C for 14 h was the most preferred sample by the panellists as it received the highest score for texture, taste and overall acceptability attributes.

Full Text (233 KB)