Kinetics of dehydration and appreciation of the physicochemical properties of osmo-dehydrated plum.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the dehydration kinetics and quantify its effect on the various physicochemical properties of the osmo-dehydrated plum during storage at an ambient condition. The six treatments with a combination of three different sucrose-sodium chloride concentrations and two peeling conditions were selected in the experiment. Among the treatments, peeled plum dipped into 5% NaCl solution exhibited a faster drying rate. Concerning the rehydration properties of the osmo-dehydrated plum, the whole plum immersed into 500B sucrose solution showed the highest reconstitution behavior and the lowest moisture content (wb). The highest values of water activity of 0.514 and the lowest values of texture 1.79 N-mm2 were investigated in 500B sucrose treated whole plum. The peeled plum obtained the highest lightness (L), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) compared to the unpeeled plum. Osmo-dehydrated plum with high sugar solution contained more sugar and less total phenolic content nevertheless using only 5% NaCl resulted in less sugar and more total phenolic content after the treatment. The osmo-dehydrated whole plums prepared in 500B sucrose scored the highest overall acceptability (8.0, e.g., like very much) followed by the 500B sucrose with peeled plum envisaged the sensory evaluation analysis. In conclusion, the osmo-dehydrated plum treated in 500B sucrose and unpeeled condition performed better with a view to the overall plum quality, color, and acceptability judged by the expert panelists even after 12 months of storage at room temperature.