Drying Characteristics and Quality Parameters of Microwave-Dried Grated Carrots

The effectiveness of various microwave-convective drying treatments was compared with convective drying to determine the most favourable treatments in terms of drying kinetics, specific energy consumption and dried product quality of grated carrots. The quality of the dried products differed among drying treatments depending on the microwave power level, pulse ratio and drying temperature. The intermittent microwave-convective drying at ambient temperature with a pulse ratio of 3.0 at 2.23 W g(-1) provided considerable savings in drying time and specific energy consumption when compared to convective drying and produced high-quality product with better physical (colour and texture) and sensory attributes for carrots. The intermittent microwave-convective drying conducted at lower drying temperature with relatively long power-off time resulted in a more stable and gentle drying process and could be preferred to produce high-quality products.