Hot air dehydration of figs (Ficus carica L.): drying kinetics and quality loss

The dehydration of fruit from fig trees is normally achieved by sun drying. There is concern about the safety of the end product, mainly because there is a risk of the development of aflatoxins. These concerns can be overcome by artificial drying (oven dehydration). Fig fruits of a local cultivar, which were either pre-treated by blanching or blanching plus sulphuring or not treated at all, underwent hot air dehydration under mild processing conditions in a pilot airflow cabinet dryer. Sampling was carried out at regular intervals to calculate the rate of dehydration and assess quality changes. Microbiological counts and nonenzymatic browning were also monitored. Pretreatments resulted in a shorter processing time, compared with control fruits. In general, a falling dehydration rate period was observed. A dramatic loss of ascorbic acid was recorded, while an informal sensorial assay of the dried fruits gave a positive assessment.