Hot air and microwave drying of onions: A comparative study

This comparative study of conventional (hot air) drying and microwave drying of the onion was carried out on a hot air pilot plant drier for conventional drying where all characteristics (temperature, humidity, and velocity) could be adjusted and controlled. A data logger connected to a computer captured all data. And for microwave drying, a drying tunnel fitted with a forward/backward movement was used. Mass loss and product surface temperature were monitored for both processing. Factors controlled where: frequency of movement, microwave power, air extraction rate. Other elements included shape (slices/pieces) and variety of product. Drying duration and maximum drying rate constituted comparative criterion for the processes. Quality was measured by the reducing sugars and polyfructans content. Analysis of variance for the microwave drying process suggests that the effective factors were microwave power followed by onion variety and shape respectively. For quality criterion by far the most effective was variety, followed by the interaction of shape and the forward-backward movement of the conveyor. For conventional drying the most effective factor was air temperature for drying duration, and variety for maximum drying rate.