Effects of Drying Temperature and Time on Product Qualities of Candied Santol

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate effects of drying temperature and time onquality of can died Santol (Sandoricum koetjape (Burm.f.) Merr.) Product. Santol, from the same source, was first made into a candied product prior to this study. The effects of three temperature levels (50, 60 and 70 degrees Celsius) and three drying periods (8, 9 and 10 hours) were evaluated, for product quality, based on a design of 32 factorial in completely randomized design; CRD. Physico-chemical qualities, microbial content and sensory evaluation were analyzed. Results found that after drying, the interaction effect and main effect had statistically significant impact on the physical, chemical and microbial qualities of the candied santol product (p ≤ 0.05). Under conditions of 50 degrees Celsius, drying temperature, in combination with a drying time of 8 hours, the product’s physical properties
were optimized. On the other hand, under conditions of 60 degrees Celsius drying, with 8 hours of drying time, the chemical properties were optimized. Although total microbial content tended to decrease with increasing temperature, there was no effect on yeast and fungus content. No microorganism levels exceeded to microbiological properties conformed to Thai Industrial Standard Institute for fruits and vegetables 161/2015. Sensory evaluation results showed no significant different in color, flavor, and overall liking of all treatment products by panelists (n = 30) (p > 0.05). However, texture preference scored was the highest in products that were dried at 50 degrees Celsius, with the score trending to decrease as the drying temperature increased. According to food safety, this study recommends the optimal drying conditions for candied Santol drying at 60 degrees Celsius for 8 hours.