The effects of different pre-treatment applications on quality in drying of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)

This study was aimed to determine the pomological, phytochemical and sensory changes caused by different pre-treatment solutions [5% potassium carbonate (PC), 5% potassium carbonate (PC) + 1% olive oil (OO) and 5% potassium carbonate (PC) + 1% ethyl oleate (EO)] and different drying methods (sun drying and industrial drying) in sweet cherry varietes ('0900 Ziraat', 'Starks Gold'). In this context, cherry fruits dipped in pre-treatment solutions and they were dried at 24 °C for 48 h by sun drying method and by industrial drying method at 57 °C for 32 h. After drying with both methods; % weight loss, pH, titrable acidity, water-soluble dry matter (Brix,%), color, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, total anthocyanin content and total flavonoid content of cherry samples were measured. As a result of the study, it was found that the cherry samples, which were applied pre-treatment solutions and dried with the industrial drying method, were more effective in preserving the quality characteristics than the sun-dried cherry samples treated with the same pre-treatment solutions. In addition, it was found that the quality characteristics of sweet cherry varieties were preserved at the optimum level by dipping '0900 Ziraat' and 'Starks Gold' cherry varieties in oil-based pre-treatment solutions and drying them with industrial drying method.