Drying peach and apricot pumps under different conditions and determining the quality parameters

Food waste brought by the fruit processing industry has become a significant problem. Considering the ever-increasing energy consumption, utilizing food waste plays an important role not only in saving economic losses but also in protecting natural resources. Fruit wastes are valuable products suitable for processing due to the high nutritional value and recyclability of the components they contain. In the study, peach and apricot pomaces were dried with five different drying methods (oven, vacuum, laboratory type convective dryer, sun and shade) and three different drying temperatures (50, 60 and 70° C) and their effects on quality parameters were investigated. In the research, drying performance, mathematical modelling, color values, acidity value (pH), titratable acidity (TA) and water soluble dry matter (W.S.D.M.) values were determined. It has been observed that peach and apricot pomaces develop mold when dried in shade. According to the results, the shortest drying time for peach and apricot pomace was determined to be at 70 °C drying temperature in a laboratory type convective dryer. It was determined that the model that best predicted the drying curves was Wang Singh for peach pulp and Page for apricot pulp. It was determined that the L and b values closest to fresh were found in peach pomace in the oven at 50 °C and the vacuum at 60 °C, respectively. In apricot pomace, L and b values were determined to be at 60 and 70 °C in the vacuum dryer. When chemical analyzes were examined, it was determined that the values closest to fresh for peach and apricot pomaces were at 60 and 70 °C drying temperatures in the vacuum dryer. As a result of the data obtained in the research, it was determined that the vacuum dryer was the method that best preserved the quality parameters of the different drying methods applied for peach and apricot pomaces compared to fresh products.