Quality characteristic determination of Trabzon persimmon dried by different drying methods

Even though Trabzon persimmon is a beneficial fruit for both human health and industrial use, it is generally used seasonally and inadequate effort has been given to use it offseason. This study was designed to determine the optimum drying method which would optimize the quality of dried Trabzon persimmon. The fuyu type of Trabzon persimmon was used in this study. After pretreatments, persimmons were sliced to have round shape with 0.5 cm thickness. Sliced persimmons were separated into three groups. The first group of persimmons was determined as control group and was not subjected to any chemical treatment. The second group of persimmons was dipped into ascorbic acid solution (3%) for 5 seconds. The third group of persimmons was dipped into sodium metabisulphite (3%) for 5 seconds. After these pretreatments, persimmons were dried on a shelf rotated speed controlled dryer at 20 rpm/min rotation speed at 500C for 6 hours, at 650C for 4 hours or at 800C for 3 hours from 15,75% soluble dry matter content to 81% total dry matter. Although sodium metabisulfite treatment gave the best physical, chemical and microbiological results, these dried persimmons were given the lowest sensory scores. Keywords: persimmon, drying, tray dryer