A research on the development of semi-finished products from taro

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is widely grown agricultural product in Mediterranean region. It contains higher amount of fiber, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, B and C compared to potatoes. Mineral content of taro is higher than banana, which is the most produced and consumed product in this area. In addition, glycemic index of taro is lower compared to white potato. Taro has hard texture compared to white potato, high amount of mucilage comes off during peeling and cutting, and also its postharvest shelf-life is short. Taro consumption is low due to these difficulties in preparation and storage. The objective of this project is to produce high quality, ready-to-use, and nutritious value added frozen taro fries. Treatments for frozen taro fries production consists of dipping into acidic solution, blanching, cooling, par-frying, freezing and storage. Treated products were analyzed for mold count and then selected samples were analyzed for moisture content, ash content, water and oil holding capacities, color and sensorial quality. The efficacy of the dipping solutions on pH value of products was significant. Frying time was effective on the moisture and ash contents of samples; however, it was not significant in water and oil holding capacities. In addition, frying time has a significant effect on the color values of fried products. According to the sensory analysis ranking test, par-fried taro treated with citric acid(Lt6-5K) was the most liked sample, whereas product treated with vinegar(S6-5K) was the least liked sample.