Determination of mass transfer coefficients and some quality parameters of blueberries

In this study, the effects of drying power on drying time, rate, and kinetics were examined using an infrared dryer designed for drying fresh blueberries. Additionally, under the same conditions, changes in certain quality parameters such as rehydration capacity and color change were also investigated. All examinations were conducted at five different infrared drying power levels: 250, 300, 350, 400, and 500 watts. The drying process was continued until the moisture content of the samples was reduced to 10% (±1). The results showed that the drying times of the samples varied between 50-275 minutes. Moreover, as the infrared drying power increased, there was an increase in the drying rate and consequently in the effective diffusion coefficients. Conversely, an increase in the sample quantity resulted in a decrease in both the drying rate and diffusion rate.