Optimización del escaldado de calabacita criolla (Cucurbita pepo) deshidratada a temperaturas bajas y tiempos largos / Optimization of stepwise blanching of dehydrated zucchini (Cucurbita pepo)

Abstract

Low-temperature prolonged blanching was applied to sliced zucchini prior to dehydration. Treatment was optimized by a response surface method. The variables studied were: blanching temperature (50, 55, 65, 75 and 79 °C) and blanching time (23, 79, 30, 45, 60, 66 min). Color, texture (cutting force) and rehydration rate of the product were also evaluated. The optimum conditions for the texture, color (parameter b*) and rehydration rate (RR) of the pretreatment were: temper ature, 61-66 °C for 52-56 min. The prediction model was applied with these conditions and the following values were obtained: rehydration rate 5.14, texture 28.82 Newtons and the color para meter b' (blue-yellow) 34.0. The prediction models for maximum cutting force and parameter b* showed a significant fit (p ≤ 0.05) of the experimental values and the prediction model for the RR showed a lack of fit (p ≤ 0.05) whereas the parameters L* and a* were not affected significantly. These optimum conditions were verified experimentally, and the experimental values agreed very closely with the predicted values.

Keywords

zucchini Cucurbita pepo blanching texture color dehydration

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