Study on a combination drying technique of sea cucumber

Abstract

To develop a highly efficient drying technique for sea cucumber, the effects of different drying methods on the drying procedure and product quality were investigated. FD could lead to the best quality but took the longest time, and AD product quality was too poor. VMD was introduced to combine with FD to get acceptable quality and reduce drying time. In order to get optimal technique parameters, an RSA experiment was carried out. The optimal technique parameters of combination drying of FD-VMD were 45% conversion point, 20-30 kPa chamber pressure, and 350-450 W microwave power. Compared with Freeze Drying (FD), Air Drying (AD)-Vacuum Microwave Drying (VMD) could reduce the drying time to half and maintain good product quality.