ABSTRACT
For most processed fruits and vegetables, blanching is essential to inactivate the enzymes responsible for quality deterioration of fruits and vegetables in storage. Blanching also serves the purposes of microbial population reduction, color stabilization, and facilitation for further processing and handling. A newer method of simultaneous infrared (IR) dry blanching and dehydration (SIRDBD) utilizes efficient IR heating to combine blanching and dehydration into a one-step process that is simpler and more energy efficient than conventional methods. During IR heating, IR radiation energy with specific wavelengths penetrates into product and directly heats water or desired components to achieve the purposes of blanching and drying. Water absorbs heat energy very efficiently in the range of medium-infrared (MIR) and farinfrared (FIR) wavelengths with peak wavelengths at 3, 4.7, and 6 μm (Ginzberg, 1969). Since the MIR and FIR energy does not heat the air and medium, the energy transfer is highly efficient.
