Dried Vegetables

To lengthen the shelf life of vegetables, they can be dried. Vegetables have a naturally high moisture content. When the moisture content of the vegetable is lowered to about 5% by drying, no or hardly any microbial growth can take place any more.

During the drying process, the temperature of the product that is being dried mustn’t become too high, to preserve the taste, nutritional values and appearance. However, the product must be sufficiently dried, so that there is no possibility of bacterial growth and enzymatic reactions can no longer occur.

Many vegetables are suitable for drying, like green herbs, leafy vegetables, tubers and root crops.

The drying speed depends on:

Airspeed;

Humidity;

Air distribution;

Distribution of the product;

The temperature of the product to be dried.

Freeze-Dried , powdered Vegetable

The global freeze-dried vegetable powder market is exhibiting strong growth due to its vast application in convenience foods. The most prominent application of freeze-dried vegetable powder is ready-to-cook foods owing to its longer shelf life. During the freeze-drying process, the water is completely removed from vegetables by sublimation, thereby preserving their colour, flavour, shape and nutrients. Water removal during the freeze-drying process increases the shelf life of vegetable powder at room temperature, without adding any preservatives. The growing demand for high-quality vegetable-based instant meals is fueling the growth of the market.

Usages

Dried Vegetables are also widely utilized in plant-based functional food and beverages and dietary supplements.

Freeze-dried vegetable powders add flavours to soups, sauces and gravies without adding any moisture thereby retaining the product’s consistency.