Development and testing of low cost solar box for drying of vegetables
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Date
2011
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CCSHAU
Abstract
The study was conducted in two parts viz. preliminary survey and experimental work. Survey
was carried out in 2 villages of Hisar district to study the existing practices of drying of vegetables with
a sample of 100 women respondents (50 from each village) who were drying vegetables at home. In
part-II, experiments were conducted to develop a low cost solar box, solar drying of vegetables, and
testing the cooking quality of dried vegetables.
Majority of the respondents were drying fenugreek leaves, kachar, and chillies. Some
respondents also dried bitter gourd, round gourd, cluster beans, cauliflower, green peas and in the
quantity of 4-6 kgs for about 6 months. Experiments were conducted in the open area of department of
Family Resource Management CCSHAU, Hisar under three phases. In phase-I low cost solar box
(measurements: length-1.2 m, width-0.6 m, height of front wall-0.2 m, height of back wall-0.6 m) were
developed with the help of College of Agricultural Engineering.. All sides of box and lid were covered
with white polythene sheet and base was covered with black polythene sheet. Holes (1cm diameter)
was made in the front wall and at the back wall of the box for the inlet and outlet of air. In phase-II,
eight vegetables were selected viz. green peas, carrot, fenugreek leaves, cluster beans, round gourd,
cauliflower, bitter gourd, and french beans for drying in open sun and in solar box. Initial moisture
content of these vegetables was recorded with the help of oven on wet basis. Drying of selected
vegetables was conducted from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm under open sun (Sample A) and inside solar box
(Sample B) Temperature inside solar box was higher than ambient temperature. Therefore, box drying
rate of vegetables inside solar box was faster than open sun drying. Solar box dried vegetables
regained more moisture than open sun dried vegetables when soaked in water. In phase-III, cooking
quality of dried vegetables was evaluated on the basis of organoleptic test (using 9 point hedonic scale)
through 10 judges. Results showed that overall acceptability of solar box dried cooked vegetables in
terms of color, appearance, aroma, texture and taste almost all were significantly better than cooking
quality of open sun dried vegetables.
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Keywords
Weeds, Control methods, Crops, Yields, Turnips, Electrophoresis, Herbicides, Planting, Drying, Biological development