Dr. P.P. SutarJayeshkumar Haribhai Patel2017-03-102017-03-102013http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810004702The drying characteristics and quality of the elephant foot yam slices processed with hybrid (osmotic and microwave vacuum) drying were investigated. Osmotic dehydration was carried out using three variables namely, sucrose concentration (30, 40, 50 and 60 % w/w), salt concentration (5, 7.5, 10 and 12.5 % w/w) and dehydration time (10, 20, 30, 50, 70, 90 and 120 min). During the osmotic treatment pulsed microwave vacuum was applied for 2 min to the sample to enhance the water loss and solid gain. Azuara model predicted the moisture loss and solid gain by elephant foot yam slices during osmosis. It was observed that both the moisture loss and the solid gain increased with increasing concentration of osmotic solution. The best conditions found for osmotic dehydration process were 40 % w/w sucrose concentration, 6 % w/w salt concentration and 70 min osmotic dehydration time, which gave 42.80 % moisture loss (Initial weight) and 14.65 % solid gain (Initial weight). Further sample were dried using microwave vacuum. During microwave vacuum drying, effect of microwave power density (2, 4, 6 and 8 W/g) and pulsating ratio (1.312, 1.625, 1.983 and 2.250) were studied on quality of osmotically dehydrated elephant foot yam slices. The microwave vacuum drying at 1.625 pulsating ratio with microwave power density 4 W/g yielded product with highest overall acceptability score. Study of the sorption behavior of dehydrated elephant foot yam and shelf life prediction was carried out using Guggenheim, Anderson and deBoer (GAB) model.enFood Processing Technology, Bio EnergymethodThesis