Optimization of Low-cost Drying Technology for Preservation of Peach (Prunus Persica) Using RSM

ABSTRACT Peach is an important fruit; however, its perishability limits its availability to the consumers. The present study fosters a low-cost preservation method of peach involving osmotic dehydration at 35–45◦C using a sugar solution (50–70◦Brix) for 60–180 minutes. The conditions for osmotic dehydration (OD) of peach slices in terms of maximum water loss (WL), rehydration ratio (RR), minimum solute gain (SG) with optimum hardness, and maximum overall acceptability (OA) were optimized using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The regression coefficient of the models indicated that the time of immersion was the most significant (p < .001) factor for WL and SG, followed by the temperature. Furthermore, immersion time had a positive effect on hardness, whereas it had a negative effect on the organoleptic properties of osmo-dried peach slices. Sucrose concentration of 63.20◦Brix for 133 minutes at 41◦C was most suitable for osmotic dehydration of peach slices to obtain maximum possible WL, minimum SG, maximum RR, optimum hardness, and maximum overall acceptability. Combined drying (OD+CAD) significantly reduced the drying time and had better retention of sensory attributes. The peach slices subjected to a combination of OD+CAD had good retention (45–50%) of bioactive components even at ambient temperature and had an overall acceptability score of above 6.0 with a 6-months shelf life of the product. The technology was demonstrated among the small-scale processors and entrepreneurs and based on the response received, more than 90% highly rated this technique as efficient, energy-conserving, and easy to adopt.