drying kinetics, structural characteristics and vitamin c retention of dedo-de-moça pepper (capsicum baccatum) during convective and freeze drying

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the drying process on the vitamin C levels and physical properties of dedo-de-moça pepper. The drying kinetics and the structural properties were determined as a function of moisture content. Convective drying was compared with freeze-drying in terms of product quality, structural properties, retention of vitamin C and rehydration characteristics. Empirical and semi-empirical equations were used to describe the drying and rehydration kinetics. Nonlinear analysis applied to results of convective drying, based on curvature measures and bias measures, showed that the only equation that gives good inference results based on least squares estimators is the Overhults equation. The characterization of the rehydration process was done by determining the indexes that take into account the water absorption capacity and solutes losses. The material dried by lyophilization show greater potential to rehydrate.