Effect of Drying Methods on the Properties of Dried Carrot Slices and Drinks Produced from the Dried Carrots

This study investigated the effect of different drying methods on the rehydration profile and ratio of dried carrot slices and the physico-chemical, proximate and sensory properties of carrot drinks produced from rehydrated dried carrot slices. The carrots (Daucus carota L.) were sorted, washed, sliced (5 mm) and pre-treated with sodium metabisulfite, and dried using three different methods - solar, oven and dehydrator driers, alongside fresh carrot as control. The dried carrot slices were analyzed for their rehydration profile and ratio while the processed carrot drinks from the rehydrated carrot were analyzed for their physico-chemical, proximate and sensory properties. Data obtained were subjected to ANOVA at 5% significance (p0.05). Proximate composition showed moisture (95.29 – 97.30%), ash (0.15 – 0.24%), fat (0.10 – 0.30%), crude protein (0.33 – 0.87%) and carbohydrate (2.10 – 3.55%) for the drinks. Sensory scores of the drinks produced from the rehydrated samples varied significantly (p