CONVECTIVE DRYING OF CHOKEBERRY CV. “VIKING” AND MODELING OF DRYING KINETICS

In this study, the effects of drying air temperatures (50, 60, 70, and 80°C) and velocities (0.5, 0.8, and 1.2 m/s) on chokeberry quality during convective drying were evaluated. The drying time decreased significantly with increasing drying air temperatures and velocities, from 2265 minutes at 50°C to 195 minutes at 80°C, and from 360 minutes at 0.5 m/s to 240 minutes at 1.2 m/s at 70°C. Higher drying air temperatures and velocities also enhanced the fruit color quality. The best antioxidant activity, anthocyanin, and phenolic content were achieved at 70°C with dryin air velocities between 0.5 m/s and 1.2 m/s. The Midilli et al. model provided the best fit for the drying kinetics, with high accuracy (R²≥0.9978, χ²≤0.0003, RMSE≤0.0161).