Factors affecting the mass transfer kinetics of osmotically dehydrated chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.)

The aim of this study was to apply osmotic dehydration (OD) to produce minimally processed chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz) slices. Thus, the effect of osmotic solution concentration, temperature, processing time, and vacuum pulse application on mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of the fruit was evaluated. The kinetics of water loss (WL), solids gain (SG), and water activity (aw) were obtained using sucrose solutions with concentrations of 40, 50 and 60 °Bx at 25, 35 and 45 °C. Osmotic solution concentration, temperature, and processing time had a greater influence than vacuum pulse application on WL and SG. The temperature showed an Arrhenius-type dependence on effective diffusivity. The osmodehydrated chayote had lower aw (up to 0.846), higher total soluble solids (TSS) content (up to 31.9 °Bx) and purer and more intense color (up to 18.75 in chroma) compared to fresh chayote. These findings suggest that OD allows for the production of minimally processed chayote that could be included in quick-cook products, such as salads or soup mixes.