The effect of pretreatments on the moisture content, fat content, andacceptability of vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) chips

The study investigated the effect of pretreatments on the moisture content, fat content, and acceptability of vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom chips. Control and four different pretreatments (1) freezing, (2) osmotic dehydration with maltodextrin solution and freezing, (3) steam blanching, and freezing, and (4) steam blanching, osmotic dehydration, and freezing were used in the study. All samples were fried in coconut oil at 80°C at a vacuum pressure of −700 mmHg for 15 mins, followed by spinning at 1420 rpm for 10 mins. The results showed that pretreatments significantly (p < 0.05) affected the moisture content, fat content, and acceptability of the vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom chips. Vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom chips pretreated with steam blanching, osmotic dehydration, and freezing were found to have the lowest moisture content (0.86%). Other pretreatments resulted in vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom chips with higher moisture contents, still below the standard level for microbial growth. The osmotic dehydration with maltodextrin solution and freezing pretreatment minimized the oil uptake (22.24% fat content) of the vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom chips and was the most acceptable in sensory evaluation. Therefore, the osmotic dehydration and freezing before vacuum frying was the most suitable pretreatment for vacuum-fried white oyster mushroom chips.