DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF BLUE MUSSELS BY TRADITIONAL METHODS

Abstract

In this study, characteristic drying behaviour and kinetics of blue mussels, which were dried with the traditional methods of cabinet-type, oven and vacuum oven drying, are studied. In a cabinet-type dryer there is air flow while in an oven dryer there is no air flow. In each method, D-eff and E-a are calculated and colour analyses are done. According to the results, mussels are dried between 270-120 min, 570-300 min and 390-210 min, for the cabinet-type dryer, oven and vacuum oven, respectively. In each method, the Midilli and Kucuk model best fits experimental data with high coefficient of determination (R-2) between 0.9995-0.9984, 0.9996-0.9993, and 0.9997-0.9993 for cabinet-type, oven and vacuum oven dryer, respectively. D-eff values were calculated between 1.89-4.94x10(9) m(2)/s, 0.89-1.63x10(9) m(2)/s and 1.17-2.28x10(9) m(2)/s for cabinet-type dryer, oven and vacuum oven methods, respectively. Also, E-a values were found to be 46.90, 29.57 and 3285 kJ/mol, for cabinet-type dryer, oven and vacuum oven methods, respectively. The colour change was slightly affected by the change in the temperature.