Drying of Horticultural Produce: Mechanization, Challenges, and Opportunities

The drying process plays a crucial role in the preservation of horticultural produce by ensuring extended shelf life. Understanding the mechanisms of heat and mass transfer during drying is essential for optimizing the process and overcoming challenges. This chapter explores the mechanisms involved in heat and mass transfer, drying equipment, and modeling. Additionally, it discusses the challenges faced during the drying of horticultural produce and presents opportunities for improvement in terms of innovative dried products. Keeping all the drying methods in view, economic feasibility, duration, and skilled manpower required, foam mat drying (FMD) and osmodehydration are recommended as the best drying techniques that are easy to understand and use. Moreover, unlike other drying methods, where the main focus is on evaporation of moisture which results in a bland flavor in the dried product, the characteristics and composition of the product can be modified in osmotic drying and FMD.