Author：Li-DuhngHuarng¹, Jian-Jhih Lin², and Hsiang-Wen Chiu²

¹ Senior Agricultural Engineer, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, COA
² Assistant Agricultural Engineer, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, COA

Abstract：

    The purpose of this study was to establish a sequence controlled microwave condensation drying system for mushroom drying. The utilization of hot air, microwave and/or condensation drying method in different drying period coordinated with the drying characteristics of the mushroom to insure the drying quality of the product as well as saving time and cost. The drying experiment of the microwave condensation dryer with only the hot air set at 50℃ took 24 hours to bring moisture content level down to 13% and consumed 89.8 kWh electricity. If the sequence control was implemented, the four-stage hot air drying took 20 hours to dry the mushroom to 13% moisture content and consumed 74.9 kWh electricity. If the hot air was set at 50℃with the microwave was introduced, the drying time was reduced to 7 hours and consumed 28.5 kWh electricity. If the 50℃ hot air accompanied by microwave and condensation, the drying time was 7 hours but the electric energy consumption was 74.9 kWh. The experiment showed that the sequence controlled microwave condensation dryer developed in the research could adjust mushroom drying strategy in different drying period to keep the quality of the product as well as saving the labor and drying time up to 70%.

Keywords: Mushroom, Microwave, Drying.

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