Avaliação da eficiência de estufas solares na secagem do tomate (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill)

Abstract

Post-harvest losses are a major problem for tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill) due to their short post-harvest life. A viable alternative is the use of technologies such as the use of solar greenhouses made from local materials that are affordable and easy for accessible and easy to handle for small producers, while allowing tomatoes to be dried in safe conditions. drying tomatoes under safe conditions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of solar greenhouses in drying of tomatoes subjected to different pre-treatments (blanching and osmotic dehydration). Two solar cookers with different different inclinations and structures were needed to dehydrate the tomatoes. The samples were divided into pre-treatment with salt, pre-treatment with bleaching and no pre-treatment. and they were subdivided into nine plots, three for each greenhouse and in the open air. each greenhouse and in the open. The variables assessed were: humidity, titratable acidity, colour and drying kinetics. There was a greater reduction in humidity in tomatoes subjected to There was a greater reduction in moisture in tomatoes subjected to blanching in both greenhouses. parameters. Tomatoes pre-treated with blanching and pre-treated with salt, combined with the The flat oven (EP) showed better colour retention than the inclined oven (EI). It took 29 hours to dehydrate the tomatoes and for the drying speed to stabilise (6% b.u.). The inclined oven (EI) and free air (AL) showed the highest drying speed compared to the flat oven. drying speed compared to the flat oven, whereby it took 3 hours and 30 minutes for the drying kinetics began to be observed, and for the EP,it took 4 hours and 30 minutes to see the decreasing period (TRADUÇAO NOSSA)