Microwave- and infrared-assisted convective drying of green pepper: Quality and energy considerations

• Hybrid drying of green pepper Capsicum annuum L. by combined CV, MW and IR methods.
• Effect of different heat sources on vitamin C, aw, ΔE and rehydration properties.
• Comparison of total energy consumption in convective and hybrid drying.

This article presents the results of combined convective-, microwave- and infrared drying of green pepper. Five drying programs with different application of microwave and infrared radiation were used to dehydrate this biomaterial. The pure convective drying was a reference test. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of hybrid drying on drying kinetics, energy consumption and quality of the product. The quality of the dried bioproduct was assessed based on the vitamin C retention, water activity, total color change and the ability to rehydration. The experiments proved that convective drying assisted with both microwave and/or infrared radiation significantly shortened the drying time, allowed better preservation of vitamin C content, improved the color of the product, and saved energy consumption compared to pure convective drying.