Study on processing of fruit powder from celery (Apium graveolens L.) by foam mat drying

Abstract

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) contains many valuable nutrients that are beneficial to human health. The study was conducted to investigate the effects of additives (gum arabic and maltodextrin) on the foaming process and the effects of microwave drying on the quality of celery powder. The results showed that an addition of 10% gum arabic and 5% maltodextrin formed more stable foam. A drying time of 21 minutes was recommended for microwave drying as the celery powder retained better color (L* and a* color values were 37.22 and -7.47, respectively) and relatively higher contents of vitamin C (25.74 mg%), chlorophyll (0.22 µg/g), tannins (3.01 mgTAE/g) and total phenolics (3.59 mgGAE/g). This study may provide a reference for the production of celery powder by microwave drying.