The influence of variables as temperature, solid shape, temperature, branching and cultivar on drying of bananas were studied. Bananas from cv. Prata and D'água, on disk and cylindrical shape, blanched or not, were dehydrated in a tray dryer in natural convection at 40 and 70ºC. Drying behavior was analyzed by using a mathematical model. The exponential model showed good agreement to experimental data (r² 0.93 - 0.99 and standard error: 0.01- 0.05). Temperature presented positive influence on drying rate in all the tested conditions. With respect to the sample shape, the disk shape carried out to significantly higher drying rates only for D'água cultivar without blanching. Blanching was significantly influent, with positive influence, on drying rate of banana cv. Prata at 40º C. The influence of the cultivar did not present a defined tendency.
Fruit; dehydration; pretreatment
