PROCESSING OF SQUASH POWDER BY FREEZE-DRYING METHOD

Abstract

Processing squash powder for instant-drying and sublimation is one of the measures to prolong the shelf life of products compared to raw fresh squash. The purpose of this study is to create instant drink squash powder from lemon squash ingredients with good nutritional and sensory value, contributing to product diversification and solving the following abundant fresh squash output. farmer's harvest. In this study, squash was blanched at 85º for 1 minute then frozen at -20ºC for 2 days, then frozen removed to squeeze the juice. Mix the juice with 1% pandan leaf juice (v/v) and the additional carrier is gelatinized tapioca flour, maltodextrin. Bring semi-finished products for sublimation drying. Research results show that adding maltodextrin 2.5% and cassava 3% (w/v) to squash juice gives the best product quality. Instant drink squash powder produces sensory quality of good squash powder and reconstituted solution has 97,33ºbrix soluble solids content, characteristic taste. Product quality is preserved after 30 days of sublimation drying and preserving at cold temperature (12 ± 2ºC, humidity 45 ± 5%).