Abstract:
Amaranthus is a common green leafy vegetable rich in vitamin A,vitamin C,
micronutrients and minerals .Though the leaves are not available during rainy season
it is important to preserve them for the off season. It is highly perishable and can be
stored for 5 days in ambient temperature.
Amaranthus leaves were subjected to three different drying methods namely ;
sun drying , cabinet drying and vacuum drying.The study involves pre-treaments such
as hot water blanching,steam blanching,sulphitation,citric acid treatment and
combination treatments. The quality parameters were analyzed after of 30 and 60
days. Vacuum dried products at a temperature of 60 ̊C at 680 mm of Hg exhibit good
rehydration ratio ,better colour ,texture and overall acceptability. The drying time was
lesser than other methods . Hot water blanched vacuum dried amaranthus leaves were
reported to be the best among the vacuum dried products. Longer shelf life of 60 days
was noted with all the packaging materials. Though a longer shelf life was observed
for shrink packaging in areacanut sheet trays avoiding breakage of leaves.
