Abstract:
Jackfruit has enumerable health benefits and healing properties. A considerable
amount of jackfruit, specially obtained in the glut season (June-July) goes waste due
to its perishability in nature. It has to be processed to make its availability throughout
the year. Varika variety of jackfruit in different maturity level-tender, mature and ripe
stage was used for the study. The effects of pretreatments viz., blanching and quick
freezing on quality of dried jackfruit were investigated. Quality evaluation of the
dried products in terms of vitamin content, protein content, rehydration ratio, tannin,
texture and colour were done. The treated sample exhibits good rehydration ratio,
colour and firmness retention as compared with the control sample. In order to
standardize a suitable packaging material for the stored products three packaging
materials viz., LDPE, PP and aluminum laminates of different gauges were studied.
The packaging techniques used were active MAP, passive MAP and vacuum
packaging. Apart from quality evaluation microbial and sensory analysis were done in
every 15 days interval. Operating cost/kg for drying of tender, mature and ripe
samples were calculated. The cost of operation/kg for tender, mature and ripe samples
are Rs.20.87/-, Rs.12.43/- and Rs.10.09/- respectively .The study concluded that the
samples which were blanched for two min. and freezed at -10 0 C for three hour
followed by drying at 60 0 C and packed in aluminium laminate were superior
