Experimental study of drying mushrooms (volvariella volvacea, pleurotus ostreatus, lentinula edodes, pleurotus eryngeii, agaricus bisporus, flammulina velutipes)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of experimental study on drying popular edible mushrooms (volvariella volvacea, pleurotus ostreatus, lentinula edodes, pleurotus eryngeii, agaricus bisporus, flammulina velutipes). This study determines the dynamic parameters of drying by experiment corresponding to those mushrooms such as:

Critical moisture (U_th,%):3.14; 7.92; 9.0; 9.0; 5.94; 8.4;

Equilibrium moisture (U*, %): 0.05; 0.025; 0.70; 0.25; 0.25; 0.205;

Constant drying rate (N_o, g/g dry solid.min): 2.35; 7.98; 2.30; 4.11; 2.32; 13.23.

From those results, drying time (τ) is also given, bases on 2-period-drying model (constant-rate and falling-rate period):  . The difference between calculated τ_TT and experimental τ_TN drying time is approximately (1.0 ¸ 9.3)%. The results show that this model can be used to calculate the process and design dryer to preserve those mushrooms. In addition, the study also showed that if the ones are dried at 50°C, the drying time will be significantly shorten, especially, when drying at two temperatures: 50°C for the first two hours and 70°C for the rest.