Effect of Soaking Water Temperature and Time on some Rehydration Characteristics and Nutrient Loss in Dried Bell Pepper

Abstract

Sun-dried bell pepper was rehydrated at soaking water temperatures of 31°, 37°, 55°, 72° and 90°C, respectively. As the soaking water temperature increased from 31 to 72°C, rehydration ratio and coefficient of rehydration increased from 4.26 to 5.93 and 64.56 to 93.49 respectively while a further increase in soaking temperature to 900C, resulted in a decrease from 5.93 to 4.57 and from 93.49 to 75.77 respectively for the two parameters. At higher soaking water temperatures, larger amounts of vitamin C leached into the soaking water. However for Ca and Fe larger amounts were leached into the soaking water at lower soaking temperatures.