Production of tamarind powder using refractance window drying

Abstract

Tamarindus indica L., is a leguminous tree species native to many parts of the world and showing a tolerance to a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. The tree’s fruit resource is greatly underutilized and has had little significant economic significance globally. Refractance WindowTM Drying (RWD) is a more recent technique in growing use within the food industry. This investigation tested the feasibility of RWD in producing tamarind pulp powder, an approach to improve shelf life and convenience when utilizing the product. The dryer conditions employed were 900C for 4 hours. Modified starch was used as a drying aid to increase the glass transition temperature range of the tamarind pulp. Parameters of Crude Protein (CP), Ash and Titratable Acidity (TTA) were measure and compared for both the pulp and powder. A significant decrease in all three parameters was observed. Physico-chemical properties of Water Solubility Index (WSI), Total Soluble Solids (TSS) and Bulk Density (BD) were 19.90%±0.63, 30Brix and 0.90g/ml+0.00, while the moisture content was 11.86%±0.07.