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=Dried Mango=

Dried mango is a dried tropical fruit. It is rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, and antioxidants

Drying Process
Before the drying process begins, the mango that has been sliced will usually has moisture on the surface. In the drying process, warm air that has little moisture will be used to pick up the moisture on the surface of the sliced mango. As the water on the surface is being evaporated, the water from inside the mango is also being drawn out to the surface to replace the lost moisture. The process of water being drawn out from the center of the material to the surface is called diffusion. Then the moisture will also be taken away by the warm air. As moisture is being drawn out to the surface, moisture on the surface will be less visible until it reached a point where the surface will no longer look wet. The rate of moisture removal will also be slower as time goes on. As moisture is being drained out of the mango, its cellular structure will begin to break down, causing the mango to shrink. At high temperature, moisture can be drawn out too quick that a thick hard layer is formed in the surface of the mango. The thick layer will trap moisture inside the mango making it really difficult to entirely dehydrate the mango. This phenomenon of developing hard skin-like outer layer is called case-hardening.

Dehydration Methods
There are several processes applicable in the production of dried mangoes which affects its appearance, rehydration properties, and nutrients. The list consists of sun drying, tray (air) drying, freeze drying, and vacuum microwave drying. Each process has their own benefits and disadvantages.

Sun drying
This process beats the other methods in terms of cost due its inexpensive nature; using sun as its thermal source. However, there are many disadvantages associated such as the longer time required to dry, hot climate and daylight, and risk of invasion by animals and unwanted microorganisms.

Tray drying
Despite its poor re-hydration properties and shrunken appearance, this process requires a short period of time along with controlled humidity and heated air

Freeze drying
Unlike the other drying methods, this method allows the dried mango to retain its shape, retain the highest color value, and provide a great rehydration property despite its high costs

Vacuum microwave drying
This method provides better flavor retention, great rehydration, least nutrient loss and least color change among other thermal drying along with a faster drying rate compared to freeze drying

Nutrition
During the drying process of mango, there are some nutritional values which are still retained and lost. 100 gram of dried mango contains about 314 calories, in which carbohydrates are the main source of calories, followed by protein and fat. Dried mango has 20% daily-value of Vitamin A and notable content of Vitamin B, D, and E. However, most of the vitamin C in the mango is lost during the process of dehydration; it carries only 2% of daily value. Minerals such as calcium, iron, and phosphorus can be found in dried mango. With additional process of blanching, dried mango can retain the content of its carotenoids and vitamin C.

Shelf Life
While mango’s can be stored for around 5 days, dried mango's can be stored for a lot longer depending on a variety of factors, such as the best by date, the drying method, and how the dried mango is stored. Unopened dried mango stored in the pantry can be stored between 6-12 months. If stored in the refrigerator, it can be stored for 1-2 years. When frozen, it can be stored indefinitely. However it is best to check for signs to see whether the fruit has gone bad.

Proper Storage
The shelf life of dried mango can be extended by keeping it in a pantry or the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container to keep out moisture and other contaminants. Freezing dried mango is supposedly able to extend the shelf life indefinitely. But like most foods, after a long period of time, it can break down and develop freezer burn.

How to tell if the dried mango is bad, rotten, or spoiled?
Common traits of dried mango going bad are discolouration, hardness, loss of flavour.

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