Effect of Drying Methods on the Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Chestnut Flour

Effects of 4 drying methods (sun-drying; hot air drying; microwave drying; vapor treatmentd and then hot air drying)on the physicochemical and functional properties of chestnut flour were investigated. The results indicated that: the sun-dried flour had similar physicochemical and functional properties with the air-dried flours. But sun-dried flour had better foaming capacity and foaming stability. Compared with air-dried flour, more starches of microwave-dried flour were gelatinized. So microwave-dried flour had lower peak viscosity, breakdown value, consistency value, but had higher water-holding capacity. In other functional properties, microwave-dried flour had lower foaming capacity, foam stability. Some parameters of textural profile were also lower than that of air-dried flour. The flour dried by vapor treatment and then hot air drying had similar property. In aspect of color, sun-dried flour and air-dried flour were lighter and whiter than that of microwave-dried flour and vapor treatment then hot air dried flour.