Study on drying process of pickled flavoured cabbage by vacuum freeze drying and hot air drying combination

Salted flavoured cabbage were dried by a combination drying of hot air drying (AD) and vacuum freeze drying (FD) in this work, it was to find the combination drying treatment to produce the good quality, low energy consumption of the pickled flavoured cabbage. Energy consumption and physicochemical properties of combination dried products were compared with those of 100%AD and 100%FD processes. It was showed that there was no significant difference between the products of FD20h+AD1h and FD in quality, but save energy consumption about 33% than FD. The drying method of AD1h+FD22h can save energy consumption about 22%, and there was a significant difference between the products of AD1h+FD22h and FD in the color. The wet basis moisture content of the produces treated buy the two ways of the combination drying was under 8%, and the rehydrate rate was above 5.