Abstract:

Fresh, convection dried and freeze-dried pears were examined for selected quality parameters. Both products were analyzed immediately after drying and after long term (12 months) storage at 2±1ºC and 20±2ºC. Retention in freeze-dried pears was superior to that in convection-dried products for vitamins and was similar for polyphenols and antioxidant activity. There were no significant differences in lightness between convection and freeze-dried products, either immediately after drying or throughout the storage period. 12-month storage led to a significant increase in the proportion of red and yellow colors in both types of dried product compared to the raw material, and compared with the product  after drying, the differences were significant in most cases except for the convection dried pear kept in cold store.

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