A Comparative Analysis of Thin-Layer Microwave and Microwave/Convective Dehydration of Chokeberry

Due to high water content, chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa L.) are perishable. Therefore, energy-saving, combined drying technologies have been explored to improve the chokeberry drying. The combined microwave and the traditional convective drying method (MCD) have significantly enhanced the drying effectiveness, efficiency, and energy utilization rate and improved product quality. The MCD method, which implies the microwave power (MD) of 900 W for 9 s and the convective dehydration (CD) at 230 °C for 12 s, has the shortest dehydration time t (24 ± 2 min), has the maximum coefficient of diffusion (D_eff = 6.0768 × 10^-9 ± 5.9815 × 10^-11 m² s^-1), and represents the most energy effective for dehydration process (E_min = 0.382 ± 0.036 kWh). A higher water-holding capacity (WHC) characterized the chokeberries obtained by the MCD method compared to the regular microwave method (MD). The mildest MCD (15 s of MD on 900 W, 7 s of CD on 180 °C) could dehydrate chokeberries with the highest WHC (685.71 ± 40.86 g H₂O g^-1 d.m.) and the greatest evaluations for sensory attributes in terms of all properties. The results of this study provide the drying behavior of chokeberries that can help develop efficient drying methods and improve existing ones.