Effect of dipping pre-treatments and drying methods on Aronia melanocarpa quality

This study examined the impact of different dipping pre-treatments (PO: potassium carbonate-olive oil emulsion, HW: hot water) and drying methods (sun, oven, hot air, and freeze) on aronia berry quality. Freeze-drying showed the highest process yield (29.07%-29.43%), while sun-drying had the lowest (24.60%-25.74%). PO pre-treatment showed superior moisture and water activity reductions across all drying methods. Notably, it enhanced carotenoid levels (PO: 399.5, HW: 371.4 mg BCE/kg), antioxidant activity (PO: 9602.8, HW: 9403.3 mg TE/kg), total phenolics (PO: 38176.5, HW: 34804.0 mg GAE/kg) and flavonoids (PO: 6537.1, HW: 6141.5 mg CE/kg) during freeze-drying. Additionally, PO-treated samples exhibited superior rehydration properties, with a ratio of 293.32% and a 1.01 g/g capacity. On the other hand, HW pre-treatment increased ascorbic acid levels (PO: 377.0, HW: 391.7 mg/kg). The highest quality dried aronia berries are generally observed in PO-treated samples, especially in freeze drying, followed by hot-air, oven, and sun drying processes.