Drying Characteristics of Garlic

Garlic is most widely cultivated Allium next to common onion. In addition, regular consumption of garlic has been associated with several health benefits due to its high medicinal values and antioxidant properties. Processing and preservation of garlic by suitable means is a major thrust area in present scenario due to increased demand of processed products. Dehydrated garlic products have been identified as one of the major commodity preferred by the different organizations to meet the requirements of Indian and international troops. Drying is one of the oldest methods for the preservation of food products. The methods of dehydration restrict the growth and toxin produced by micro-organisms and also improves the quality of the product in the term of colour, texture and flavour. Recently, dryers like solar dryers, cabinet dryers, electric tray dryers, fluidized bed dryers and microwave dryers are gaining maximum attention due to their quality preservation of products in food processing industry. The drying characteristics studied by several researchers are reviewed here. There is utmost need to explore drying methods and their characteristics in order to evaluate the effect of different parameters on quality of garlic due to its nutraceutical importance.