Effect of Organic Acid Solutions on the Colorimetric and Physicochemical Properties of Four Dehydrated Potato Varieties

Abstract

Waste potatoes are a widely consumed food; browning is the main problem; dehydration is one of the main techniques to prolong their shelf life by improving their conservation and transportation. The objective of the research is to evaluate the impact of organic acid solutions on the colorimetric, physicochemical properties, and yield of dehydrated potatoes. The methods applied are based on immersion in organic acid solutions (citric, acetic, and ascorbic) at a pH of 3.5, precooked for 5 minutes, and dehydrated at 60°C for 8 hours depending on the cut size of the samples analyzed. The results were determined by the experimental design of comparison between groups by median and variance. As optical parameters of color in chroma C * there are marginal differences according to the solutions applied with (p = 0.0698), the tonality had a significant effect of (p = 0.024) depending on the solution, as for the Physicochemical parameters the solution does not present a significant effect, but the potato variety does present a significance of (p < 0.001) in all properties, the yield results show that there is a level of significance according to the potato variety, the best being Ajo Suito with more than 35 %. It is concluded that there is a marginal effect on chromaticity and a significant effect by acid solutions on the tonality, where acetic acid at pH 3.5 had the best effect, for the Physicochemical properties the acid solutions had no significant effect, when evaluating the yield it was significant by the potato variety and was not affected by the application of acid solutions.