Abstract
Plums (Prunus domestica L.) are a source of high phenolic content and have antioxidant properties, making them a precious food and part of a healthy, varied diet. However, plums are not only for fresh consumption as a seasonal food, but they are also processed. The research aims to analyse the quality indicators of three plum cultivars – Stanley, TopTaste, and Top2000, which were dried by four methods – in the sun, in the shade, in a dehydrator and in a lyophilizer. It was found that fruits are dried the fastest in the dehydrator, then in the lyophilizer, in the sun, and the slowest in the shade. In three methods, the moisture in the dried fruit cultivars is 18-20%, and one is in the range of 3-3.5%. Among the dried fruits with the highest sugars, the cultivar Top2000 stands out, and the cultivar Stanley has the lowest, except for the sun-dried method. At the same time, the cultivar TopTaste stands out with a higher ratio of sugars: acids and dry matter: acids. When comparing the amount of pectin in the individual cultivars of dried fruit, it was found that the cultivar Stanley had the highest values, followed by the cultivar TopTaste, and the cultivar Top2000 had the lowest.
Keywords: plums, drying methods, Stanley, TopTaste, Top2000