Dehydration Process of Garlic
Posted by EPa in Food Processing
Garlic (Allium sativum Linn.), commonly called bawang, belongs to the liliaceae or sibuyas family. It is an annual herb consisting mainly of a bulb, also called head, which in turn is divided into several sections called cloves. Each clove has a separate skin or peel that is usually removed before using.
Propagation
Garlic is propagated by bulbs and planted after the rainy season, from September to January. The plant needs sandy loam soil with moderate watering and full sunlight. The plant is usually mulched with dried rice straw to conserve moisture and to control weed.The bulbs moisture in the field before they are harvested, normally, 5 months after planting.
Nutritional Value
Garlic is a rich source of nutrients required for body metabolism. It has a substantial amount of calories and protein. Its mineral content is more than enough to supply the recommended daily intake of an individual. Vitamin content analysis shows the presence of B vitamins specifically thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, all of which are essential for growth. It also contains vitamin C which is needed to strengthen blood veins, gums and teeth.
Utilization
The bulb is mainly used as a condiment. Fresh young cloves and leaves, however, can be eaten as vegetables.
Other properties, mostly medicinal, are attributed to it. At least 2 cloves eaten a day is believed to lower high blood pressure. The whole plant is known to have depressing effect upon the heart by slowing its beat and lessening the contractibility of its muscles. It possesses anti-obesity action and can control against excess cholesterol by removing accumulated cholesterol from the blood vessels. Garlic can be used as lozenges to relieve sore throat. Moreover, it can be used as expectorant (clove tincture), a treatment for insect bites (bulb poultice) and as a temporary cure for toothache (by inserting a macerated piece of clove in the tooth cavity). For external wound, the bulb can be used as a disinfectant due to its bactericidal properties. It can be used to treat athlete’s foot and ringworm.
To exert its medicinal properties, fresh garlic should be used. A word of caution though for those with intestinal ulcers; oral use should be avoided because of its irritating properties.
Processing by Drying or Dehydration
Processing of garlic by drying or dehydration offers the following advantages:
- It requires less storage space than the fresh commodity. The average yield is 20% with the final product having an average moisture content of 12-13%.
- It is much lighter than the equivalent amount of fresh commodity. Newly harvested farlic has a moisture content of 65.5%, while store
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