Effect of Blanching and Drying Process on Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Dried Chili

Fresh red chili has a short shelf life, so it is processed into dry chili. However, the quality of dry chili may not meet the requirement of consumers. Pre-treatment (blanching) and drying can be used to maintain the quality of dried chilies. This research aims to determine the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of the dried red chili with blanching and drying treatments. In this study, we compared three blanching treatments of chili (water; 0.2 % vitamin C (w/v); and 0.2% Sodium metabisulfite solution (w/v)) for 10 minutes at 90 °C, with three drying methods (sun-drying, sun-drying with plastic shade, and cabinet drying at 50-60 °C). Chili was obtained from the Panjatan sub-district, Kulon Progo district, Yogyakarta Special Region Province, Indonesia, with a 90% maturity level. We found that the yield of dried chilies was 20% in all treatments. The moisture content of all blanching and drying treatments requires the Indonesian National Standard (INS No. 01-3389-1994) for dried chili (