Carrot is one of the important root crops cultivated throughout the world for freshly edible roots.. Drying is the most important method for preservation of carrots with an ultimate aim of improving storability by reducing its moisture content. Total drying time considerably reduced with increase in drying temperature from 55 to 75 0C. The constant rate period was found to be absent, only falling rate period was observed in all the experimental conditions. The Page model described the drying behavior of carrot cubes satisfactorily. The rehydration ratio increased with increased drying temperature and decreased with increased air velocity and sample weight. The hardness increased with increased temperature and sample weight whereas decreased as air velocity increased. The optimum values of temperature, air velocity and sample weight for rehydration ratio was 148.83 ËšC, 13.98 m/s and 881.04 g respectively, for hardness 29.33 ËšC, 1.11 m/s and 558.02 respectively, for L* value 170.43 ËšC, -8.44m/s and 242.87 g respectively, for a* value 23.3 ËšC, 4 m/s and 1457.1 g respectively and for b* value the optimum values of independent variables was 23.99ËšC, 3.18 m/s and 116.27g respectively.
