Improvement of the Quality of Dried Wild Vegetables by Micro Oil Sprayed Thermal Air Technique

Wild vegetables, such as Cirsium setidens, and Aster scaber, are commonly distributed as dried materials because the wild vegetables lose their freshness quickly after harvest and distribution. Dried wild vegetables require rehydration to use as a food ingredient, and the quality of rehydrated wild vegetables is affected by pre-drying and drying methods. Here, we introduce the newly developed pre-drying and drying method, termed "micro oil sprayed thermal air (MOTA) technique". The three wild vegetables processed by the MOTA technique showed improved rehydration rate and reduced time to achieve maximum rehydration rate. Color characteristics were also improved in C. setidens. These results indicate that the MOTA technique improves the overall quality of rehydrated wild vegetables. It is expected that our findings could enhance the marketability of dried wild vegetables by improving overall quality and reducing preparation time.