June 10/Ibadan, Nigeria/Technology Business Journal -- According to recent research from Ibadan, Nigeria, "Effects of freezing/thawing, sun drying, solar drying, and foam-mat drying on physical, chemical, rheological and sensory attributes of okra were investigated. Average poured bulk and tapped bulk densities of sun-dried, solar-dried, and foam-mat-dried okra were 800 and 950, 715 and 765, 355 and 367kg/m(3), respectively."
"Minimum and maximum porosity of sun-dried, solar-dried, and foam-mat dried okra were 55.70% and 62.60%, 50.06% and 53.30%, 60.90% and 62.87%, respectively. Sun-dried and solar-dried okra showed higher L*, a* and chroma values than frozen/thawed and foam-mat-dried okra. Within a temperature range of 80-40 degrees C, viscosity of fresh, frozen/thawed, foam-mat-dried, solar-dried, and sun-dried okra were 0.055-0.080, 0.055-0.075, 0.050-0.073, 0.005-0.065, and 0.005-0.022 Nsm(-2), respectively. Sensory evaluation showed no significant difference (p<0.05) between fresh, frozen/thawed and foam-mat dried okra in color, aroma and overall acceptability," wrote K.O. Falade and colleagues, University of Ibadan.