Quality Characteristics by Various Drying Methods in Ear Mushroom (Auricularia auricula-judae Quel.)

In order to produce the high quality of dried-ear mushroom, various drying methods such as hot-air drying at 40 ~ 80℃ , freeze drying and drying in vinyl house were carried out. Drying hours of hot-air drying, freeze drying and drying in vinyl house were 12.5 ~ 21.5, 36.0 and 72.0 hrs, respectively. Vitamin D2 content of sample was the highest as 6.77 ㎍/g DW in drying in vinyl house and then followed by freeze drying as 5.90 ㎍/g DW and hot-air drying as 1.89 ~ 5.01 ㎍/g DW. After dry, external appearance and color of mushrooms applied hot-air drying and drying in vinyl house were better than freeze-dried one. After rehydration, water uptake of sample in drying in vinyl house and hot-air dry- ing at 50 ~ 60℃ were 17.8 and 19.3 ~ 21.0 times, respectively. The methods of drying in vinyl house and hot-air drying at 50 ~ 60℃ also led to high hardness, good shape and resilience. As the results of production of dried-ear mushroom with high quality, we suggest that the best method for drying is the drying in vinyl house due to not only high vitamin D2 content, good external appearance and color after drying but also high hardness and good shape after rehydration.