Central Mango Research Station, Lucknow-226006.
The dehydration of green peas, Cv. PNL, in solar dryers was investigated for chlorophyll degradation and other quality parameters. Two models of solar dryers, D-I (indirect radiation and D-II (direct radiation) were used. During drying the chlorophyll contents were reduced to more than half. A direct relationship between chlorophyll loss and residual moisture was observed. For same amount of moisture removal from pricked peas, D-II took seven hours compared to nine hours in open atmospheres. Slitting of peas also helped in rapid removal of moisture. The quality of solar dried peas was comparable with the commercially available peas.
