Herbal tea production from pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) leaf

The leaf of Pandanus amaryllifolius, commonly known as pandan, is often used to give a refreshing, fragrant flavour. Pandan leaves extracts contain bioactive compound like tannin, alkaloids, flavonoids and polyphenols. Objective of this study focused on the effect of blanching temperature and time; heat pump drying temperature and storage condition to total phenolic content and sensory score of the dried pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) tea. Results showed that P. amaryllifolius should be blanched in hot water 100°C at 5 sec in ascorbic acid 1.0% and then being dried by heat pump dryer at 50°C until 18% moisture. The final herbal tea could be preserved under vacuum in PET/AL/PE bag at 4°C to maintain total phenolic content for 12 months.