Effects of different drying methods on the properties of rice flour and the quality of rice tofu

Abstract

In this study, four drying methods, including hot air drying (HAD), heat pump drying (HPD), far infrared drying (FID) and vacuum drying (VD) were used to dry rice flour. The effects of different drying methods on the properties of rice flour were studied, and the rice flour was further processed into rice tofu to study the effects on the quality of rice tofu. The results showed that the damaged starch content, solubility, and swelling power of rice flour treated with HPD were the lowest, while the viscosity, breakdown and setback value were the highest, showing the best thermal stability. The rice flour treated by the four drying methods were all weak gel system, and the gel shear stress of HPD treatment was the highest. Meanwhile, the gel hardness and chewiness of rice flour treated with HPD were significantly higher than other drying methods. In addition, the hardness and chewiness of rice tofu treated with HPD and the comprehensive sensory scores were the best. The results of cluster analysis showed that the four drying methods had different degrees of differences, among which HPD was significantly different from other drying methods.