Abstract
The processing method for making dried flowers as durable consumer goods and development of their applied products are desired to increase their demand. In producing such dried flowers, it is essential to maintain similar morphology and color to those of fresh flowers during long-term storage. In this study, Little Mabels (Rosa L) have been dried in order to select the optimum drying method by using existing air-drying and latest drying methods such as a silica-gel drying with electric heaters, freeze-drying as well as vacuum-microwave drying.
No shrinkage or change in morphology occurred in both silica-gel and freeze-drying because the samples were fixed during drying. Color difference between before and after drying also increased in the greater rate of sample shrinkage, caused by the decrease in its moisture content. In addition, the increase in color difference was due to the decrease in values of L* and b* in Hunter color system. The results indicated that silica-gel drying with heaters was optimum for making dried flowers in terms of morphology and color as well as drying time.
