Study on the pre-processing of sea grape (Caulerpa lentilliera) by-product as a source of material to produce fried garlic sea grape
Abstract
The pre-processing of sea grape (Caulerpa lentilliera) by-product as a source of material to produce fried garlic sea grape was studied. The results showed that sorting, cleaning and soaking in fresh water at room temperature (26 ± 1ºC) for 30 min helped eliminate the fishy smell and salt in the seaweed. Blanching at a temperature of 85ºC for 15 sec retained the best green color of the sea grape. Centrifugation conditions of 800 rpm for 8 min could eliminate 24% of the water on the surface and maintain the structure of the sea grape. Drying by low-temperature air combined with a heat pump at 55ºC for 3 h (air velocity 2 m/s, layer thickness 0.5 ± 0.2 cm) obtained sea grape by-products, which had a moisture content of 4% and a water activity of 0.52. The results obtained from this study indicate the potential of using pre-processed of sea grape by-products as a source of material to produce fried garlic sea grape.
