3.4.1. Mechanical properties
HAD of raw berries at 60 C and 80 C led to a significant increase
in hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and
gumminess of dried products. MWVD significantly decreased
hardness, chewiness and gumminess, increased cohesiveness,
maintained springiness relatively constant, whereas combined
HADþMWVD significantly decreased hardness, increased springiness
and cohesiveness, and maintained cohesiveness and springiness
fairly constant (Table 3). The hardness, chewiness and
gumminess of fruits processed by HAD were up to several times
higher in comparison with berries processed by MWVD. For
example, the hardness, chewiness and gumminess of raw berries
dried by HAD at 80 C were determined at 22 ± 9 N, 5.6 ± 2.0 and
9.0 ± 3.6, and of berries processed by MWVD at 2 ± 2 N, 0.5 ± 0.4
and 0.9 ± 0.7, respectively.