Drying and rehydration of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to validate the drying and rehydration process of the Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom. An experimental investigation was carried out to study the drying process of the mushrooms at different temperatures (40, 50 and 60 ºC) to subsequently proceed to the rehydration of the dehydrated mushrooms, using the CCEBI 3024 strain of Pleurotus ostreatus var. Florida and the substrate hydrolyzed rice husk. The study revealed that dehydration at 40 °C does not cause severe damage to the Pleurotus ostreatus enabling a better rehydration, while drying at 50 and 60 ºC caused unwanted changes in their structural characteristics. The drying kinetics of the Pleurotus ostreatus referenced the presence of a small period of dehydration at a constant rate during the course, being the temperature and time, the parameters studied.