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DESPITE THE<br />
CHALLENGES,<br />
SIMMONS SAID THERE<br />
ARE PROMISING<br />
SIGNALS THAT OFF-<br />
GROUND HARVEST<br />
COULD BE COST<br />
EFFECTIVE FOR<br />
GROWERS.<br />
added high aflatoxin sites and high<br />
NOW and hull rot sites.<br />
Drying<br />
Drying fresh almonds is another<br />
challenge in this journey. Dr.Michael<br />
Coates, Plant and Food Research in<br />
Australia, said batch drying or stockpile<br />
drying are being studied.<br />
Coates said fruit that takes 3-10 days<br />
to dry in a tree row, can take two-three<br />
weeks to dry in a stockpile or batch<br />
dryer with evaporative cooling caused<br />
by insufficient air flow.<br />
Providing enough airflow to remove<br />
the water coming from the fruit and<br />
keeping the air warm enough that moisture<br />
keeps moving through the fruit is<br />
important to the process.<br />
Batch drying, Coates noted, is not<br />
new for other tree nuts, but parameters<br />
need to be established for the machines<br />
so they can be tuned to dry almonds.<br />
Batch drying is being done at UC Davis<br />
to determine drying times for different<br />
varieties.<br />
Coates said stockpile drying is<br />
currently the direction being taken by<br />
research. This will necessitate growers<br />
to have space for stockpiles or the processors<br />
may take this role.<br />
Determined so far is that the stockpile<br />
must be oriented perpendicular to<br />
the wind, thermal mass can keep fruit<br />
from over drying and that mechanical<br />
air needs to be high volume and low<br />
velocity.<br />
Quality concerns with mechanical<br />
drying of almonds was addressed by<br />
Zhongli Pan Ph.D.Food Processing Research<br />
Group Department of Biological<br />
and Agricultural Engineering UC Davis.<br />
Drying temperatures, moisture effects<br />
on quality, performance of different<br />
varieties and costs were part of his<br />
research.<br />
Comparing Harvesters<br />
Comparing almonds harvested conventionally<br />
and off-ground, Pan said the<br />
off-ground harvest yielded cleaner samples,<br />
and nuts had less insect damage.<br />
Research showed a slight change<br />
in oil quality for high temperature<br />
commercial drying. The hot air drying<br />
process produced no cavity in the kernels,<br />
caused no significant kernel color<br />
change and no significant concealed<br />
damage. Initial moisture and drying<br />
conditions did not show significant<br />
effect. Recommended conditions are up<br />
to 60 degrees Celsius and 2m/s. Energy<br />
cost was 0.23 to five cents per pound.<br />
Sorting can reduce energy cost.<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
www.wcngg.com<br />
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