Abstract:
External colour of dried clove (Eugenia caryophyllus) is a crucial factor for determining quality, grade and price in the
market. Production of high quality clove which is reddish brown to blackish brown in colour, is a constraint with
conventional sun drying technique. Therefore, the objective of this study is to find out the applicability of blanching
technique to produce higher quality clove having reddish brown to blackish brown external color without volatile oil
loss. Randomly selected fresh clove buds were subjected to blanching in hot water at different temperatures (70 °C to
100° C) and different time periods (10 seconds to 135 seconds) and dried under sun drying. The experimental design
was Completely Randomized Block Design (CRD) with thirteen treatments and five replicates. The colour of the dried
clove was determined by visual inspection. Moisture content and oil content of dried clove which were determined
according to Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) Official Methods no 986.21 and no 962.17m respectivel.
Results showed that ten treatments out of thirteen treatments gained favorable colour development. The mean oil
content in dried clove produced by 2 treatments; namely T7 (Blanching at 80 °C for 30 seconds) and T8 (Blanching at
80 °C for 60 seconds) out of above ten treatments, did not show any significant (p<0.05) oil loss in comparison to the
control (un-blanched). In conclusion, the high quality clove which retains blackish brown to reddish brown colour can
be produced by blanching fresh cloves at 80 °C for 30 to 60 seconds without any significant volatile oil loss.
