Drying process flow of potato chips

The drying process of potato chips involves several steps, including cleaning, peeling, slicing, blanching, arranging, color fixing, drying, and packaging. After being cleaned and peeled, the potatoes are typically sliced into thin slices with a thickness of 3-5mm. The sliced chips then go through a blanching process to remove surface starch before being placed on drying trays for color fixing. The drying chamber utilizes an air heat pump as the heat source, and through a unique air circulation system, hot air circulates horizontally, making full contact with the potato chips, gradually raising their temperature, and simultaneously removing moisture from the potatoes.

During the color fixing stage, the temperature should be controlled between 40-45°C. It is important to note that the air humidity inside the drying chamber should not be too high during this stage, as it may cause oxidation and darkening of the potato chip surfaces.

The color fixing process takes about two hours, during which the color of the potato chips undergoes minimal change. After this stage, the potato chips enter the dehydration phase, with the temperature inside the drying chamber rising to 65-70°C and the humidity controlled at around 55%. The drying time for the potato chips is approximately 6-8 hours, ensuring a moisture content of less than 13% in the final dried chips.

By following this carefully controlled drying process, potato chips can be produced with optimal color, texture, and moisture content.