How to dry cassava?

1、 6 core steps for drying cassava

​①.  Preprocessing: Cleaning and Slicing

Cleaning and decontamination: Rinse the sediment on the surface of cassava with flowing water to reduce drying energy consumption.

Cutting treatment: Cut cassava into 3-5mm thick slices or strips (increase heating area, shorten drying time).

​②.  Preliminary dehydration (key anti mold measures)

Natural draining: Spread flat on a breathable bamboo sieve and let it stand for 1-2 hours to remove surface free water.

Low temperature pre drying (optional): Short term treatment with hot air at 40-50 ℃ (10-15 minutes) to inhibit mold growth.

​③.  Segmented temperature controlled drying (core technology)

Initial temperature setting of 40-45 ℃, humidity setting of 60-65%, slow dehydration at low temperature to avoid skin cracking

Mid term temperature setting of 60-65 ℃, humidity setting of 40-45%, high-speed evaporation of internal moisture

Set the temperature to 50-55 ℃ and humidity to ≤ 25% in the later stage, and lock the quality of the finished product with low temperature to prevent moisture regain

Note: Each stage lasts for 2-3 hours, and progress is judged by observing the color of cassava (light brown is preferred).

​④.  Cooling and packaging

Gradient cooling: Immediately transfer to a 15 ℃ cold air chamber for 1 hour after drying to avoid clumping caused by residual heat.

Sealed storage: Place in a food grade PE bag with silicone desiccant inside, and store in a cool and dry place.

​⑤.  Equipment selection suggestions

Household/Small scale: Electric oven (power ≥ 1500W, requires intermittent flipping).

Industrial grade: Prioritize energy-saving equipment with dual circulation air ducts and IoT temperature control (thermal efficiency>90%).

​⑥.  Common problem solving

Mold: Control the humidity below 15%. If mold has already formed, it needs to be thoroughly dried and crushed.

Shrinkage and deformation: Avoid high temperature and rapid baking, and maintain uniform heating.

2、 Comparison between Traditional Drying and Modern Drying

Natural drying has no energy consumption and takes 7-15 days to dry. The yield rate reaches 60-70%, making it suitable for small-scale sporadic processing; Coal fired drying takes 6-8 hours, with a cost of ¥ 2.5/ton and a yield rate of 85%. It is suitable for individual growers or medium-sized processing plants; Jinlu Net belt dryer can complete drying in only 4-6 hours, with a cost of ¥ 0.8/ton and a yield rate of over 95%, suitable for large-scale industrial production.

3、 Efficiency enhancing tips

Using valley electricity at night: Operating drying equipment during periods of low electricity prices (such as 22:00-6:00) can reduce costs by 30%.

Waste heat recovery: Installing waste heat exchangers in industrial equipment can save 15% of fuel consumption.

Batch processing: The one-time drying capacity accounts for 80% of the equipment capacity, avoiding frequent start stop losses.