Alternative Drying Methods to Improve the Quality of Dried Cloves

Abstract

The main product of clove plants is clove buds, which are usually preserved in dry form. The drying process of clove buds is generally done under the sun. However, one of the disadvantages of this drying system is that if the weather is not right, such as during the rainy season and high humidity, it needs a large area of ??land, and if too long to be left in moisture air, it will be covered by mold. A literature search conducted to find out the most recent topics about drying agriculture and spice products that appropriate with clove. Clove drying has widely studied before, but there is still little research on the drying methods that affect the quality of dry clove, especially eugenol level in essential oil content. An artificial drying method suitable for a clove that can replace sun drying is oven drying. Several factors that can affect the quality of the clove are air temperature, space of the tray in the oven, and the thickness/layer of the clove that need to be observed. This research oven was designed with an indirect heating system, which was adjusted to the needs of clove farmers.

Keywords: clove, essential oil, oven drying, space, temperature, thickness.