Ube Dehydrator

Ube, also known as purple yam (Dioscorea alata), is a purple-fleshed tuber widely used in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. Its distinctive purple color and flavor make it a popular ingredient in bakery products, desserts, ice cream, beverages, and other processed foods.

Drying fresh ube into slices is a practical way to reduce its moisture content for easier storage and further processing. IKE heat pump food dehydrators provide controllable temperature, humidity, and airflow for commercial ube dehydration, with different equipment capacities available for small to large-scale production.

Ube can be dried in different forms depending on the intended final product. For the production of dried ube slices, fresh ube is prepared and cut into relatively uniform slices before being loaded into the dehydrator.

The actual drying temperature and time should be adjusted according to the ube variety, slice thickness, initial moisture content, loading quantity, and required final moisture level.

1. Prepare the Ube

Select fresh ube suitable for processing. Clean the surface thoroughly and prepare the tubers according to the requirements of the final dried product.

Ube is naturally different from purple sweet potato, although the two may look similar after cutting. Ube typically has purple to violet flesh and is widely used as an ingredient in Filipino food products.

2. Cut the Ube into Slices

Cut the prepared ube into relatively uniform slices. Consistent thickness helps the slices receive more even airflow and reduces differences in drying progress.

The slice thickness can be selected according to the required dried product and subsequent processing requirements.

3. Arrange Ube Slices on Drying Trays

Place the ube slices evenly on the drying trays. Avoid excessive overlapping and leave sufficient space for heated air to circulate around the material.

Uniform loading helps improve consistency between different areas of the drying chamber.

4. Set the Ube Drying Program

Set the required drying temperature, humidity, and drying time on the dehydrator controller.

The appropriate parameters depend on several factors, including:

• Ube variety
• Slice thickness
• Initial moisture content
• Loading quantity
• Required final moisture content
• Intended use of the dried ube

For new ube products, IKE recommends confirming suitable drying parameters through sample testing before large-scale production.

5. Start the Dehydration Process

After the drying program is set, the IKE heat pump dehydrator circulates heated air through the drying chamber while moisture is gradually removed from the ube slices.

Temperature and humidity can be adjusted during the drying process according to the condition of the material and the required drying result.

The closed-loop heat pump system provides a controlled drying environment and allows ube to be dehydrated without relying on outdoor weather conditions.

6. Check the Dried Ube

Check the condition of the ube during drying and continue the process until the required final moisture level is reached.

After drying, allow the ube to cool appropriately before packaging, storage, or further processing.

Dried ube slices can be stored as a dehydrated ingredient or further processed according to the requirements of the final food product.

Adjustable Temperature and Humidity

IKE heat pump dehydrators provide adjustable temperature, humidity, and drying time, allowing the drying program to be adapted to different ube forms and production requirements.

Uniform Air Circulation

The drying system is designed to circulate heated air throughout the drying chamber, helping the loaded ube receive more consistent drying conditions.

Closed-Loop Heat Pump Drying

The closed-loop heat pump drying system provides a controlled drying environment and reduces the influence of outdoor temperature, humidity, and weather conditions.

Different Capacities Available

IKE offers cabinet dehydrators, food drying rooms, and customized industrial drying equipment for different production capacities, from small commercial batches to large-scale food processing.

IKE offers different types of heat pump dehydrators according to your ube processing capacity and production requirements.

Different ube varieties, product forms, slice thicknesses, and final moisture requirements may require different drying parameters.

If you are planning a commercial ube drying project, you can send your material samples to IKE for a drying test. Our team can evaluate the drying result and recommend suitable equipment and drying parameters according to your product requirements.