Development of vacuum-fried jackfruit chips with reduced oil content

Abstract:

Producing a crispy fruit chip that doesn't carry 30-40% oil remains one of the harder problems in snack engineering. This research developed vacuum-fried jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) chips and evaluated the effect of frying temperature (80-110°C) and vacuum level (10 kPa) on oil uptake, texture, colour, and sensory attributes compared to atmospheric frying at the same temperatures. The work was carried out at the Braj Region Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, from October 2021 to May 2022. Vacuum frying at 90°C for 25 minutes produced chips with 11.4% oil (dry basis) 60.3% less than atmospheric frying at the same temperature (28.7%). Hardness measured by texture analyser was comparable between vacuum (18.3 N) and atmospheric (19.7 N) chips at 90°C. Colour retention was markedly better under vacuum: L* values at 90°C were 62.1 (vacuum) versus 47.3 (atmospheric), reflecting reduced Maillard browning at the lower boiling point. Sensory evaluation by a 30-member panel ranked vacuum-fried chips at 90°C highest for overall acceptability (8.1/9). The research confirms that vacuum frying at 90°C and 10 kPa is an effective method for producing low-oil jackfruit chips with superior colour and acceptable crispness.