Pengaruh Variasi Suhu Terhadap Kualitas dan Biaya Pengeringan Irisan Jeruk Nipis (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) - Agustina, Raida; Munawar, Agus Arip; Tasya, Yulia (Department of Agricultural Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, 2025)
Abstrak. Jeruk nipis kering berpotensi digunakan sebagai bahan alternatif dalam pembuatan infused water yang lebih aman dibandingkan jeruk nipis segar karena masa simpannya lebih panjang dan risiko pertumbuhan mikroorganismenya lebih rendah. Pengeringan turut berperan mempertahankan kualitas serta nilai gizi, sehingga produk tetap bermanfaat saat dikonsumsi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengevaluasi pengaruh variasi suhu pengeringan terhadap mutu irisan jeruk nipis sekaligus menganalisis aspek biaya prosesnya. Rancangan penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan lima taraf suhu, yaitu 40C, 50C, 60C, 70C, dan 80C. Parameter mutu yang diamati meliputi kadar air, laju pengeringan, dan kadar vitamin C. Analisis ekonomi mencakup biaya tetap, biaya variabel, biaya total, biaya pokok pengeringan, dan rasio B/C. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa suhu pengeringan tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap kadar air akhir, tetapi berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kadar vitamin C. Suhu 80C menghasilkan laju pengeringan tertinggi dengan waktu tercepat (420 menit), namun menurunkan kadar vitamin C lebih besar. Sebaliknya, pengeringan pada 40C mampu mempertahankan kadar vitamin C lebih tinggi, meskipun membutuhkan waktu lebih lama (25 jam). Analisis ekonomi menunjukkan nilai rasio B/C1, yang mengindikasikan bahwa proses pengeringan jeruk nipis kering layak secara finansial dan berpotensi untuk dikembangkan pada skala agroindustri kecil hingga menengah.The Effect of Temperature Variation on the Quality and Cost of Drying Lime Slices (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)Abstract. Dried lime has the potential to be used as an alternative ingredient in the preparation of infused water, offering greater safety compared to fresh lime due to its longer shelf life and lower risk of microbial growth. The drying process also plays an important role in maintaining the quality and nutritional value of lime, ensuring that it remains beneficial for consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different drying temperatures on the quality of lime slices as well as to analyze the economic aspects of the drying process. The experiment was arranged using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five levels of drying temperature: 40C, 50C, 60C, 70C, and 80C. The quality parameters observed included moisture content, drying rate, and vitamin C content. The economic analysis covered fixed costs, variable costs, total costs, unit cost of drying, and the B/C ratio. The results showed that drying temperature had no significant effect on the final moisture content but significantly affected the vitamin C content. Drying at 80C produced the highest drying rate with the shortest processing time (420 minutes) but resulted in a greater reduction of vitamin C. Conversely, drying at 40C retained higher vitamin C content, although it required a longer drying time (25 hours). The economic analysis indicated a B/C ratio greater than 1, demonstrating that the lime drying process is financially feasible and has the potential to be developed on a small- to medium-scale agroindustry.