Abstract
This investigation was designed to determine the influence of drying methods on the chemical changes in red pepper. Three different drying methods were employed: 1) Sun-drying at $25{\sim}28^{\circ}C$ for 15 days, 2) Drying in oven at $60^{\circ}C$ for 49 hours, and 3) Drying in oven at $90^{\circ}C$ for 8 hours. Dried and ground peels were used for the analysis of carotenoid pigments, capsaicin, and vitamin C. The results were as follows; 1. The total carotenoid content of sun-dried sample was more significantly in creased about 4% than that of the fresh sample, but both samples dried in oven were decreased about 30%. Among carotenoid groups, diol-polyol group was chiefly increased, and both samples dried in oven were decreased in the same trend; $17{\sim}18%$ reduction was found in hydrocarbons and monols and $36{\sim}38%$ was in diol-polyols. 2. In Capsaicin content in red pepper, the sun-dried sample was increased about twice of that of the fresh sample and both samples dried in oven were also tended to increase. 3. High reduction of vitamin C content was found in each treatment; 76% for the sun-dried and 89% for the oven-dried samples, respectively.