Dr. Carter Clary and food scientist Jill Mulcahy reconstitute dried salsa mix for taste testing.

Innovative process creates new dried salsa

by Mary Lisa Russell

You've probably eaten dried apricots and apples, but Dr. Carter Clary has a new dried food product that will knock your socks off with its snappy taste - dried salsa.

"I was working with my colleague, Dr. Dennis Ferris, on drying cilantro for the regular salsa product we make on campus and I thought why not just dry the whole product?" said Clary, director of the Dried Foods Technology Laboratory (DFTL).

When he and his team of researchers dried freshly made salsa for the first time in the MIVAC (microwave vacuum) it turned out "great," according to Clary. "After the MIVAC drying process, I added a little water, waited a few minutes, and we had fresh salsa," said Clary.

Clary said that all the character of the salsa is preserved after the MIVAC process and the food product tastes fresh after it is reconstituted. He said the MIVAC process removes almost all the water from the food and leaves every-thing else intact, like the spicy aroma, flavor and bright colors of the tomato and pepper.

In the past, the MIVAC process has been used for drying such items as meats, mushrooms, cilantro, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, and other foods grown on campus.

The DFTL on campus houses the only continuous process MIVAC plant in the United States. The MIVAC process is different from any other processes because the microwave heats gently and all the way through the product.

The MIVAC currently is the only process that allows the water to leave so quickly and uniformly; the microwave heating is applied in a vacuum, which lowers the heat necessary to get the water in the product to leave.

Clary said the new dried salsa has some advantages over other brands on the market. First, you don't have to unseal a whole jar to eat the salsa - you just take the portion you need at the moment and the rest can be stored easily because it is dried.

Second, used in its dried form, the salsa really jazzes up salads, casseroles, meats, scrambled eggs and a variety of entrees.

Since the salsa is dried, it takes up less room and can be used as a healthy low-fat snack to pack in your child's lunch for school, on backpacking trips, or to work in your own lunch. You can even pull it out of the cupboard for a quick snack when guests stop by unexpectedly. "We really want to see how the consumer likes this new product," said Clary.

One major consideration Clary has had with the salsa has nothing to do with the taste. "We can dry the salsa and reconstitute the product, but now we have to package it and sell it in a container that is convenient for our consumers," he said. "We also want to make sure the product maintains its quality over time, so we are conducting shelf-life studies."

Clary and his colleagues are in the process of packaging and marketing the product. "This is the only MIVAC unit in the nation, so our food science and nutrition students have a unique opportunity to work on all aspects of these special projects," he said.

Students helped Clary when he experimented drying the salsa product, and they also will be involved with the packaging and the marketing of the dried salsa. "From inception to completion, our students are always heavily involved with research projects in this program," he said.

Clary said his laboratory conducts product and process development using new ways of drying foods. Most of the work is funded by private grants from food companies and industry businesses. "Between construction of our test facilities and company research, our funding has exceeded $3 million in private grants over the last 10 years," he said. Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas and Pacific Gas and Electric funded the construction of the laboratory ($1.6 million). Funds supporting staff and students doing food process and product development have come from food companies ($1.5 million).

The dried salsa will be sold through the Farm Market on campus this spring and Clary has thoughts on what type of packaging might appeal to the consumer. "Right now we are putting it in sealed clear plastic jars - all you need to do is remove the lid, add cold water, and in a few minutes you have some really great salsa."