Introduction: The Importance of Plums Drying
Plums, the fruit of the Prunus genus, are widely cultivated in temperate regions across China and the world. They are cherished for their juicy texture, sweet‑tart flavor, and rich nutritional content, including vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. Fresh plums have a short shelf life and are highly perishable due to their high moisture content. Proper drying not only extends their availability year‑round but also preserves their natural flavor, color, and health‑promoting compounds. Traditional sun‑drying or simple heated‑air methods are slow, weather‑dependent, and risk contamination, leading to inconsistent quality. MeiYa’s advanced heat‑pump drying technology offers a controlled, efficient, and hygienic solution that ensures premium‑quality dried plums with excellent repeatability.
Why Choose MeiYa Heat Pump Dryers for Plums?
Conventional drying approaches (e.g., coal‑fired or open‑air drying) are energy‑intensive, polluting, and require constant manual oversight. MeiYa’s heat‑pump system provides a modern, sustainable alternative:
- High Energy Efficiency
By extracting heat from ambient air, MeiYa dryers consume significantly less electricity than conventional systems, reducing operating costs by up to 60–70%. - Precise Multi‑Stage Temperature Control
Plums require a carefully staged drying profile to remove moisture evenly without case‑hardening or nutrient loss. MeiYa dryers allow exact programming of temperature and humidity, ensuring uniform dehydration throughout the batch. - Fully Automated Operation
Once the drying curve is set, the system runs autonomously, eliminating the need for constant manual supervision and cutting labor expenses. - Hygienic & Eco‑Friendly
The closed drying chamber protects the plums from dust, insects, and external pollutants. With no combustion or emissions, MeiYa dryers support clean, sustainable production. - Weather‑Independent Performance
Unlike sun‑drying, MeiYa dryers operate consistently regardless of outdoor conditions, ensuring batch‑to‑batch consistency and uninterrupted processing. - Gentle Drying Preserves Quality
The moderate, controlled temperature range (60–70°C) minimizes thermal degradation of vitamins, natural sugars, and pigments, retaining the fruit’s nutritional and sensory qualities.
Step‑by‑Step Plum Drying Process with MeiYa Dryers
Step 1: Preparation & Pretreatment
- Selection: Harvest plums at the appropriate maturity stage. For fresh‑eating varieties, harvest near full ripeness; for processing (e.g., candied plums), harvest at the firm‑ripe stage.
- Peeling & “Wax‑Removal”: Some varieties (e.g., Sanhua Plum or fully yellow plums) require “peeling” or “wax‑removal” treatment to remove the natural waxy layer on the skin, allowing sugar to penetrate more easily during candying.
- Hardening & Color‑Protection: Plum flesh contains tannins that can oxidize and cause gray‑brown discoloration. To prevent this, immerse the prepared fruit in a hardening and color‑protection solution (0.1% calcium chloride + 0.1% sodium bisulfite) for 8 hours, then rinse thoroughly with clean water and drain.
Step 2: Sugar Infusion (For Candied Plums)
- Sugar‑Solution Preparation: For every 50 kg of fresh plums, prepare 25–30 kg of white sugar to make a 40% sugar solution. Add 0.1% citric acid and 0.05% potassium sorbate to the solution, then bring it to a boil.
- Initial Soaking: Pour the hot sugar solution over the drained plums and let them soak.
- Concentration Cycling: The next day, the sugar concentration will drop to about 20%. Drain the diluted syrup, concentrate it in a heating vessel (e.g., a double‑jacketed pot) to raise the concentration by about 5%, then pour the hot syrup back over the plums. Repeat this cycle every 1–2 days (only heating the syrup, not the fruit directly) until the syrup concentration reaches 55–60% and the fruit’s internal sugar concentration exceeds 50%. This entire sugar‑penetration process typically takes 15–20 days without vacuum equipment.
Step 3: Drying Cycle
- Loading: Spread the sugar‑infused plums evenly on stainless‑steel trays. A standard MeiYa setup (e.g., a 6P heat‑pump dryer paired with a 5.8 m × 2.2 m drying chamber) can accommodate 8 trolleys, each holding 180 jin (≈90 kg) of material, for a total batch capacity of about 1,500 jin (≈750 kg).
- Drying Parameters: – Temperature: 60–70°C
– Duration: Approximately 20 hours
– Target Moisture: 25–28% (for candied plums) or lower for fully dried plums. - Process: The system circulates warm, dehumidified air evenly through the chamber, ensuring every plum receives uniform heat and airflow. The well‑insulated chamber minimizes heat loss, improving energy efficiency.
Step 4: Cooling & Packaging
- Natural Cooling: Allow the dried plums to cool in a clean, dry environment.
- Quality Check: Verify uniform color, pliable texture, and target moisture content.
- Packaging: Pack in vacuum‑sealed or moisture‑proof bags for storage or sale.
Traditional vs. MeiYa Heat Pump Drying: A Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Traditional Methods | MeiYa Heat Pump Dryers |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Source | Coal, wood, or sunlight | Ambient air heat + minimal electricity |
| Temperature Control | Unstable, manual adjustment | Precise multi‑stage control (±1–2°C) |
| Drying Time | Several days, weather‑dependent | Consistent 20‑hour cycle |
| Operating Cost | High fuel costs, labor‑intensive | Up to 70% energy savings, low labor |
| Labor Need | Constant turning, monitoring required | Fully automated |
| Product Quality | Variable, risk of mold or discoloration | Uniform moisture, preserved color & flavor |
| Environmental Impact | Smoke, dust, pollution | Zero emissions, clean process |
| Consistency | Batch‑to‑batch variability | High repeatability |
Conclusion
MeiYa heat pump dryers provide a reliable, energy‑efficient, and eco‑friendly solution for plum processing. By combining advanced heat‑pump technology with precise temperature and humidity control, they deliver high‑quality dried plums—whether for simple drying or candied products—with excellent color, texture, and nutrient retention in a consistent 20‑hour cycle, while significantly reducing energy consumption and labor costs compared to traditional drying methods.
Upgrade your plum drying operation with MeiYa—where innovation meets fruit‑processing excellence.
Contact Us for a Customized Solution:
📧 Email: [email protected]
👤 Contact: Ray Ren
📱 WhatsApp/WeChat/Mobile: +86 133 4676 7871
MeiYa – Engineering Smarter Drying for a Healthier World.
MeiYa Heat Pump Dryer Machine
- No MOQ & Customization Unlimited
- Drying + Dehumidify + Cooling
- PLC + Touch Screen Control
- 7-10 Days Delivery Time
Parameter:
| Single dryer+drying chamber | ||||
| Model | Unit | MY-03RD | MY-06RD | MY-12RD |
| Power input | KW | 5.5 | 9.5 | 19.4 |
| power supply | V/PH/HZ | 380V/3PH,50/60HZ | 380V/3PH,50/60HZ | |
| 220V/1PH,50/60HZ | ||||
| Rated current | A | 9.6A(380V),22A(220V) | 17.0 | 30.0 |
| Heating capacity | KW | 10.5 | 21.0 | 42.0 |
| Cooling capacity | KW | 7.8 | 18.0 | 32.0 |
| Dehumidity | L/H | 12.0 | 25.0 | 50.0 |
| Max temperature | ℃ | ≤75 | ≤75 | ≤75 |
| Working condition | ℃ | 0-43 | 0-43 | 0-43 |
| Electric shock protection grade | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Max exhause pressure | M(P)a | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Noise | d(B(A | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| Power consumption/H | KWH | 4.8 | 8.5 | 15.0 |
| Electric heater | KW | 3.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 |
| Blowing type | / | HORIZONTAL BLOWING TYPE | ||
| Demsnssion of dryer | MM | 1650*856*1280 | 1806*1065*1280 | 2089*1260*1580 |
| Weight | KG | 180 | 285 | 480 |
Buying Guiding:
Recommend drying machine+Drying chamber sizes
| Model | Description | Drying Capacity (Per Batch) | Drying Room Size (mm) | Trolleys Number | Trays Number |
| MY-01RD-16L | All-in-one Machine | Up to 100Kg | All-in-one | 16 | |
| MY-01RD-36L | All-in-one Machine | Up to 250Kg | All-in-one | 36 | |
| MY-03RD-60L | All-in-one Machine | Up to 400Kg | All-in-one | 60 | |
| MY-03RD | 1 Unit + 1 Drying Room | Up to 700Kg | 3200*2190*2200 | 8 | 128 |
| MY-06RD | 1 Unit + 1 Drying Room | Up to 1,300Kg | 6150*2190*2200 | 14 | 224 |
| MY-12RD | 1 Unit + 1 Drying Room | Up to 2,000Kg | 6350*3230*2200 | 20 | 320 |
| MY-15RD | 1 Unit + 1 Drying Room | Up to 2,200Kg | 6350*3230*2200 | 20 | 320 |
| MY-03RD (Double) | 2 Units + 1 Drying Room | Up to 1,700Kg | 7050*2190*2200 | 16 | 256 |
| MY-06RD (Double) | 2 Units + 1 Drying Room | Up to 2,500Kg | 10100*2190*2200 | 24 | 384 |
| MY-12RD (Double) | 2 Units + 1 Drying Room | Up to 4,400Kg | 11860*3230*2200 | 40 | 640 |
| MY-15RD (Double) | 2 Units + 1 Drying Room | Up to 5,200Kg | 11860*3230*2200 | 40 | 640 |
| MY-25RD (Double) | 2 Units + 1 Drying Room | Up to 10,000Kg | 13520*6070*2200 | 48 | 1920 |
Our Projects:
Our Factory:
Production Processing:
Drying Machine Components:
Standard Working Modes:
- Typically 3 modes available:
- Drying Only
- Rapid temperature rise; unable to discharge moist air
- Drying + Dehumidify
- Chamber temperature rises while discharging moist air
- Cooling
- Temperature can drop to 10°C (minimum)
- Important Note:
- If temperature control becomes unstable, switch to Temperature & Humidity Mode.
- Drying Only
Ray. Ren | Sales Manager
GUANGZHOU MEIYA ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
📍 Add: No.217, 2nd Ruiyun Road, Xiuquan Street, Huadu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
📞 Tel/WhatsApp/WeChat: +86 133 4676 7871
✉️ Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: https://www.my-dryer.com
