Why dehydrated apple slices do not return to original water content upon rehydration What phenomenon was responsible for this behavior What factors could extent of this behavior?

Answer 1

apples consist of ca 80% of water and 20% air. apple structure is organized by parenchyma, which also takes care for that the air in an apple is not randomly distributed. Drying the apple destroys the overall architecture of the apple. Thus when dehydrated not only the water is removed but also the general distribution of air is disturbed and the latter is not reinstalled by simply re-hydrating. A re-hydrated apple most likely has a water content higher than a non dehydrated apple.

Answer 2

During dehydration, the structure of apple slices is altered as water is removed, leading to irreversible changes in their cellular composition. This behavior is due to a process called structural denaturation, where the proteins and cell walls lose their original configuration. Factors such as the level of heat exposure, duration of dehydration, and the presence of sugars can impact the extent of this structural denaturation and limit the ability of the apple slices to fully rehydrate.