Property quality of Lombok dried squid treated with different water types and soaking time

To date, fishermen from the southern coast of Lombok have been drying fresh squid in direct sunlight for insufficient time, resulting in low quality. It is known that seawater contains salt that have function as an antimicrobial. Therefore, this study sought to examine the effect of immersion in seawater on the quality (physiochemical and sensory) of dried squid. Different types of water (seawater and freshwater) and soaking time (30, 60, and 90 mins) were carried out. Seawater was chosen as a brine solution to follow a common practice conducted in the area of study. The yield, moisture, and ash content as well as the surface dried meat squid colour were determined. The research was statistically analysed i n a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. In general, the results showed that soaking the squid using seawater resulted in a higher yield than that when freshwater was used. No significant difference (P<0.05) was obtained for moisture and ash content as well as dried squid colour (^oHue). The results also indicated that fresh squid soaked using seawater for 90 mins was the best treatment with the yield, moisture content, ash content, and colour value of 15.63%, 23.99%, 9.44%, and^oHue 53.09 respectively. Dried squid sensory characteristics showed that the texture of the meat squid was relatively soft and has a unique aroma and taste.