*7.1.3 Splitting*

Ginger splitting is the most common and widely acceptable processing operation that is carried out before drying. Flavor components are concentrated under the peel, thus splitting helps to retain as much as 20% of the flavor that could be lost due to peeling.

*Nigeria Root Vegetables: Production, Utilization, Breeding, Biotechnology and Constraints DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106861*

#### *7.1.4 Blanching*

Blanching is not desirable for ginger and garlic. Although blanching is generally helpful in inactivating spoilage causing organisms and enzymes, ginger, onions and garlic take exceptions as the specific flavors they are valued for are reduced by blanching. Tumeric's quality, on the other hand, is enhanced by blanching in the presence of an alikali [135]. In a study conducted by [136] blanching at 100°C for 10 min before drying was shown to yield tumeric powder with higher color value and curcumin content compared to those that were not blanched or those that were boiled before drying.

#### *7.1.5 Sun drying*

Sun drying still remain the predominant dehydration methods for ginger, garlic and onions in Nigeria. The processing of the Nigerian ginger has not been standardized resulting in low rating in international market and loss of foreign exchange earnings. The microbial load, organoleptic properties and chemical composition usually fall short of specifications. There have been reports of the presence of salmonella, aflatoxin and molds in dried split ginger and ground ginger from Nigeria which have been attributed to poor drying and occurrence of fungal infection. This limits Nigeria's access to the international market thereby creating the need for serious efforts in improving food safety and quality of dried root vegetables.

#### *7.1.6 Storage*

Cool environment with temperature of between 10 and 15°C is suitable for storage of dried rhizomes, slices and splits. Higher temperatures above 23°C can cause losses of up to 20% of its oleoresin. These postharvest operations are usually carried out on ginger from November to January in the northern states of Nigeria, but middlemen can do further sorting and cleaning after getting them from the farmers. The price of these root spices is determined by the extent of sorting, drying and packing done at individual farmers' level. Ginger that have been thoroughly washed and dried hygienically to produce a white-light cream slices is referred to as "American standard". The lower grade is usually called Mozo and the lowest grade of ginger are the unsorted dried ginger rhizomes.
