Effects of withering duration and drying conditions on the just-about-right sensory profile of Batu City rose tea (Rosa hybrida)

¹ Food Technology and Agricultural Product Study Program, Faculty of Food Security, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya 60286, East Java, Indonesia.
² Food Science and Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang City 65145, East Java, Indonesia.
³ Engineering Faculty, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya 60231, East Java, Indonesia.
⁴ Faculty of Vocational Study, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya 60231, East Java, Indonesia.
⁵ Biotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of withering duration, drying temperature, and drying time on the sensory characteristics of rose tea (Rosa hybrida) using the Just-About-Right (JAR) method. A randomized complete block design with a 3 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement was applied, consisting of withering durations (4, 12, and 16 hours), drying temperatures (60°C and 80°C), and drying times (1, 2, and 3 hours). Sensory evaluation was conducted by 50 untrained panellists to assess color, aroma, taste, flavor, and astringent sensation. JAR data were analyzed using a one-sample proportion test with a theoretical proportion of 0.333. The results showed that processing conditions significantly influenced the sensory profiles of rose tea. Shorter withering duration (4 hours) combined with higher drying temperature (80°C) consistently produced significantly higher JAR proportions across multiple attributes, including floral aroma, fresh aroma, taste attributes (sweet, sour, and bitter), as well as floral flavor and astringent sensation. In contrast, longer withering durations tended to either intensify certain attributes excessively at 60°C or reduce sensory balance at 80°C. The findings indicate that optimizing processing parameters, particularly shorter withering and higher drying temperature, is essential to achieve balanced and consumer-preferred sensory profiles in rose tea.