In Taiwan, there is no standard for post-harvest treatment of Camellia oleifera fruit and related
research is lacking. This study investigated the effect on oil yield and quality of different drying
methods of C. oleifera fruit after harvest, including hot-air dehydrating, shade drying, direct
sunning, and open-air drying using both black and blue netting. Comparing these 5 drying methods
revealed significant variation in the resulting moisture content of seeds, with the lowest moisture
recorded being 4.58% for hot-air dehydration. Slight variations of oxidative stability were also observed,
but no significant differences in other oil qualities such as oil content, acid value, and fatty
acid composition, were recorded. This may be because the fruits were harvested as mature fruit.
These results suggest that post-harvest and post-ripening treatments have no significant effect on
the accumulation or improvement of oils. Based on our findings, the shells and seeds of C. oleifera
should be removed immediately after harvesting for drying. In case of rainy weather, the shells
should be shelled then dried at low temperature to prevent the deterioration of oils and to obtain
stable and high-quality oil.