Effects of Thermal and Non-Thermal Pretreatments on the Drying Kinetics and Bioactive Compounds of the Chilean Mushroom <em>Morchella conica</em>

The effects of thermal and non-thermal pretreatments combined with different drying methods on the drying kinetics, physicochemical properties, and bioactive compounds of the Chilean wild mushroom Morchella conica were investigated. Fresh samples were subjected to hot-air drying (HAD, 60 °C), freeze-drying (FD), and a hybrid process (FD–HAD), applied directly or after pretreatments including thermal pre-drying (55 and 75 °C), ultrasound (US, 10 and 20 min), and high hydrostatic pressure (HPP, 600 MPa). Drying curves were successfully fitted using the Weibull model (R² &gt; 0.987). The highest drying rates were observed in HAD combined with thermal and ultrasound pretreatments, whereas the FD–HAD process significantly reduced the total drying time. Freeze-drying preserved color (ΔE &lt; 2) and minimized shrinkage (&lt; 8%), while HAD resulted in darker samples and greater structural deformation. Water activity decreased below 0.30 in most treatments, ensuring microbiological stability, with the lowest values observed for HPP–FD and US 20 min–FD (0.10–0.11). Thermal pretreatments enhanced total phenolic content, whereas FD preserved antioxidant capacity. Principal component analysis explained 68.9% of the total variance and revealed distinct quality profiles among drying methods. These findings indicate that combining moderate pretreatments with freeze-drying or hybrid drying processes improves the technological efficiency and functional quality of Morchella conica.