PURPOSE: A sea cucumber drying apparatus and a drying method thereof are provided to reduce the time for drying sea cucumber by improving a drying process.CONSTITUTION: A heat processing unit (10) heat-processes fresh sea cucumber. A vacuum chamber (20) receives the heat-processed sea cucumber for drying, and maintains the inside in the vacuum condition. A decompression unit is connected to the vacuum chamber for applying vacuum pressure to the inside. The vacuum chamber includes a heating unit (22) for applying heat to the inside. A re-processing unit is connected to the vacuum chamber for condensing and collecting moisture evaporated from the sea cucumber. An outlet pipe (30) is connected to the vacuum chamber for circulating the evaporated moisture. A condenser (40) is installed on one side of the outlet pipe for condensing the moisture passing through the outlet pipe. A collection container (42) collects the condensed water discharged from the tip end of the outlet pipe.COPYRIGHT KIPO 2013해삼 건조에 소요되는 시간을 단축하고, 건조 과정에서 해삼 조직의 손상을 최소화하고 형태를 유지하며, 복원력이 우수하고 향 및 색깔의 변질을 막아 상품성을 높일 수 있도록, 해삼을 진공챔버에 투입하여 진공압을 가하는 단계, 진공 상태를 유지하여 해삼을 건조하는 단계를 포함하는 해삼 건조방법을 제공한다.
