| Summary: | The impact of air-drying at 25 °C, brining at 25%, and dry-salting (at 28% and 40%) on the quality and nutritional parameters of <i>Ulva rigida</i> were evaluated over six months of storage. Overall, the main changes occurred in physical aspects during storage time, with <i>U. rigida</i> intensifying its yellow/browning tones, which were more evident in salt-treated samples. The force necessary to fracture the seaweed also increased under all the preservative conditions in the first month. Conversely, the nutritional parameters of <i>U. rigida</i> remained stable during the 180 days of storage. All processed samples showed a high content of insoluble and soluble fibers, overall accounting for 55%−57% dw, and of proteins (17.5%−19.2% dw), together with significant amounts of Fe (86−92 mg/kg dw). The total fatty acids pool only accounted for 3.9%−4.3% dw, but it was rich in unsaturated fatty acids (44%−49% total fatty acids), namely palmitoleic (C16:1), oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2), linolenic (C18:3), and stearidonic (18:4) acids, with an overall omega 6/omega 3 ratio below 0.6, a fact that highlights their potential health-promoting properties.
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