Influence of Different Blanching Conditions on Changes in Several Quality Parameters and Physiological Properties of Carrot for Determination of Optimum Blanching Conditions

Abstract

We discussed the changes in quality parameters for carrot samples in three kinds of branching treatments, i.e., hot water (HW), microwave (MW), and microwave with covered plastic wrap (MWP). The ratio of weight loss after MWP was the largest in three treatments. The ΔE was more than 10 in each treatment. The residual ratios of β-carotene after HW, MW and MWP were 90.0, 85.8 and 87.1%, respectively. The ratio of decrease of L-ascorbic acid and potassium for HW treatment was 2 to 4 times larger than those for other treatments. The internal porosity increased and the hardness decreased by MWP treatment more than other treatments. The injured cell walls of samples for MWP were observed by the microstructure analysis.