BLANCHING OF WHITE POTATOES BY MICROWAVE ENERGY FOLLOWED BY BOILING WATER

SUMMARY —Small white potatoes were heated with microwave energy followed by boiling water to determine the penetration of heat, inactivation of peroxidase and firmness of the potatoes. Treatments consisted of heating potatoes with microwave energy for 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 min followed by boiling water for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min. Temperature measurements were made at depths of 0.75 and 1.5 cm using tubers with a mean radius of 1.95 cm. Peroxidase inactivation was measured along the radius of a slice removed from the equatorial region. Firmness was determined by the ALLO-Kramer shear press. Potatoes, when heated by microwave energy, became hot first at the core with a heat gradient developing toward the periphery. Boiling water produced a heat gradient from the periphery toward the core. Consequently, the tissue located about midway of the radius was subjected to the least amount of heat. The minimum time required to completely inactivate peroxidase and the firmness values of the potato tissue at the time of enzymatic inactivation were as follows: 1.5 min microwaves and 3 min boiling water, 119 lb shear force; and 2 min microwaves and 2 min boiling water, 124 lb shear force. Peroxidase was not completely destroyed when the potatoes were subjected to energy for 1 min or less followed by heating in boiling water up to 5 min.     

MICROWAVE BLANCHING OF SLICED POTATOES DIPPED IN SALINE SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT ENZYMATIC BROWNING

Response surface methodology was applied to investigate the way in which variables such as time of treatment, sodium or calcium chloride concentrations and lactic acid concentration affect the microwave blanching of potato slices dipped in these solutions. Two three factor-five-level, second order central composite designs were developed to analyze the considered variables. Results showed that, with reference to polyphenoloxidase inactivation, the blanching in calcium chloride-lactic acid solution was more effective than the blanching in sodium chloride-lactic acid solution. Color measurements showed that, in the applied operative conditions, the best results were obtained by short blanching in sodium chloride-lactic acid solution at high lactic acid concentration and low NaCl concentration and by short blanching in calcium chloride-lactic acid at low lactic acid concentration or low calcium chloride concentration.     

MICROWAVE AND WATER BLANCHING OF CORN KERNELS: CONTROL OF UNIFORMITY OF HEATING DURING MICROWAVE BLANCHING

Corn kernels were blanched in water and by microwave. The blanching efficiency was measured by four parameters; the thermolability of soluble peroxidase (POD), of two insoluble isoforms (membrane-bound and cellulose-bound POD) and of soluble protein. Using a water-shield model to improve the uniformity of heating by microwave and to control the rate of heating, microwave blanching was significantly more efficient as measured by all four parameters when blanched at 85C. There was no significant difference in the POD isoform heat-stability when blanched at 70C by the two methods. POD insoluble isoforms were more heat-stable than the soluble isoform. POD isoforms, occupying three cellular environments were more efficiently inactivated by uniform microwave heating compared to water blanching, demonstrating the viability of microwave blanching.     

STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF SURFACTANT, BLANCHING AND OSMOTIC PRETREATMENTS ON THE CONVECTIVE DRYING OF POTATOES

Moisture removal from solids is an integral part of food processing. To approach the drying process of a given product it is necessary to have a knowledge of the drying kinetics. However, foodstuffs are often subjected to certain chemical and physical treatments, such as surfactant impregnation, osmotic dehydration or blanching, prior to convective drying. The drying behavior of potatoes was monitored within an experimental air tunnel dryer, with the mechanism of internal moisture migration being identified as diffusion. This was subsequently evaluated on the basis of the liquid diffusion theory. Experimental data revealed osmotic concentration as a favorable process. A 29±2% reduction in diffusion coefficient was observed following osmotic dehydration with a salt/sugar solution, however, this provided a 63±3% reduction in drying time. Structural modifications were induced by blanching, with this rendering a 10±1 and 27±2% lowering of the moisture transfer rate during drying at 30 and 60C, respectively.     

MICROWAVE BLANCHING EFFECTS ON COLOR, CHEMICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF FROZEN ASPARAGUS

Asparagus was blanched for 4 min using: conventional boiling water (BW), steam (ST), microwave (MW), or microwave heated in boilable bags (MWB). Samples were ice-cooled, bagged, heat-sealed and stored at ?18C for 4 weeks. Peroxidase activity was reduced from 98–114 units in fresh, unblanched to 1–7 units in blanched asparagus. Reduced ascorbic acid (RAA) content in fresh, unblanched asparagus was ～49 mg/100 g; RAA content in fresh, BW-blanched asparagus was ～44 mg/100 g. Frozen, unblanched asparagus retained about 40% of original RAA content; BW-blanched asparagus retained 61%, and MWB-blanched asparagus retained 87%. After frozen storage all samples were darker than freshly blanched samples. Blanching increased and freezing decreased greenness of all samples. Blanching increased yellowness of fresh samples; after frozen storage, blanching treatment differences were lost. Unblanched samples had the highest appearance scores; unblanched and MW-blanched samples had the highest color scores. Overall quality of the microwave blanched asparagus was as good as or superior to conventionally blanched asparagus.     

MICROWAVE BLANCHING EFFECTS ON CHEMICAL, SENSORY AND COLOR CHARACTERISTICS OF FROZEN GREEN BEANS

Green beans (cv. Mustang) obtained from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign Horticulture plots were assayed within 3 h of harvest. Beans were blanched in covered containers: conventional boiling water (1900 ml, 3 min) (BW), steam (300 ml water, 3 min) (ST), microwave heated in 1 L glass containers (60 ml water, 3 or 5 min, 700 W) (MW-3, MW-5), and microwave heated in 1 L Seal-a-Meal^TM bags (45 ml water, 3 min) (MW-Bag). Baseline data were collected immediately after blanching. Aliquots were frozen at – 18C for 4 weeks. Unblanched beans had 82 units of peroxidase activity/min; activity was zero immediately after all blanching treatments. Reduced ascorbic acid (RAA) content was highest for unblanched, ST and MW-5 beans and lowest for BW and MW-Bag beans immediately after blanching. ST beans retained 100% of original RAA. Instron shear force (kg) was highest for unblanched beans and lowest for BW and MW-Bag beans immediately after blanching. After frozen storage, ST and BW beans had the lowest shear values. Visual color was poorest for MW-5; other treatments were not different. Microwave blanching green beans for 3 min in a covered container or bag prior to 4 weeks frozen storage resulted in a product that was not different in RAA content, retention or color from BW blanched beans; however, these samples differed in tenderness and crispness from boiling water blanched beans.     

MICROWAVE AND CONVENTIONAL BLANCHING EFFECTS ON CHEMICAL, SENSORY, AND COLOR CHARACTERISTICS OF FROZEN BROCCOLI

Broccoli (cv. Empress) obtained from a local supplier was blanched within 15 h of harvest. It was blanched by four methods in covered containers: conventional boiling water (1900 mL, 4 min) (BW), steam (300 mL water, 4 min) (ST), microwave heated in 1 L glass containers (60 ml water, 4 min, 700 W) (MW), and microwave heated in 1 L Seal-a-Meal^TM bags (45 ml water, 4 min) (MWB). Aliquots were frozen at -18C for 4 weeks. Fresh unblanched broccoli peroxidase activity ranged from 389 to 829 units/min; activity was essentially zero immediately after all blanching treatments. The highest reduced ascorbic acid (RAA) content occurred in fresh unblanched broccoli. Some peroxidase regeneration occurred during frozen storage. Immediately after blanching, all blanched broccoli had lower RAA content than control broccoli. MW-blanched broccoli retained the greatest amount of RAA and had appearance, visual color, texture scores, and chroma of florets and stems equivalent to ST-blanched broccoli. MW-blanched broccoli had flavor and general acceptability scores similar to BW-blanched broccoli. After 4 weeks in frozen storage, MW-blanched broccoli had the highest RAA content.     

CHEMICAL, NUTRITIVE AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF TOMATOES BEFORE AND AFTER CONVENTIONAL AND MICROWAVE BLANCHING AND DURING FROZEN STORAGE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of microwave blanching on chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of tomatoes prior to and after frozen storage. Tomatoes were blanched (4 min) using four treatments: conventional boiling water (BW), steam (ST), microwaved in a glass container (MW), and microwaved in boilable bags (MWB). The lowest moisture content occurred in MW‐blanched tomatoes before (92%) and after (86%) frozen storage. These tomatoes had the highest reduced ascorbic acid (RAA) content and the highest RAA retention (> 23 mg/100 g, >91%) after blanching and after frozen storage. After blanching, MWB‐blanched tomatoes were the lightest, while after frozen storage, ST‐blanched tomatoes were the lightest. BW‐blanched tomatoes had generally higher flavor, texture and appearance scores. This study demonstrated that though visual color and sensory attributes were highest for BW‐blanched tomatoes, MW‐blanched tomatoes retained more nutritive value in the finished product.     

DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF MASHED POTATOES

The dielectric properties of mashed potatoes are measured as a function of sample temperature and preparation procedure. The temperature range for the first sample is between 10 and 80°C, the second sample is characterised in the temperature range from ?17.7 to 20.7°C. The results show, that the impact of temperature on the dielectric properties at 2.45 GHz is small in the range above the freezing temperature. In the temperature range, where melting occurs, there is a sharp increase of the relative dielectric constant ε′ and the loss factor ε′′. The measured, inter- and extrapolated values of the dielectric properties are used to calculate the penetration depth δ _p . This parameter can serve as an input parameter for the mathematical modelling of temperature profiles in microwave heating of food of cylindrical and slab-shaped geometry.     

EVALUATION OF THE TEXTURE OF FRIED POTATOES

Texture of potatoes with different shapes (slices and strips) were evaluated after frying and in some cases after baking. Blanched and unblanched potato slices (Bintje variety) were fried at four oil temperatures: 160, 170, 180 and 190C until reaching a moisture content of ∼1.7%. A puncture test with three point support for the slices was applied to measure the texture of potato chips using the following parameters extracted from the force versus distance curves: maximum force of break (MFB) and deformation of break (DB). These two parameters were useful to follow the changes in texture of the fried slices with moisture content at different frying temperatures. Blanched and unblanched potato strips were partially fried at 160C and 190C for 60, 90 and 120 s. The par-fried potatoes were frozen at -20C for one day after which they were baked at 200C for 15 min. The texture of the baked potato strips was evaluated using a bending test with two support points. From the force versus distance curves, two parameters were extracted: maximum force of deformation (MFD) and maximum deformation (MD). Significant higher MFB and lower DB values (P > 0.1) for unblanched fried slices indicate that these are crispier than blanched chips for moisture contents lower than 4% (6.59 N and 0.62 mm vs 5.74 N and vs 0.75 mm for unblanched and blanched chips, respectively, average values for the four frying temperatures employed). There was no effect of the frying temperature and the pretreatment (blanching or unblanching) on the texture of the frozen par-fried potatoes after baking when compared at the same residual moisture content, but blanched potato strips lost moisture more slowly both in frying and in baking.     

EFFECT OF BLANCHING ON STORAGE STABILITY OF HAZELNUT MEAL

Influence of blanching on storage stability of hazelnut meal was investigated under accelerated storage conditions. Meals were obtained from unblanched and blanched hazelnut kernels, and stored at a relative humidity of 60% at 30C for 50 days. Total free fatty acid content, concentrations of individual free fatty acids, peroxide value and oil stability index were measured in the hazelnut meal samples during storage. No significant difference was found between peroxide values of the samples, however, the values of both samples increased during storage time. The concentrations of free fatty acids increased because of the activity of lipase in both meals, but the levels were lower in the blanched sample. Oil stability index of the unblanched sample was lower than that of the blanched sample. Blanching treatment was found to improve the oxidative stability of hazelnut meal, possibly because of partial inactivation of deteriorative enzymes.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Hazelnut meal is a product obtained from hazelnut which is used as an ingredient in various food products. Hazelnut meal is more prone to degradation and quality loss during storage via oxidation compared with the whole counterpart. Stability of whole hazelnut has been studied to a great extent in the literature, but there is a scarcity of information regarding stability of processed hazelnut. In addition, there is no information in the literature about the amount of individual free fatty acids in hazelnut where the amounts of total free fatty acids have been reported extensively. This study provides data for quality and stability of hazelnut meal during storage which could be used by the food industry.