QUALITY OF CABBAGE PART I: EFFECTS OF BLANCHING,FREEZING, AND FREEZE-DEHYDRATION ON THE ACCEPTABILITY AND NUTRIENT RETENTION OF CABBAGE (BRASSICA OLERACEA L.)1

Cabbage was blanched with steam, and chemical solutions. Blanching in solution involved boiling of cabbage with a chemical solution (or water) for 3 mm at 96°C. In steam blanching, cabbage was vacuum impregnated in a chemical solution for 5 mm under a 25 in. vacuum and then exposed to steam for 3 mm. Blanching (without chemical treatment) was achieved within 3 mm as judged by the inactivation of peroxidase. Among solution- and steam-blanched (without chemical treatment) products, the former had better organoleptic qualities, whereas the latter had higher ascorbic acid retention. Cabbage blanched in the presence of 0.5% malic acid, 0.05% NaHCO₃, and 1.2% NaCl was preferred for texture, color, and overall quality, respectively. The results from chemical (vitamin C and chlorophyll contents), physical (firmness), and sensory evaluations of processed and stored (at -19°C up to 24 months) cabbage indicate blanching in the presence of 1.2% NaCl solution to be the most generally preferred treatment.