THE INFLUENCE OF POSTHARVEST STORAGE, TEMPERATURE AND DURATION ON QUALITY OF COOKED BROCCOLI FLORETS

Fresh broccoli heads (Brassica oleracea L. var, italica) were stored at 1C, 5C or 10C from 0 to 14 days. After this postharvest treatment, heads were cut into florets, which were given a short heat treatment and afterwards stored in plastic bags for a period of 8 days. Storage time and storage temperature before processing affected the texture and color, chlorophyll, vitamin C and β-carotene of cooked florets. The texture of cooked florets was highly correlated with water loss of the raw heads. Significant correlations were found between yellowness, instrumental color measurements and chlorophyll for cooked broccoli. Vitamin C content was affected significantly by subsequent chill temperature storage of cooked florets, which previously were stored at 5C for a period from 0 to 14 days. After 3 or 8 days of subsequent chill temperature storage of cooked broccoli florets, the vitamin C content seemed to reach almost the same level irrespective of the duration of storage of the raw heads, β-carotene content of cooked broccoli florets was stable when raw broccoli heads were stored at 1C and 5C, whereas it decreased towards the end of the storage period when the heads were stored at 10C. After cooking, β-carotene content remained stable during subsequent chill temperature storage.