Content of reducing sugars in mostly grown vegetables in Estonia after harvesting and after storage

Abstract

The study examined the content of reducing sugars in various varieties of potato, beetroot, turnip and pumpkin most commonly grown in Estonia. This study aimed to determine the varieties of vegetables with the lowest levels of reducing sugars after harvesting and after storage at two different temperatures (3 and 8 °C). In the present study it was found that the potato variety with the lowest content of reducing sugars after harvesting and after six months of storage was potato variety 'Birgit' with 0.19 g 100 g–1after harvesting, 0.98 g 100 g–1 after storage at 3 °C and 0.38 g 100 g–1 after storage at 8 °C, respectively. All three varieties of the beetroot, after harvest, contained a similar amount of reducing sugars. After six months of storage, the lowest content of reducing sugars was determined for variety 'Boro' with 1.22 g 100 g–1 at 3 °C and 0.96 g 100 g–1 at 8 °C, respectively. The lowest average concentrations of reducing sugars from turnips were after harvest in the variety 'Kohalik sinine' with 3.38 g 100 g–1. Also after storage, the same variety had the lowest content of reducing sugars with 8.36 g 100 g–1 at 3 °C and 3.76 g 100 g–1 at 8 °C, respectively. From the pumpkin varieties, the lowest reducing sugars contents were determined for variety 'Gold Medal' with 2.64 g 100 g–1after harvesting, 2.40 g 100 g–1 after storage at 3 °C and 1.90 g 100 g–1 after storage at 8 °C. It can be concluded that all studied vegetables stored at 3 °C contained higher amounts of reducing sugars than those stored at 8 °C.

Keywords

• potato
• beetroot
• turnip
• pumpkin
• reducing sugar content
• storage