NUTRIENTS CONTENT AND TEXTURE CHANGES AS EFFECT OF HARVEST TIME, POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS AND STORAGE CONDITION OF CARROT

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of harvest time (November or January) and postharvest treatments (hot water (50°C), H2O2 (1%), NaOCl (175 ppm)) and nonwashed-control of carrots (Daucus carrota L. cv. ‘Maestro F1’) on the changes in nutrient composition and texture under different storage conditions (S-1: 0°C, 98% RH; S-2: 0–2°C, 85–92% RH). Weight loss and quality changes in carrot roots were evaluated after 120 and 180 days of storage period (SP). After SP weight loss ranged from 3.20% (carrots from the first harvest in S-1 with H2O2 treatment) to 34.51% (carrots from the first harvest in S-2 with hot water treatment). Dry matter (DM) content in carrot roots varied in dependence of the harvest time (9.57–12.22%) and increased after the SP exept in carrot from first harvest with hot water and H2O2 treatments in S-1. Total sugar content (TSC) increased after SP, more in S-2 cooling room. Vitamin C content in carrot roots decreased more in S-2 (20.7–52.3%) in comparison to S-1 storage conditions (2.0–18.2%). The hardnessand flexibility of carrot roots increased after SP for all treatments. Prestorage washing treatments (H2O2 or NaOCl) and storage in S-1 storage regime at temperature (0°C) with a high relative humidity 98% maintained quality of carrot root.

Keywords

• Daucus carota
• prestorage treatments
• dry matter
• total sugar
• vitamin C
• hardness