Effect of Conventional Storage Techniques on Physico-chemical Properties of Dehydrated Cauliflower

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Postharvest Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, to evaluate the nutritional quality of dried cauliflower under different storage conditions. The single factor experiment consisted of four treatments; storage of dehydrated cauliflower in a glass jar (T1), plastic jar (T2), polythene bag (T3), and open petridish (T4). Where the storage of dehydrated cauliflower in petridish in the open air was considered as control. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Cauliflower florets were separated and sliced with the help of a stainless steel knife in a thickness of about 3 mm. Sliced cauliflower was blanched for 30 seconds and then kept in the aluminum tray for drying in the oven for 12 hours at 60 ºC temperature. Results showed that quality traits were changed significantly during 3 months of storage. Proximate analysis showed that significantly the lowest amount of moisture content (0.00%), titratable acidity (0.3%) and fungal growth and the highest amount of anthocyanin content (12.55 µg/g), pH value (5.83), and total phenol content (0.73 mg/100g) were found in dehydrated cauliflower stored in a glass jar (T1). On the other hand, moisture content (3.66%), titratable acidity (1.20%), carbohydrate content (16.0g/100g), and fungal growth were significantly the highest in treatment T4 (open petridish storage) where the amount of total phenol content (0.07 mg/100g), antioxidant content (0.008 µg/g)), pH value (4.83), total soluble solid content (6.5%), and anthocyanin content (1.22 µg/g) were significantly the lowest in the dehydrated cauliflower stored in open petridish (T1). The growth of the microbial colony (Escherichia coli) was not found in dried cauliflower after 3 months of storage. Fungal growth was found in T4 (open petridish) after 3 months of storage. During the storage of dehydrated cauliflower, the performance of treatment T1 (storage of cauliflower in a glass jar) was the best regarding moisture content, titratable acidity, fungal growth, anthocyanin content, pH value, and total phenol content.