Articles
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ENZYMATIC BROWNING OF APRICOT CULTIVARS
Although several methods of its inhibition are known, slight browning tendency of the raw material is advantageous.
Therefore the rate of enzymatic browning was determined during 5 years in the samples of 10 apricot cultivars by an instrumental method developed by us.
The changes in browning tendency during cold storage were also studied and the parameters of heat treatment necessary to eliminate enzymatic browning were established.
According to the rates of enzymatic browning the cultivars investigated could be subdivided essentially into 2 groups: the samples of Magyar kajszi, Mammoth of Szeged and Borsi rózsa showed higher, those of Rakovszky, Mandula and Early Ryl showed lower browning rates.
Part of the cultivars showed strong yearly variations of browning tendency.
During a 10-day storage at 5 °C in normal atmosphere the rates of browning decreased.
The degree of the decrease was cultivar-dependent.
During a 10-min heat treatment the browning rate decreased exponentially with treatment temperature.
A 10-min treatment at 75 °C reduced the browning rate to 5% of the value found in the untreated sample.
The results showed that the two varieties grown in the largest quantities /Magyar kajszi and Borsi rózsa/ are among. those of stronger browning tendency.
Owing to the yearly