THE EFFECTS OF BLANCHING ON BIOLOGICAL VALUE OF ENDIVE (CICHORIUM ENDIVIA L.)

Endive (Cichorium endivia L.), a leafy vegetables species widely grown in western European countries, has considerable nutritional value and a distinctive, slightly bitter taste, but is still a minor crop in Poland.
Introducing this species into cultivation will increase the variety of leafy vegetables available on the Polish market.
The aim of the field experiments carried out in 2008-2009 was to assess the effect of blanching on biological value of two endive cultivars ‘De Meaux’ and ‘Kalinka’. For blanching the following materials were tested: Rollo foil, blanching caps and black agro-textile put over the plants for 7, 10 or 14 days prior to harvest in order to exclude the light.
Vitamin C, chlorophyll, carotenoids, P, K, Ca, Mg, and nitrates were determined in leaves at harvest.
Cultivars ‘De Meaux’ and ‘Kalinka’ considerably differed in the content of the investigated compounds.
Irrespective of the blanching treatment, and in both years of the study, ‘De Meaux’ had higher content of vitamin C, carotenoids, chlorophyll and all evaluated macronutrients.
Regardless of the method and period of blanching, a substantial decrease in biological value of both cultivars was observed.
This effect, however, was weaker when Rollo foil and the blanching caps were applied compared to the use of black agro-textile cover.
Excluding the light for 14 days caused higher reduction in nutrient content than that recorded after 7 or 10 days.
Blanching of plants was associated with an increase in nitrates in both cultivars, especially when agro-textile was introduced.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Postharvest Technology in the Global Market

K. Adamczewska-Sowińska , C.M. Uklańska

dark period, cover type, nutritional value, vitamin C, nitrates

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.934.161