Effects of Hot Water Immersion on Storage Quality of Fresh Broccoli Heads

Huaqiang Dong¹, Yueming Jiang²*, Yuehua Wang¹, Ruang Liu¹ and Haoning Guan<sup>1

1</sup>Department of Food Science and Technology, Foshan University, Nanhai Dali, 528231 Guangdong, P. R. China
²South China Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510650 Re YiJu, P. R. China

Article history:
Received: November 19, 2003
Accepted: April 15, 2004

Key words:
broccoli, hot water immersion, quality, storage

Summary:
Freshly harvested broccoli heads were immersed for 0, 1, 4 or 8 min into hot water at 45 °C, and then were hydrocooled rapidly for 10 min at 10 °C. Following these treatments, the broccoli were air-dried for 30 min, then packed in commercial polymeric film bags, and, finally, stored for 16 days at –1, 1, and 12 °C. The samples treated with hot water maintained high contents of chlorophyll concentrations, their yellowing rate was delayed, and fungal infection and chilling or freezing injury were inhibited markedly. Compared to non-heat-treated broccoli, a lower level of peroxidase activity with a relatively higher chlorophyll concentration was observed when broccoli were treated with hot water. Among these heat treatments, immersion in hot water for 4 min at 45 °C was the most effective for maintaining the quality of harvested broccoli heads. 

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