Changes in nutritional and sensory characteristics of canned turnips: Effect of salt

摘要

Canned turnip greens were elaborated industrially using water without added salt and water with different levels of NaCl (0.5 and 2%) as brine, and a mixture (1:1) of NaCl-KCl or NaCl-MgCl_2 were considered as a tool of reducing sodium. Colour, nutritional quality and consumer acceptability were analysed monthly for 3 months. Significant losses in moisture content, total soluble solids, pH, antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll as well as chlorophyll a and b were detected, but titratable acidity increased. Colour was affected by the loss of lightness and greenness, and the increase in yellowness. Consumers evaluated the overall acceptability and the intensities of 15 sensory characteristics of the six types of canned turnips. The results showed that NaCl (2%) improved flavour, appearance, odour, colour and texture, preserving organoleptic characteristics better than when no salt was added, or when NaCl (0.5% or 1%) or other salts were employed. Partial replacement by KC1 or MgCl_2 showed the worst punctuations, due to the high scores in texture parameters, such as hardness, fibrosity, astringency or adhesiveness, and in bitter and metallic tastes.