EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT ON THE QUALITY OF COOKED CARROTS

We investigated the effect of heat treatment on the quality of cooked carrots (texture, chemical, and sensory evaluation). Slices of three carrot varieties (Rubika, Kundulus, and Rothild) were cooked at 90–120°C for 2–70 min. Compressive failure stress and rupture work were a by a Zwick Universal Testing Machine. Textural softening could be expressed by an exponential equation of the type: S = A exp(‐kt), where 6 = rupture stress, t = cooking time, and A and k are constants. Plotting k versus l/T (T = cooking temperature, °K) revealed an Arrhenius‐type relationship with apparent activation energy of about 28, 27, and 22 Kcal/mole for Rubika, Rothild, and Kundulus varieties, respectively. Chemical analysis (dry matter and p‐carotene) showed that the cooking process caused insignificant changes. Statistical analysis of the sensory assessments showed an overall significant preference for 3 mm slice thickness and 110°C cooking temperature.