Abstract: In order to prolong the shelf life of prepared largemouth bass products and to delay the quality deterioration during storage, largemouth bass pieces were subjected to three heat treatments (boiling in water, steaming, vacuum low temperature cooking (sous-vide)) and subsequently stored at 12 ℃ for 5 days. The total number of colonies, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, juice loss rate, color, texture characteristics, water distribution, and odor profile were analyzed during the storage period. The results showed that during the storage process, the juice loss rate of sous-vide treated fish pieces was below 2%, and the loss of immobilized water was inhibited at the end of storage. The total number of colonies and TVB-N content were smaller in sous-vide-treated samples than in boiled and steamed samples, and sous-vide could significantly inhibit the spoilage and deterioration of largemouth bass during storage. Sous-vide treatment had little effect on the hardness and chewiness compared with boiling and steaming (P > 0.05). Using electronic nose technology, the quality of largemouth bass during storage could be identified and the results were consistent with TVB-N content. In conclusion, sous-vide can delay the deterioration of fish freshness, providing a new processing technology for the preservation of largemouth bass.

Key words: sous-vide, largemouth bass, quality