Abstract:

The effects of heat treatment temperature, time and storage time on the color of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut were studied by using a central composite rotation design. Three second order quadratic equations of fruit discolouration, a * and b * values for heat treatment were established, and the significance of model and fitting degree were analyzed through response surface method with SAS 9.0 software. The key factors and their interactions affecting fresh-cut water chestnuts were also discussed through the response surface and contours. Results indicated that heat treatment temperature and the interaction of temperature and storage time are the key factors, and the optimum heated temperature, time and storage time for inhibiting fruits browning are 52 to 55 ℃, 20 to 22 minutes and 3 days, respectively.

Key words: heat treatment, fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut, color, response surface method