Abstract: Standard potato slices were heated for various periods of time by three different methods:boiling water,steam under pressure,and a microwave oven.After heating ,the internal temperature was measured together with textural characteristics as sessed,using both taste panel and mechanical properties test.It was found that for a given method of heating the taste panel score is related to the instrumental measurements of rupture stress and rupture energy.It was also found that the degree of textural variation of a potato does not depend solely on the internal temperature reached,but is particularly dependent on the heating method and on the rate of heating.

Key words: Heating method Potato texture Taste panel Mechanical properties test