Characteristic analysis of cabbage cultivated or stored under snow cover and prototype development of its processed products

Abstract

Yukishita kyabetsu, cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L) that is cultivated or stored under snow cover for several months, was analyzed before and after snowfall; the sugar content, which imparts sweetness, was mostly retained. Meanwhile, the nitrate nitrogen (nitrate ion) concentration, which causes astringency, was decreased. In the analysis using a taste sensing system, the astringency and bitterness decreased because of the decrease in nitrate ions; thus, it was speculated that the sweetness increased in comparison. For cabbage stored in the snow room, we conducted a 5-day distribution test using three temperature groups (1, 10, and 20 °C) to clarify the effect of distribution temperature following shipment. The results showed that the sugar content was unchanged for almost 5 days in the 1 and 10 °C temperature groups, while it decreased in one day in the 20 °C temperature group. In the 20 °C temperature group, the nitrate ion concentration, which is responsible for bitterness, more than doubled in one day of distribution storage.