Comparison of several methods of blanching cauliflower curds on labor requirement and yield and quality of curds

Abstract

This investigation was made to seek for the efficient methods of blanching cauliflower curds, comparing several methods on labor reauirement and yield and quality of curds.Labor requirement of blanching curds was the lowest by breaking two outer leaves and folding them over the curds and was the highest by tying the wrapper leaves together at the top with rice straws or polyethylene tapes. Tying by rubber bands was medium in efficiency.Size of the curds by methods of broken leaves was distinctly larger than that by tying methods. Breaking two outer leaves had not practically any effect on the size of curds, compared with the curds of intact plants.Whiteness of curds was significantly affected by methods of blanching. Proportion of pure white curds was much higher on blanching by broken leaves than on blanching by tying.Thus blanching by broken leaves was shown to excel other tying methods in labor efficiency and yield and quality of curds harvested.