Cucumber Hydrocooling Treatment and its Relationship to Quality Properties during Cold Storage

Abstract

In the most countries, losses of fruits and vegetables during post-harvest process are of wonderful concern to fruit-traders, farmers and consumers. The aim of this work is to study the effect of cucumber hydrocooling treatment ‘HY’ before putting cold room on its qualities and properties. ‘HY’ system conformed by putting cucumbers in cold water at “4 °C” with ratio of three units of water mass to one unit mass of ice and to one unit of cucumber mass (3:1:1). The cucumber “HY” treatment and non-hydrocooled (control, CR) were stored in cooling room under three different temperatures of 5.0; 9.0 and 13.0 °C, relative humidity of “ 90±5 %” and five times of storage “3.0; 6.0; 9.0; 12 and 15 days”. The changes in diameter, length and volume, firmness, mass, color parameters and total soluble solids (TSS) were determined as the most important factors affecting the cucumber quality during cooling. Results showed that, there are high significant differences between all treatments and the averages of all previous determinations such as changing in each of cucumber diameter, length, volume, firmness, mass loss, “TSS” and color parameters (L, a, b and ΔE). On the other hand, un-significant differences are found between the interactions of all treatments and the averages of mass loss and some color parameters of a (inner and outer) and b (outer). The “HY” treatment confirms greatest higher on firmness and TSS. But it is recorded slower loss of fresh mass, diameter, length and volume at comparing with “CR” method. Seven/eight cooling time “TAT7/8”, percentage of mass loss rate, lowest firmness and total color difference “ΔE” inner/outer” recorded at “HY” methods of” 7.5 m” ;”0.11% h-1 “; “10.44N” and “4.56/5.74’ respectively, compared with “CR” method of “126 m”;“0.19% h-1”; “7.04N” and “5.04/ 5.44” at 13°C after 15 days of cold storage. But the highest mean value of “TSS” is found at “HY” system and recorded “3.89 ± 0.0013” at 5°C after 3 days of cold storage.