Effect of Thermal Blanch Treatment on the Quality of Frozen Chinese Chestnuts

Abstract

Chinese chestnuts (Castanea molissima Blume) are very susceptible to spoilage, and require artificial storage means to maintain fresh nuts. Frozen shelled nuts would offer the consumer a convenient product with no waste or spoilage, however chestnuts have traditionally been cured and held in storage to develop a desirable texture and conversion of starch to sugars. This research was initiated to determine the effect of thermal blanch treatment (water vs. syrups) on the texture, color and acceptability cured and uncured frozen, shelled Chinese chestnuts. After frozen storage nuts blanched in syrup had better color and firmer textures than water-blanched nuts. Uncured nuts were firmer than cured nuts, and were ranked above cured nuts by sensory panelists.