Abstract
The chemical and sensory quality of field‐grown vegetables may be influenced by cultivar choice and agronomic factors but knowledge is lacking on the new rapeseed vegetables. White‐ and yellow‐flowering rapeseed cultivars were tested in two seasonally different field studies in Denmark at three different growing stages by early sowing the first year and late sowing the second year. Content of glucosinolates (GLSs) was analyzed, and the sensory quality of baby leaf samples was evaluated. The GLS content differed among cultivars across years in all growing stages, with biennial cultivars having the highest GLS content. In the second year, a higher content of all identified GLSs was found at two growing stages except for neoglucobrassicin and gluconasturtiin, compared to the first year. On the contrary, higher contents of all identified GLSs were found at a third stage in the first year except for progoitrin and 4‐methoxy glucobrassicin. Sensory evaluation of bitterness revealed differences among cultivars, higher intensities of bitterness in biennial cultivars, and a relationship between bitterness and content of bitter‐tasting and total GLSs. The effect of repeated harvesting on GLS content differed between the years and no general pattern was seen, except that the composition of individual GLSs was comparable for the biennial cultivars. We conclude that growing season and life cycle had a stronger influence on GLS content than stage at harvest. The link between bitter‐tasting GLSs and bitterness revealed that life cycle and seasonal effects affected the sensory profile of baby leaf rapeseed thereby making a healthier product due to high content of health‐beneficial GLSs.
Highlights
Baby leaves from white-flowering rapeseed (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) are a relatively new crop in the Western world, as the trait white flower has only recently been reintroduced into modern cultivars of yellow-flowering cultivars of rapeseed (Groenbaek, Tybirk & Kristensen, 2018a)
In Northern Europe, annual cultivars are sown in spring and harvested in late summer, whereas biennial cultivars are sown in late summer/early autumn and harvested the following summer
The objectives of the study were to investigate if cultivar selection of white and yellow-flowering rapeseed cultivars, including qualities ascribed to annual and biennial cultivars, influenced the GLS content and composition as well as the sensory profile in baby leaf salad across two years
Summary
Baby leaves from white-flowering rapeseed (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) are a relatively new crop in the Western world, as the trait white flower has only recently been reintroduced into modern cultivars of yellow-flowering cultivars of rapeseed (Groenbaek, Tybirk & Kristensen, 2018a). Oleifera) are a relatively new crop in the Western world, as the trait white flower has only recently been reintroduced into modern cultivars of yellow-flowering cultivars of rapeseed (Groenbaek, Tybirk & Kristensen, 2018a). These new cultivars have proved suitable for baby leaf production. Annual (spring) or biennial (winter) cultivars are available for cultivation. In Northern Europe, annual cultivars are sown in spring and harvested in late summer, whereas biennial cultivars are sown in late summer/early autumn and harvested the following summer. Baby leaf salad of white-flowering rapeseed is thought to taste more mild and less bitter and astringent than baby leaf salad from yellow-flowering rapeseed
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