The impact of varieties, ripeness, and heat treatment on the retention of vitamin C and content of soluble solids in sweet pepper

Abstract

In the three-year field trial we have grown six varieties of sweet peppers and we observed a change in the content of soluble solids and vitamin C during aging and after heat treatment with the sterilization. The highest content of soluble solids was found in peppers collected in botanical maturity, where the average was 5.82% in 2012, 6.52 in 2013 and 6.13 in 2014. Lower average, we measured in the intermediate maturity, 4.25 in 2012, 5.2% in 2013 and 4.73% in 2014. The lowest soluble solids content was recorded for fruit harvested in technical ripeness, only 3.57% in 2012, 4.25% in 2013 and 4.10% in 2014. In the technical maturity we determined the average value of vitamin C by the years between 90.98 mg.100 g-1 and 103.86 mg.100 g-1. The average in vitamin C content in fresh pepper fruits of intermediate maturity was ranging from 108.81 to 124.65 mg.100 g-1. The highest average values of vitamin C were at the botanical maturity from 171.42 to 188.30 mg.100 g-1. In the average of years and times of harvest it was found that the variety ´PCR´ and ´Slovakia´ had the first and second place in content of vitamin C (146.10 mg.100 g-1 - ´PCR´ and 143.72 mg.100-1 - ´Slovakia´). The least vitamin C was observed in a variety ´Katrena´ (120.80 mg.100 g-1). For six varieties we have found that in technical maturity retained after sterilization on average 34.0% of vitamin C, in an intermediate maturity 47.16% and 42.10% of botanical maturity. Vitamin C was the highest in sterilized pepper variety of ´Slovakia´ and ´PCR´ in all three stage of maturity. The results show that the pepper is an excellent reservoir of vitamin C, not only in c fresh state, but also after heat treatment.