GB939932A - Preservative medium suitable for vegetable matter such as cut flowers and picked fruit - Google Patents

Abstract

A medium for preserving vegetable matter includes a predominating amount of a water-soluble, non-ionic, organic nutrient permeable in solution to protoplasm, e.g. sucrose, glucose, invert sugar, glycerol, mannitol or sorbitol, a water-soluble substance yielding sulphate or sulphite ions in solution, a water-soluble substance yielding phosphate ions in solution, a water-soluble substance yielding potassium ions in solution, a water-soluble boron compound and a fermentation and mould inhibitor, compounds of heavy metals and synthetic halogenated compounds being excluded, and the medium being in aqueous solution, of pH 2.5-5.5. The sulphate or sulphite yielding compound is exemplified by potassium sulphate, bisulphate, sulphite or bisulphite and sulphuric acid, the phosphate substance by potassium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate and phosphoric acid, the potassium substance by potassium sulphate, bisulphate, sulphite, bisulphite and dihydrogen phosphate and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, the boron compound by boric acid, borax and potassium borate, and the fermentation or mould inhibitor by alkali metal benzoates and sulphites. The pH adjustment may be made with sulphuric, phosphoric, citric, tartaric, malic or succinic acid, or by potassium bisulphate, bisulphite, dihydrogen phosphate or bitartrate. An example is concerned with dissolving a formulation of 206 g. of potassium sulphate, 3 g. of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, a trace of boric acid, 1.25 g. of sodium benzoate and 1.5 g. of citric acid in 13 parts of water, and standing carnation blooms in the solution. Another example is of boiling 13.5 lb. of sucrose with 12 pints of water, allowing the solution to cool and adding 60 g. of potassium sulphate, 0.5 g. of boric acid, 56 g. of sodium benzoate, and orthophosphoric acid, dipping citrus fruits (oranges) in the solution so prepared, and wrapping the dipped fruits in polythene, polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl chloride films.