JPH0584039A - Storage of fruit or vegetable in gaseous atmosphere - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To retain the freshness of fruits or vegetables at their harvest for a long period of time by preliminarily chilling fruits and vegetables, putting them into a gas-impermeable bag followed by encapsulating the bag with an artificial gas containing carbon dioxide and oxygen of a specified composition and then carrying out refrigeration. CONSTITUTION:Fruits or vegetables are preliminarily chilled for one minute to 30hr and then put into a gas-impermeable bag. Thence, the bag is encapsulated with an artificial gas containing (A) 2-20wt.% of carbon dioxide and (B) 1-30wt.% of oxygen followed by refrigeration to store them.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to gas storage (CA storage) of vegetables and fruits.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the storage of vegetables and fruits, artificial air having a composition different from that of ordinary air, for example, a carbon dioxide concentration of an inert gas and increasing this to about 5 to 10% (low Storage of gases in oxygen air) at low temperatures is well known.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In addition to suppressing maturation and maintaining freshness for a long time in conventional gas storage of vegetables and fruits,
The present invention has been achieved as a result of research on a gas storage method that is effective even for fruits that require ripening.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a gas storage method for foods, wherein fruits or vegetables are precooled for 1 minute to 30 hours, preferably at a temperature from 0 ° C. to a temperature before freezing, and then gas-free. Put in a permeable bag, enclose a gas (artificial air) with a composition of carbon dioxide gas 2 to 20% and oxygen 1 to 30%,
It is a method for storing fruits and vegetables, which is characterized by storing at a low temperature from 0 ° C to before freezing.

Further, in the present invention, in the gas storage method for food, the fruit which requires additional ripening is precooled for 1 minute to 20 hours, preferably at a temperature from 0 ° C. to a temperature before freezing, and then this is gasified. Put in an impermeable bag, carbon dioxide 2-50% and oxygen 1
Enclose a gas (artificial air) with a composition of ~ 30%, and
A method of storing fruits that requires ripening, which consists of storing at or below the freezing point.

The freezing point of fruits and vegetables is as follows:
Saijo persimmon-1.7 ° C (oyster-2.1 ° C), peach-0.9
C, apple-2C, pear-2C, orange-2.2
℃, grapes -2.2 ℃, lemon -2.2 ℃, cherries -2.4 ℃, banana -3.4 ℃, in vegetables, green pea -0.6 ℃, lettuce -0.2 ℃, salad vegetables- 0.4
C, tomato-0.9 C, onion-1.1 C, pea-1.1 C, cauliflower-1.1 C, potato-1.7.
C., sweet potato-1.9.degree.

In the pre-cooling of fruits and vegetables which do not require additional ripening in the pre-cooling treatment of the present invention, the treatment temperature is set to a temperature from 0 ° C. to before the freezing point. At temperatures below 0 ° C, there was a sharp decrease in respiration and metabolism, and the effect was significantly higher than that on the positive side precooling above 0 ° C. The reason is that it is not preferable to freeze fruits and vegetables, and the treatment time is set to 1 minute to 30 hours. If the treatment time is less than 1 minute, uneven cooling occurs and the pre-cooling effect becomes insufficient. This is because when the time is exceeded, the quality is deteriorated due to exhaustion due to breathing during precooling.

In the pre-cooling of the fruits requiring additional ripening, the treatment temperature is set to a temperature from 0 ° C. to the point before the freezing point because it has the same effect as the fruits not requiring additional ripening and the treatment time is 1 Minutes to 20 hours is the same as fruit that does not require additional ripening in a short time of less than 1 minute, but if it exceeds 20 hours,
This is because the consumption during pre-cooling is large and the additional ripening may start, so it is necessary to cool the fruits more rapidly than the cooling of the fruits that do not require additional ripening.

In the carbon dioxide gas filling of fruits and vegetables which do not require additional ripening in the gas gas filling treatment after the pre-cooling treatment, the carbon dioxide gas concentration is set to 2 to 20%. This is because if it exceeds 20%, discoloration and deterioration of taste occur, and the concentration of oxygen is 1 to 1%.
The reason why 30% is set is that if less than 1%, supplemental oxygen is insufficient for the metabolism which is carried out in a small amount, but if it exceeds 30%, the amount of oxygen becomes excessive and the respiratory rate may not decrease regardless of the carbon dioxide concentration. This may occur.

The carbon dioxide concentration of 2 to 50% when the ripening is carried out in the fruits requires that the carbon dioxide concentration is less than 2%, the respiration effect is small, and if it exceeds 50%, the taste, aroma and discoloration are not observed. This is because deterioration occurs, and the fact that the oxygen concentration is set to 1 to 30% is the same as that of the fruit requiring additional ripening.

In the present invention, when the amount of artificial air of fruits and vegetables is less than 10%, the product temperature is apt to change and the effect of precooling is decreased, and when it exceeds 50%, a small amount is produced. This is because the amount of carbon dioxide gas becomes too high due to the ongoing metabolism of fruits, which may lead to disorders such as discoloration. The same applies to the encapsulation of artificial air in the ripening fruits. The material for the bag is polypropylene, polyester, moisture-proof cellophane,
It is selected from polyvinylidene chloride and other gas impermeable materials.

Refrigeration of gas-filled fruits, vegetables, and fruits that require ripening is controlled by pre-cooling treatment and gas-filling treatment, although respiratory volume, metabolism, etc. are suppressed, but for long-term storage 0 It is preferably stored at not more than 0 ° C so as not to freeze. Therefore, it is preferable to refrigerate at a temperature from 0 ° C. to a temperature before freezing.

[0013]

[Example 1] Saijo persimmon (freezing point -1.7 ° C) was pre-cooled by cooling to -1 ° C in 10 hours, and then placed in a moisture-proof cellophane bag, and 10% carbon dioxide gas and 10% oxygen were added. Artificial air containing 50% of bag volume is fed, sealed, and -2 ° C
When stored in, the persimmon color and hardness immediately after harvesting were retained for 6 months.

When precooled in the same manner as above, artificial air of the same composition was enclosed and stored at 2 ° C., the tip portion was softened within 3 months, and after precooling as described above, When it was stored at -2 ° C without enclosing the artificial air having the above composition, the color of the scabbard turned brown after 2 months.

[0015]

Example 2 Peach (freezing point −0.9 ° C.) was pre-cooled to −0.5 ° C. over 15 hours, put in a polypropylene bag, and artificial air containing 15% carbon dioxide and 20% oxygen was sent. When put in, sealed, and stored at -1 ° C, the hardness and color after harvesting were maintained for 5 months.

In the same process as above, the storage temperature was 2 ° C.
When stored as, softening was observed in 20 days, and in the above treatment, the encapsulation treatment with artificial air was omitted,
When stored at -1 ° C, brown spots appeared after 15 days.

[0017]

[Example 3] Green pea (freezing point -0.6 ° C) was pre-cooled to -0.5 ° C over 8 hours, put in a polyester bag, and artificial air containing carbon dioxide gas 10% and oxygen 5% was enclosed. Then, it was sealed and stored at −0.8 ° C., and retained the green color and beam at the time of harvest for 45 days.

In the same process as above, the storage temperature was set to 1
When stored at 0 ° C., wilting was observed after 30 days, and when the product was stored at −0.5 ° C. without encapsulation with artificial air, a thigh color was observed after 20 days.

[0019]

Example 4 Lettuce (freezing point −0.2 ° C.) was pre-cooled to 0 ° C. over 15 hours, placed in a polypropylene bag, and artificial air containing carbon dioxide gas 10% and oxygen 5% was enclosed. When it was sealed and stored at -0.5 ° C for 4 months, it retained the color and beam at the time of harvest.

In the same treatment as described above, when stored at a storage treatment temperature of 2 ° C, wilting of the outer skin was observed after 2 months, and when stored at 0.5 ° C without enclosing the artificial air, 60 The outer skin was softened by the day.

[0021]

[Example 5] Pear as a ripening fruit (freezing point-
(1.6 ° C) After precooling to -1.5 ° C over a period of time, it was placed in a polyester bag, and artificial air containing 20% carbon dioxide and 15% oxygen was enclosed, sealed, and stored at -2 ° C. However, it retained the hardness and shade at the time of 10-month harvest.

In the same process as above, the storage temperature was set to 1
When stored at ℃, softening was observed in May, and pitting occurred at -2 ℃ for 1 month without enclosing the artificial air.

Papaya (freezing point −0.
(8 ° C) is pre-cooled to -0.5 ° C in 5 minutes, and then carbon dioxide 3
Encapsulate 0%, 20% oxygen artificial air, seal, and -1
When stored at 0 ° C, the hardness and color at the time of harvest were retained for 5 weeks.

In the same process as above, the storage temperature was raised to 7
When stored at 0 ° C., a change in scent and discoloration were observed in one week, pitting was observed between two laps when the encapsulation of the artificial air was omitted, and softening occurred in 7 days when the precooling treatment was omitted.

According to the present invention, as compared with the conventional gas storage method, the gas storage method for fruits and vegetables having the usefulness of keeping the freshness of fruits and vegetables for a long time was obtained. .

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In gas storage of fruits and vegetables, the fruits or vegetables are pre-cooled for 1 minute to 30 hours and then placed in a gas-impermeable bag, and 2 to 20% carbon dioxide gas and 1 oxygen are added. A method for gas storage of fruits and vegetables, characterized by enclosing an artificial gas having a composition of -30% and then refrigerating. 2. In the method of storing fruits and vegetables in a gas, after precooling the fruits that require additional ripening for 1 minute to 30 hours, the fruits are put in a gas impermeable bag and the carbon dioxide gas is 2 to 50%.
A method for storing gas of fruits and vegetables, which comprises storing artificial gas having a composition of 1 to 30% oxygen and refrigerating.