The influence of blanch and freezing methods on the quality of selected vegetables

Microwave blanced vegetables were lower in color and ascorbic acid than water or steam blanched vegetables. Shear values for microwave blanched asparagus were higher than the values for water or steam blanched. Drip loss was higher for microwave blanched green beans and peas than water or steam blanched. The reverse was true for asparagus. Sensory preference scores for color and flavor were very low for the microwave blanched vegetables. Little or no difference in quality was found between water and steam blanched vegetables. Individually quick frozen vegetables displayed less drip loss than common blast frozen vegetables and shear values were lower.