Steeping preservation of cauliflower with hurdle concept

Cauliflower is a rich source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and also a very important vegetable having maximum availability in tropical climate from November to February which causes glut in the market and consequently producers do not get remunerative prices. The partially blanched cauliflower pieces of 3-4 cm long having stalk upto 2 cm in length are steeped in different levels of sodium chloride (NaCl, 2-6 %) and acetic acid (1-2 %) along with 350 ppm sulphur dioxide (SO2) using modified response surface methodology (RSM). The cauliflower samples steeped in 4 % NaCl, 1 % acetic acid and 350 ppm SO2 were rated best with maximum mean overall acceptability (OAA) score (6.90) and minimum mean preference (6.25) to the experimental run consisting of 6 % NaCl, 2 % acetic acid and 350 ppm SO2 was noted after 120 days of storage. There has been sharp decrease in pH values after 15 days of storage in all the experimental run of preserved cauliflower samples. The maximum mean decrease in hardness values (15.20-0.55 g.cm) was obtained in steeped cauliflower samples consisting of 6 % NaCl, 2 % acetic acid and 350 ppm SO2 during storage for 120 days at room temperature. The decrease in extent of browning, ascorbic acid and total carotenoids content in cauliflower samples was reported in all the experimental runs during 120 days of storage at room temperature. The optimum concentration for maximum desirability in the preservation of cauliflower consisted of 3.5 % sodium chloride and 1.1 % acetic acid and 350 ppm SO2.