Quality of Canned Celery Produced from Sliced Celery Stored Under Modified Atmospheres

Canned celery that was acceptable to a laboratory sensory panel was produced from fresh, sliced celery which had been held up to 3 weeks at 4 C under modified atmospheres in closed polyethylene bags. Sliced celery held in air at 4 C became unacceptable within 1 week. Celery packaged in 0.7-mil high density/4.4-mil low density coextruded polyethylene developed the highest CO₂ levels (25%) of samples prepared, and became progressively dark olive-green colored. Similar darkening was not observed for celery in 3-mil low density polyethylene packages. Modified-atmosphere packaged celery became more firm than fresh celery during storage. Sliced celery dipped in sodium bisulfite solutions was a lighter, pale-green color than untreated celery. Celery tissue and microbial respiratory action rapidly modified atmospheres in closed bags to give ca. 2% O₂ and 12% CO₂ in 2 days, and ca. 1.5% O₂ and 17-25% CO₂ after 16 days.