Quality of Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) Tubers in Relation to Storage Conditions

Abstract

The influence of storage conditions on quality parameters of Jerusalem artichoke cv. 'Swojecki' was investigated. Tubers were kept in a cold chamber at the temperature of 20C and RH 90-95% for a period of four months. Three methods of storage were applied: in polypropylene (PP) net bags, in the sand or the peat. During storage period there were systematically determined, using standard methods: weight loss, dry matter, soluble solids, total and reducing sugars content and sucrose content. Results showed that the method of storage strongly affected quality degradation of the tubers. The biggest weight loss after two months of storage were noticed for tubers kept in PP net bags. Storage in the sand or the peat significantly reduced weight loss. When tubers were kept in PP net bags, dry matter after four months of storage was 2.2 times bigger, compared with tubers kept in the sand or the peat. The highest loss of soluble solids (4%) was found after four months of storage in the case of storage tubers in PP net bags. Irrespective of storage conditions, the lowest content of total sugars and sucrose in tubers were found after two months of storage. The biggest concentration of reducing sugars in tissue was found in tubers kept in PP net bags.