Ascorbic Acid Retention and Organoleptic Quality of Green Vegetables Cooked by Several Techniques Using Ammonium Bicarbonate1

Five fresh green vegetables were cooked in small amounts of water (control), small amounts of water to which ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) had been added, and four of the five were also cooked in large amounts of water. Samples were analyzed for pH, titratable acidity, reduced and dehydro ascorbic acid, and color difference. The addition of NH4HCO3 to small amounts of water was found to be a more effective method of preserving color and ascorbic acid than the use of large amounts of water.Four commercially frozen green vegetables were cooked by package directions (control), in NH4HCO3 solution, and three of the four in ammonium bicarbonate ‐ calcium acetate (NH4HCO3 ‐ CaAc2) solution. The vegetables were analyzed for the same parameters described for fresh vegetables. Use of NH4HCO3 was again found to be an effective method for retention of color during cooking. The addition of CaAc2 prevented some of the adverse effects of the NH4HCO3 on firmness of the vegetables. Ascorbic acid losses were unaffected by either NH4HCO3 treatment.