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Title
Abstract
There were examined a chemical composition of white (not fermented) cabbage and a sensory quality of sauerkraut made of it. A differentiating factor was a cabbage cultivar and a dose of nitrogen fertilizer applied as mineral fertilizer. The four white cabbage cultivars were investigated: ‘Alfama’ F1, ‘Balaton’ F1, ‘Galaxy’ F1, and ‘Hinova’ F1. The nitrogen doses applied were 150, 200, and 250 kg·ha-1 respectively. With regard to the chemical composition of fresh cabbage, the contents of soluble solids, vitamin C, nitrates(V), and dry mass were determined. The vitamin C and extract levels in individual cultivars varied a little, however, they showed essential differences with regard to their potential of cumulating nitrates. To sensory assess the sauerkraut investigated, a qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was applied. Additionally, the cabbage was evaluated from the point of view of the consumer’s quality (assessment of the overall likeness). 13 descriptors selected by a panel of experts were used to describe the sensory quality of cabbage. The results of the investigations showed that samples of sauerkraut differed in some sensory properties. The best sensory quality showed the ‘Alfama’ cultivar. A nitrogen dose applied proved to have a significant impact on quality. For the majority of cultivars investigated, the sensory quality of cabbage fertilized using 200 kg·ha-1 of nitrogen was scored the best whereas the sauerkraut produced of a ‘Balaton’ cultivar got the lowest score of its overall sensory quality. The nitrates(V) content increased in cabbage with increasing dose of N applied. A principal components analysis (PCA) showed that 55% of total variations in the sensory quality of sauerkraut samples were to be attributed to the joint effect of two principal components (PC 1 and PC 2).
Keywords
nitrogen, sensory quality, sauerkraut, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA)