PRESERVING QUALITY OF FROZEN GREEN PEAS DURING LONG TIME STORAGE

The purpose of this study was to analyze the degree which fresh green peas maintain their technological properties and nutritional components during long-term storage, for a period of 24 months, in a defined condition of the air, at maximum -18°C. Peas were blanched, at four different durations of this operation and the same temperature of the blanching water, 95°C. The peas were frozen after end stored. In conditions of long-term storage of frozen peas, it has been found a considerable loss of the initial content of vitamin C and damage of chlorophyll (total, a and b), under the action of chlorophyllase, causing some gray compounds. The conditions of the storage in frozen stage produced a distortion of color and sensorial qualities, higher as the storage temperature was higher than prescribed. It was found that the best results in preserving quality of peas during long-term storage (24 months) were obtained for the blanched samples at 4 minutes at 95°C. The reducing of the content of vitamin C, chlorophyll a and b, and sensorial qualities was the lowest, overall