Changes in the quality of dehydrated broccoli florets during storage Original Research Article

Dehydrated broccoli florets were studied during storage at 5, 15, 25, and 40 °C. Parameters studied were rehydration capacity, firmness of the rehydrated product and chlorophyll content. Effective diffusion coefficient (Deff) and equilibrium moisture (We) were used to assess rehydration capacity. Samples stored at 5 °C suffered slight changes in all parameters studied during the storage time considered (427 days). At 15 and 25 °C the equilibrium moisture and the effective diffusivity varied linearly with time. At 40 °C sharp changes were observed up to 116 days of storage, We decreased and Deff increased; from this time on, both parameters suffered moderate changes. Firmness of samples stored at 5, 15, and 25 °C showed a similar trend without any significant changes through the period. At 40 °C the firmness increased with time. Chlorophyll content degradation increased in time with temperature. A second order transition was observed at 34 ± 1 °C. This fact can contribute to the interpretation of the different tendency observed in all parameters at 40 °C.