PRESERVING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

摘要

This invention relates to a method of preserving cut fruit and vegetables and to preservative solutions and preservative compositions for this purpose. It involves the treatment of cut fruit and vegetables, such as apples for example, so that they retain their appearance for up to six weeks, so that the fruit preserved in this manner can be used in the fruit processing industry. Described is a method of preserving fruit or vegetable pieces so that they retain their natural appearance, comprising soaking fruit or vegetable pieces in a dilute aqueous solution containing: (a) sodium and/or potassium ions, (b) calcium ions, (c) chloride ions (d) ascorbic acid or ascorbate ions, and (e) citric acid or citrate ions, or malic acid or malate ions, (or by the isomers or derivatives of these compounds), for a short period, then removing and storing the treated fruit or vegetable pieces. Preferably, the dilute aqeous solution contains sodium and potassium ions, and (f) sorbic acid or sorbate ions, (or their isomers or derivatives) are also present. The preferred preservative contains sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, ascorbic acid, citric acid, and potassium sorbate.