Alkali-neutralization process maintains the firmness and sensory quality of canned sweetpotato pieces

Jewel cultivar SP stored 1, 5, and 10 months after harvest were peeled, cut into pieces, treated, and canned in 15 and 30 deg Brix syrups. Samples were evaluated for degree of disintegration (wholeness), firmness (shear force), chemical composition, and sensory acceptance. Untreated samples (controls) disintegrated as storage time prior to processing increased, while treated samples remained intact; firmness and sensory texture scores declined with increasing storage time. Treated samples were significantly firmer than controls throughout the study, and, although shear force declined over time, sensory panelists did not detect any texture change. Overall sensory acceptance at 10 months was greatest for phosphate-treated samples in 30 deg Brix syrup. Thus, the alkali-neutralization process retains firmness, wholeness, and sensory quality of SP canned after long-term storage. This process will permit commercial processing of SP roots stored for up to 10 months.