Browsing by Author "Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P."

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    Effect of pretreatments on extending the shelf life of minimally processed “Ela Batu” (Solanum surattense)
    (Tropical Agricultural Research and Extension, 2007) Dharmabandu, P.T.S.; de Silva, D.S.M.; Wimalasena, S.; Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P.; Sarananda, S.
    Due to the cumbersome nature of the cleaning process and high time consumption for the preparation, most Sri Lankan housewives are reluctant to prepare Solunum surattense (Sinh. Elabatu) as a vegetable for their diet. If S. surattense is available in „ready to cook‟ form it would become a popular vegetable among Sri Lankan housewives. Studies were carried out to identify the best conditions for minimal processing of S. surattense. As pre-treatments 2% (w/v) calcium chloride solution, 0.6% (w/v) turmeric solution, 1% (w/v) vinegar solution, 2% (w/v) calcium chloride + 0.6% (w/v) turmeric solution and 2% (w/v) calcium chloride +1% (w/v) vinegar solution were used. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches (gauge 150) were used to pack pre-treated samples and stored them at 8ºC. In all the pre-treated samples stored at 8ºC, Salmonella and E. coli were absent and coliform counts were at acceptable levels. Sensory evaluation of cooked pre-treated samples showed that the sample pre-treated with 2% (w/v) calcium chloride was the best. In addition to shelf life, colour, and degree of browning of the treatments were also acceptable. Treating S. surattense cut fruits with 2% (w/v) calcium chlo-ride solution before packing in LDPE pouches and storing in 8ºC found to be the best method for extending shelf-life of the fruit. The product could be kept for seven days.