| Almost all the American chestnut trees were destroyed in the early 20 th century. Therefore, there is limited information on chestnuts grown in the US. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the baseline level of the microbial population and quality of chestnuts grown in the US and processed using the brulage chestnut peeler (Boema Company, Italy). The quality of stored, pretreated (hydrochloride and chlorine dioxide gas) and untreated fresh peeled chestnuts in different packaging material (Nylon, and PE) under vacuum and atmospheric conditions were evaluated. Chinese chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) were harvested, peeled by the automatic peeling machine, treated with either sodium hypochlorite or chlorine dioxide, packaged in low density polyethylene (LDPE) and nylon/LDPE pouchs, and stored at either 4-5C and 10-12C for 4 weeks. The texture, moisture content, color and microbial population of the chestnuts were evaluated periodically in storage. Packaging methods and materials had no significant effect on extending the shelf life. Treatment with sodium hypochlorite or chlorine dioxide reduced the initial microbial population but only extended the shelf life to 14 days when stored at 4-5C. Low temperature storage provided some additional quality preservation. A trained sensory panel evaluated the appearance, texture, and off-flavor of the product. Sensory scores indicated that there was no significant different between treated and untreated samples before and after storage. |
