Frosted vegetables are not wilting, but rather a bit sweet
2024-02-19
During the Spring Festival holiday, several e-commerce platforms have seen explosive sales of frozen vegetables such as spinach, white radish, and cabbage. People often use "frosted eggplant" to describe a state of low spirits. However, these vegetables that have been frosted are not only less lethargic, but also sweeter and more delicious. So, why does frosted vegetables taste better, and how is frosted vegetables grown? The reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant experts on this matter. "To adapt to low-temperature environments and become sweet," frost vegetables "refer to vegetables planted after the annual frost season. In order to survive in cold environments, these vegetables convert their starch into sugar. Professor Wang Lijuan from the School of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture of Tianjin Agricultural University said in an interview with Science and Technology Daily that starch and sucrose are the main products of photosynthesis in vegetables. After the frost season, the temperature decreases, and the starch in vegetables undergoes hydrolysis under the action of amylase, becoming soluble sugars such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose. This increases the sugar content in the cell fluid, lowers the freezing point of the cell fluid, and makes vegetables less susceptible to freezing. Therefore, sweetened vegetables have significantly improved cold resistance and are easier to adapt to low temperature environments. "Normally, when we eat rice and noodles, if we chew them for a long time, the starch in them will be broken down into maltose by salivary amylase. We will feel sweet when we eat them. The process of making frosted vegetables sweet is similar to this," said Wang Lijuan. Can people with high blood sugar or diabetes eat creamy dishes with sweet taste? "After vegetables grow, the total amount of carbohydrates is fixed, and no new sugar is generated, but the original photosynthetic products are transformed. In addition, frosted vegetables contain dietary fiber, which helps to control blood sugar. Therefore, people with high blood sugar or patients with diabetes can safely eat frosted vegetables," said Lu Laifeng, associate professor of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Some frosted vegetables produce more proline, betaine, and γ- Substances such as aminobutyric acid that are beneficial to the human body. In addition to increased sweetness, frosted vegetables also have many other advantages, such as being more resistant to low temperature storage. Low temperature environment can reduce the respiratory metabolism rate of vegetables and extend their shelf life. At the same time, frosted vegetables are also more resistant to diseases and pests. Frost and snow can inhibit the growth of microorganisms and reduce the risk of vegetable decay. How is it possible to grow homemade frosted vegetables in a household refrigerator? "Frosted vegetables and regular vegetables have similar planting management in the early stage. However, before going on the market, frosted vegetables need to go through a low-temperature environment after frost," said Wang Lijuan. "Of course, not all vegetables can be frosted." Lu Laifeng introduced that vegetables are divided into two types: cold resistant and warm loving. Cold resistant vegetables can be frosted, such as cabbage, spinach, mustard, radish, etc. Warm vegetables are not suitable, such as tomatoes, eggplants, beans, chili peppers, cucumbers, etc. For cold resistant vegetables, under low temperature conditions, only the form of the products of photosynthesis changes, and their appearance will not be destroyed. For warm vegetables, low temperature is a cold injury. In low temperature environments, the cell membrane of warm vegetables undergoes lipid phase transition, causing substances inside the cells to seep out and leak, resulting in water stains, browning, and other phenomena in the vegetables, leading to dehydration and wilting, and a poorer taste. Some netizens suggest that making homemade frosted vegetables in a household refrigerator is
Edit：Yi Yi Responsible editor：Jia Jia
Source：http://digitalpaper.stdaily.com
Special statement: if the pictures and texts reproduced or quoted on this site infringe your legitimate rights and interests, please contact this site, and this site will correct and delete them in time. For copyright issues and website cooperation, please contact through outlook new era email：lwxsd@liaowanghn.com
Recommended Reading Change it 
Home
