'BetaSweet' carrot : production, flavor, nutritional attributes and market strategies /
'Betasweet' is a new maroon carrot developed by the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University. This carrot was conceived as a research project with the objective to create a new high-quality vegetable with unique flavor and nutritional characteristics. Due to its t...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1999.
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| Summary: | 'Betasweet' is a new maroon carrot developed by the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University. This carrot was conceived as a research project with the objective to create a new high-quality vegetable with unique flavor and nutritional characteristics. Due to its tropical background, growing characteristics and adaptability were tested under different locations within the state to provide a year-round supply with good quality for the fresh market. The longest growing season was found in South Texas, where the carrot can be planted from August 15 to November 30, and be harvested until the end of April. The new carrot contains low levels of low volatile terpenoids responsible for the harsh flavor in carrots. 'Betasweet', (maroon carrot) showed significantly higher soluble solids than 'Caropak' (orange carrot) with 11.1 and 9.6 %, respectively. Dry matter was found to be lower in 'Betasweet' than in 'Caropak' with 9.7 and 10.5 %., respectively. 'Betasweet' showed high levels of fructose when harvested at 120 days after sowing. However, total sugar was not significantly different between cultivate at maturity. Carotenoid content increased with carrot maturity and stabilized at 120 days after sowing for both orange and maroon genotypes; however, the maroon genotype was 35% higher than the orange cultivar when grown in South Texas. Anthocyanin, a cancer preventive compound, is present in 'Betasweet' carrot with 89.8 mg/100 g of fresh weight. Also, anthocyanin accumulation during root development seems to increase linearly until it stabilized at 120 days after sowing. A consumer taste panel showed a significant difference between orange and maroon genotype for sweetness, texture, and overall carrot flavor. There was no significant difference between consumers preferring maroon or orange colored carrots. A preference panel found that consumers would prefer to purchase the maroon carrot in form of sticks rather than in slices. Also, when slices were selected, consumers preferred medium size (2.0-3.0 cm diameter) in comparison with small (1.5-2.0 cm diameter) and large (3.0-4.0 cm diameter) sizes. These results suggest that there is a potential market for the 'Betasweet' maroon carrots in terms of acceptance or preference by the consumer. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Horticulture". |
| Physical Description: | x, 82 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-73). |