ABSTRACT
The rate of heating when using microwaves is the main advantage of this technique. Also, because microwaves penetrate the sample, heating is accomplished in the interior of the food. When heated rapidly, the quality of fruits and vegetables such as flavor, texture, color, and vitamin content is better kept. In Table 12.1, selected works on blanching by microwaving foodstuffs are presented. The selection does not pretend to be comprehensive, but rather illustrative of relevant research in this area. Comments on blanching conditions, as well as remarks on the effects on quality are also included. The authors underline the advantages of microwaving over immersion in boiling water or steaming. For example, blanching spinach with microwaves is cited as a better choice than traditional methods for retention of vitamin C. This may be due to the faster processing when using microwaves (Quenzer and Burns 1981). Esaka et al. (1987) reported that during the blanching of beans, trypsin inhibitors as well as lipoxygenase were more rapidly inactivated when using microwaves. Torringa et al. (1992) subjected mushrooms to blanching by microwaves and obtained a product with better aroma and texture compared to traditionally treated samples.
