EFFECT OF HOME PROCESSING ON ASCORBIC-ACID AND BETA-CAROTENE CONTENT OF SPINACH (SPINACIA-OLERACIA) AND AMARANTH (AMARANTHUS-TRICOLOR) LEAVES

The present investigation was conducted to study the concentration of ascorbic acid and beta-carotene in spinach and amaranth leaves as affe cted by various domestic processing and cooking methods which included storage of leaves in polythene bags or without packing for 24 and 48 hours in refrigerator at 5 degrees C; at 30 degrees C in polythene bag s; drying (sun and oven); blanching (5, 10 15 min); open pan and press ure cooking. Ascorbic acid content of fresh leaves was 624.1 to 629.0 mg and beta-carotene content was 35.3 to 53.1 mg/100 g dry weight. The percent loss of ascorbic acid ranged from 1.1 to 6.3 and 55.3 to 65.9 while lower losses (0.0 to 1.3 and 1.5 to 2.1) of beta-carotene were observed in leaves stored in refrigerator and at 30 degrees C, respect ively. A markedly greater reduction in ascorbic acid and beta-carotene was observed in dried, blanched and cooked leaves. The study recommen ded the storage of leaves in refrigerator, drying in oven, blanching f or shorter time and cooking in pressure cooker for better retention of these two vitamins.