STRUCTURAL-CHANGES RELATED TO TEXTURE OF PREPEELED POTATOES

Pre-peeled potatoes, treated with heated ascorbic/citric acid solution s to control browning, undergo firming and separation of superficial t issues that affect texture after mashing and slicing following cooking . Examination of superficial parenchyma cells in cooked potatoes by sc anning and transmission electron microscopy indicated greater cell wal l rigidity and middle lamella retention in samples treated with browni ng inhibitors than in untreated controls. Lumps in mashed potatoes pre pared from treated samples showed similar characteristics. Treated sam ples sometimes displayed a discontinuity beneath the superficial tissu e, corresponding to site of tissue separation during slicing. These ob servations are consistent with treatment-induced changes in cell wall and/or middle lamella pectins as the cause of such textural defects.