Process for improving the organoleptic properties of canned green vegetables

Claim 1

A method of canning green vegetables which normally tend to discolor and develop off-flavors during canning and storage which comprises blanching the vegetables with an alkaline solution having a pH of at least 11, suspending the blanched vegetables in a brine having an alkalinity between about 25 and 75 milliequivalents of hydroxyl ion, hermetically sealing the vegetables in a container in which at least one of the walls thereof in contact with the brine has had applied thereto a water insoluble organic coating material having incorporated therein zinc oxide and an alkaline earth metal material selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal salt, and alkaline earth metal oxide and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, said coating containing sufficient alkaline earth material so that there is sufficient alkaline earth material contacting the vegetable brine in the container after sterilization to either buffer or reduce the acidity of the packed product during sterilization and subsequent storage so that the pH of the brine during storage is maintained so that discoloration and off-flavor of the green vegetable is prevented and then heating the container at a temperature of about 250° to 300° F. to sterilize the vegetables packaged in the container to an F o value of at least 6.

Claim 2

A method of canning green vegetables which normally tend to discolor and develop off-flavors during canning and storage which comprises blanching the vegetables with an alkaline solution having a pH of at least 11, suspending the blanched vegetables in a brine having an alkalinity between about 25 and 75 milliequivalents of hydroxyl ion, hermetically sealing the vegetables in a container in which at least one of the walls thereof in contact with the brine has had applied thereto a water insoluble organic coating material having incorporated therein zinc oxide and an alkaline earth metal material selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal salt, and alkaline earth metal oxide and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, said coating containing sufficient alkaline earth material so that there is sufficient alkaline earth material contacting the vegetable brine in the container after sterilization to either buffer or reduce the acidity of the packed product during sterilization and subsequent storage so that the pH of the brine during storage is maintained so that discoloration and off-flavor of the green vegetable is prevented and then heating the container at a temperature of about 250° to 300° F. to sterilize the vegetables packaged in the container to an F o value of at least 6.