Abstract
Chestnuts(Castanea cretana, Eunki) were used for quality evaluations from the physiological and physicochemical points of view during storage under different temperatures and relative humidities for 8 months. Quality criteria included spouting, rotting, weight loss, and the changes in moisture, total sugar, reducing sugar, and total vitamin C of the stored sample. Sprouts(roots) were developed in about 2 months in all stored samples which had been mixed with sawdust(50% moisture) and stored under the conditions of 2∼25$^{\circ}C$ and 62∼95% RH. The sprout development was more significant in the storage temperature of Pit(9${\pm}$6$^{\circ}C$, 80${\pm}$5% RH, PT)and room(16${\pm}$7$^{\circ}C$, 85${\pm}$10% RH, RT) than low(3${\pm}$1%, 80${\pm}$5% RH, LT)and ambient(14${\pm}$11$^{\circ}C$, 67${\pm}$5% RH, AT). The rates of rotting and weight loss were appreciable in the order of PT, AT, RT and LT, and those of LT were 1∼2%. The use of wet sawdusts resulted in the increase of moisture contents in stored samples, thereby causing the rotting phenomena. Some chemical components of stored samples were found liable to the changes according to storage conditions, that is; total sugars showed a decreasing tendency along with a temporary increase during storage, and both reducing sugar and vitamin C were similarly accumulated in the samples stored at low temperature conditions. The results indicated that long-term storage of chestnuts will be possible in either cases of the application of low temperature following sprout-inhibition treatment or the use of lower temperature than 0$^{\circ}C$ to suppress its sprouting during storage.
