16 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 408 



Table 8. Number of Times Apparent Increases in Vitamin C Occurred. 



Number of tests Showing Time when 



Number of Apparent Increase in Increase 



Left-over Tests Run Vitamin C Occurred 



Creamed mashed potatoes 8 



Cooked frozen peas 8 



Broccoli 20 6 4 at 4th day 



2 at 6th day 



Snap beans 8 4 4 at 4th day 



Tomatoes 12 4 4 at 1st day* 



Radishes 4 4 4 at 4th day 



*Increase continued to end of test on 4th day. 



Total bacteria counts were made in conjunction with the ascorbic acid deter- 

 minations to see if these increases could possibly be due to the growth of micro- 

 organisms, but no correlation was found to exist in the tests that were made. 



Vitamin C Content of Juices of Left-overs 



Any decrease in the vitamin C content of creamed mashed potatoes, sliced 

 tomatoes, and radishes was presumably due to oxidation. In the case of the 

 vegetables such as broccoli, which were stored with their juices, the question 

 arises as to whether or not some of the ascorbic acid was dissolved out of the 

 vegetable by the juices during storage. Tests were conducted to determine whether 

 or not this assumption was correct. 



In table 9 it may be seen that the vitamin C content of the vegetable itself 

 gradually fell as usual. The vitamin C content of the juice, however, usually 

 increased during the first day or two and then decreased. Thus, it is evident that 

 some of the loss of the vitamin C of the vegetable was due to its removal by the 

 surrounding juices. 



♦Ascorbic acid calculated on a moisture-free basis. 



