Agricultural Research ix New Hampshire 19 



previous \\ork the AIoore-Ely method was used, but in the present studv 

 analyses \\-ere made bv the Zscheile method (Journal of BioloQ;ical Chan- 

 istry IH, 21-33, 1942). 



Samples of the 1944 harvest contained approximately the same 

 amount of carotene. 16.5 micrograms per gram fresh weight or 120 mi- 

 crograms per gram of dry weight, and during the "ripening" there was 

 very little change. After blanching, the samples gave higher carotene 

 values in both cases. Still higher values for both varieties were noted im- 

 mediately after freezing and progressiv^ely higher values were obtained 

 after four to six months of storage, at which time both varieties showed 

 approximately 50 micrograms per gram of fresh weight or 240 micro- 

 grams per gram of dry weight. These results do not compare \\\t\\ those 

 of the previous year, when after "ripening," the Butternut squash con- 

 tained a larger quantity of carotene than the Blue Hubbard; both samples 

 lost during blanching, and, at the end of six months' frozen storage, the 

 Butternut gave results 33 per cent lower than the blanched sample, while 

 the Blue Hubbard was practically the same as its blanched sample. The 

 dehydrated samples in both seasons are more comparable. Each time, al- 

 though the dehydrated product (both varieties) contained a considerable 

 quantity of carotene per gram, there was actually a great loss resulting 

 from the dehydration process and the subsequent storage of the dried 

 samples. In both cases, this year's loss amounted to practically 50 per 

 cent, while, last year, the Butternut lost approximately 33 per cent and 

 the Blue Hubbard 20 per cent of its value from the time of blanching. 



During cold storage, there was an increase in the carotene values to- 

 gether with a decrease in the total weight of the squashes. (This is simi- 

 lar to last year's findings.) It may be that as the actual quantity of flesh 

 decreases (during storage) the same quantity of carotene is concentrated 

 into a smaller quantity of solids. In this study the Blue Hubbard values 

 increased to 41 micrograms and the Butternut to 57 micrograms per 

 gram. 



Palatability tests showed the dehydrated product to be greatly in- 

 ferior to products preserved by other means. 



The Effects of Canning (Home and Commercial) and 

 Quick-Freezing on the Vitamin Content of String Beans 



Four and one-half bushels of Bountiful string beans, picked on Au- 

 gust 8, 1944, were used to note changes in carot'ene, thiamin, and ribo- 

 flavin values due to canning (both home and commercial), quick freez- 

 ing, and subsequent storage of the preserved product. The work was 

 supplemented by an examination of other factors, such as holding the 

 beans until such time as they would reach retail trade under conditions 

 similar to those actually used by a commercial grower, and noting the 

 effect of washing, stringing, and cutting the beans preparatory to pre- 

 serving. 



In most cases, in order to note the effect: due to a shifting of solids 

 from the beans to the liquid medium, distilled water was used as the can- 



