12 Experiment Station Bulletin 367 



Blanching was discontinued because no apparent benefit was noted. 

 The different sugar methods were added in order to further studies on 

 the perplexing question as to why the sugar syrup preservation always 

 shows such a high per cent of retention; at first (just after freezing) it is 

 more than 100 per cent. 



To eliminate errors caused by large losses in packaged weight noted 

 during storage in the previous studies, all commercial containers were 

 first paraffin treated. With this treatment losses for nine months were 

 negligible while in former years they ran as high as 75 grams. This year 

 the 50 per cent syrup pack contained 73.2 per cent moisture 12 hours 

 after freezing and 73.0 per cent after nine months storage. The 40 per 

 cent pack was 77.4 per cent and 77.5 per cent for the same periods. Last 

 year, syrup packages lost from 10 to 12 per cent in moisture content 

 over the same period. 



During storage, the whole, unsweetened Catskill berries lost approxi- 

 mately 35 per cent of their original ascorbic acid, dropping to 31 mg. per 

 100 grams fresh weight. This is similar to last year when they changed 

 from the original 49 mg. to 30 mg. over the same period. Comparable 

 Howard 17 lost approximately 41 per cent. From the data this year it 

 "appears" that Catskill berries packed in 40 per cent and 50 per cent syr- 

 ups did not lose ascorbic acid during the nine months' storage. Similar 

 results were noted with Catskill berries in dry sugar pack at the end of 

 six months and for Howard 17 at the end of three months. There was 

 some decrease in the dry sugar pack for both varieties after nine months, 

 but the "apparent" ascorbic acid content was still higher than in the un- 

 sweetened berries of the same variety. 



//. The Effects of Canning and Quick-Freezing on the Vitamin 

 Content of Blueberries. No special study was planned for blueberries 

 during the year. However, one box of each of the following varieties 

 was delivered to the laboratory by a commercial grower of the state: 

 Pioneer, Rancocas, Cabot, and Rubel. These were delivered in cello- 

 phane-covered berry baskets and were of the large cultivated type. Time 

 between picking and analysis is unknown. Ascorbic acid was run on 

 all samples and carotene was run on Rubel, since this variety was in the 

 best condition when received. The results follow: 



Ascorbic acid: 



Pioneer 1.3 to 3.3 77/g/100 g. 



Rancocas 2.6 to 4.4 77/g/lOO g. 



Cabo 1.3 to 4.4 7//g/100 g. 



Rubel 2.6 to 5.9 777g/100 g. 



Carotene: 



Rubel 60 7/7Cg/100 g. 



III. The Effects of Freezing and Dehydration on the Carotene Con- 

 tent of Blue Hubbard and Butternut Squashes. This year's work was 

 planned to duplicate, if possible, last year's cold storage studies, because 

 of the unexplainable high carotene values noted on those products. Due 



