The Effects Of Dıfferent Methods Of Preparatıon and Cookıng On The Nıtrate and Nıtrıte Contents Of Spınach

Abstract

The effects of different methods of preparation and cooking on the nitrate and nitrite contents of spinach were investigated. Spinach plants containing either high or low concentrations of nitrate were used as experimental material and plants were subjected to three different methods of preparation and three different methods of cooking. All methods of preparation decreased the nitrate concentrations, the lowest being obtained with washing-chopping-washing method. Different cooking procedures lowered nitrate concentrations depending on the amount of water used. Higher volumes of water resulted in lower nitrate concentrations. During the preparation treatments nitrite concentrations increased as compared with the unprocessed spanich. Cooking had no affect on the nitrite concentrations.