The quality of five vegetables, blanched using either microwave or hot water methods currently recommended to the American consumer, was examined after one, two, four, and six months of frozen storage. The vegetables were analyzed for residual peroxidase activity immediately after blanching. Storage stability of cooked and uncooked vegeta bles was determined by examining various quality factors after each period of frozen storage. Quality factors included color, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability of the vegetables as measured using objective methodology and sensory evaluation. Broccoli and zucchini retained high levels of peroxidase activity after microwave blanching. Broccoli and green beans blanched with microwave energy retained less chlorophyll (p 0.05), had higher shear force values (p 0.05), and received lower sensory eval uation scores than the water blanched vegetables (p 0.05) for quality factors common ly used by consumers. The texture of zucchini blanched with microwave energy was limp as measured by shear force and by sensory evaluation. No significant differences (p 0.05) were found in the quality of carrots or cauliflower blanched by the two meth ods. Instructions currently available for microwave blanching of vegetables for home freezing do not result in a quality product for all vegetables.

Painter and Jewel sweet potatoes baked at oven temperatures of 150, 180, 200, and 230°C were judged for sensory qualities and were evaluated for resistance to pressure (softness) and content of sugars. Roots baked at 200 and 230°C were scored signiticantly higher for sweetness, mouthfeel, moistness, overall flavor, and overaB quality; contained a greater percentage of reducing sugars; and were measured as softer than roots baked at 150 and 180°C. Painter roots were scored significantly higher for sweetness, mouthfeel, moistness, overall flavor, and overall quality than the Jewel variety. Positive correlations were observed between the concentration of reducing sugars, the resistance to pressure, and the sensory evahtation; and negative correlations were noted between the moisture content and the subjective measurements.

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A 14 category degree‐of‐readiness classification scheme was developed for foods used in at‐home consumption. The codes were further aggregated to three categories: no preparation, some preparation and considerable preparation. The classification system was tested with two groups of consumers and was found to be acceptable both by experienced and inexperienced food preparers. When nationwide household food consumption data were categorized by this system, the majority of most frequently reported foods required no preparation in the home prior to consumption.