Quality Characteristics of Spring Napa Cabbage Kimchi Harvested at Different Times

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to prolong the storage period and maintain quality of kimchi made from spring napa cabbage, which is used less frequently than winter napa cabbage. The results show that the firmness of kimchi from early July, the latest harvest period, was significantly higher than that of kimchi from mid-June. However, as maturation proceeded, no significant difference was observed following the harvest period when kimchi was stored for 8 weeks. Regarding pH and acidity, which are highly related to maturation of kimchi, pH generally decreased from the initial storage period while acidity increased. In the sensory evaluation, appearance was best in kimchi manufactured in late June according to manufacturing and maturation periods (p