Seasonal factors influence the organoleptic quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut turnip greens

Abstract

Turnip greens are leafy vegetables from the Brassica family highly popular in the Southeast United States, where they are sold in whole and fresh-cut formats. Fresh-cut processing favors convenience but accelerates leaf senescence and quality degradation, contributing to consumer rejection and postharvest losses and waste. Turnip greens, cultivated year-round in different regions, are exposed to variable growing conditions across seasons. While seasonal variations in nutritional and organoleptic quality are documented for other species during postharvest storage, this has not been investigated in turnip greens in fresh-cut format. In this study, turnip greens grown in two seasons—fall and winter-spring—were fresh-cut processed and stored at 5 °C for up to 21 days. Subjective (marketability scores), and objective (color, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, polyphenols and ammonia contents) parameters were monitored at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days of storage. Results showed that while sensory quality declined during storage in both seasons, leaves grown in the fall exhibited a significantly faster deterioration rate compared to winter-spring samples. This trend mirrored the higher rates of chlorophyll and fresh weight loss shown by turnip greens grown in the fall. Seasonal variations in environmental factors and agronomic practices likely induced distinct physiological responses, influencing postharvest quality and shelf-life. This is the first report of organoleptic and compositional quality changes in fresh-cut turnip greens affected by the growing season. Tailoring postharvest practices to seasonal shelf-life variations can contribute to minimizing food losses and optimizing produce supply chain performance.