Comparative Studies on Storage Methods of Chinese Chestnut

Respiratory rate, moisture content, starch content, vitamin C content, ethylene production, POD activities, and decaying rate were periodically determined during the storage period of Chinese chestnut. The results show that the chestnut stored with sand under normal atmospheric temperature for 3 months is of stable respiratory rate and it is significantly lower than that of the other treatments, the moisture content increases from 51.62% to 61.7%, which is higher than that of the other treatments, the starch content decreases from 30.5% to 17.84%, which is lower than that of the other treatments, the activities of POD keep an increasing trend (29～85.34 U/(g·h)), lower than those of the other treatments in the early storage. On the contrary, later, the vitamin C content decreased from 54.54 mg/(100 g) to 33.59 mg/(100 g) and there was no significant difference, the ethylene production was zero, and there was a significant difference; the decaying rate was 20%, lower than that in the treatment of normal atmospheric temperature when coated with amorphophallus, but equal to the treatments of low temperature. It was confirmed that the storage with sand under normal atmospheric temperature was an economical and practical method for chestnut freshness-keeping.