Harvesting, storage, chemical composition and processing of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea, var. botrytis)-a resume.

Cauliflower is a popular winter vegetable and has high consumer acceptance. The quality
ofcauliflower avaflable in north India is very good but rhis quality cauliflower is hardly available
in sOllthern parts of the country. Price-wise also the cauliflower is much costlier in the sOUlh tlian
in north India. There is, thus, a great potentia!for up~coun!ry markets for cauliflower grown in
north India particularly in Punjab, Haryana, U. p. etc. Exhaustive R&D work is, therefore,
needed on packaging, transportation and storage offresh cauliflower at room temperature, cold
storage and controlled atmosphere storage under Indian conditions. This will go a long way in
augmenting export of this vegetable particularly when overall export of vegetables has assumed a
great importance over recent years. Yellowing o[the cauliflower hpads is a serious problem
offPcting the quality of fresh cauliflower heads. Treatments with N6 - henzyladenine alone or in
comhination with 2-4-D reportedftom abroad to control tMs disorder, warrants further R &: D
work to asee/tain its effiacy IInder fndian conditions which will improve the overall marketability
of this vegetable. Mechanisation of han'esting techniques needs (a he perfected yet, to make
large scale farming of {his vegerable a practical approach in times to come.
On processing technology side R&D efforts is still needed fO make the dehydrated cauliflower
an acceptable item of consumption. Steeping preservation of cauliflo"rer is a cheap, easy and
is potemia} processing technique for bulk preservation of cauliflower easy for adoption
on rural scale, also for offseason lise for preparation at Indian style curries and other preparations.
Retention or restoration of the flavour in cauliflower preserved by this method, hO>F€J,'er
needs further WOfk. In canned cauliflower maintenance of texture is still a serious problem of the
canning indus"y. Untilisalion of cauliflower leares which Clre rich in lysine and tryphane need
to be exploited