4. Conclusion
Sweetness and texture related attributes were the best descriptors
of the sensory quality of raw, boiled and baked Jerusalem
artichoke tubers. This indicates, that knowledge of sweetness and
textural quality can be used to select Jerusalem artichoke tubers of
different varieties and maturity to be used in culinary preparation.
A positive correlation was found between hardness and sensory
crispness of boiled tubers, but more complex instrumental texture
measurements could be beneficial in deducing additional relations
to sensory attributes. The degradation of inulin during overwintering
influenced the texture and mass loss of the tubers, but
simple correlations between total inulin and instrumental texture
were not sufficient to describe the observed textural changes.
Further studies on the composition and gel-forming properties of
inulin in Jerusalem artichoke tubers may explain texture quality
developments during culinary preparation.