Pyruvate scale

The pyruvate scale measures pungency in onions and garlic with units of μmol/gfw (micromoles per gram fresh weight).[1] It is named after pyruvic acid, the alpha-keto acid co-product created in the biochemical pathway that forms syn-propanethial-S-oxide, the main lachrymatory agent in onions.

Examples

A brown onion

The standard onion has an eight rating, while "sweet onions" have a two or three rating on the scale. The lower the score or scale the more "sweet" the onions are rated. Anything less than five is considered a sweet onion. The Vidalia onion variety is considered sweet and must have a score of 5.0 μmol/gfw or less. The HoneySweet brand onion is claimed to consistently rate with a pungency level of 3.5 or less.[2]

The Supasweet onion (usually grown in Lincolnshire, England) registers 1.5 to 2 on the scale.

Influential factors

Soil type, rain, and sunlight affect the pungency in onions and garlic and, therefore, their score on the pyruvate scale.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Spring 2001 Commercial Vegetable Variety Trials" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  2. ^ "HoneySweet key to J&D onion program success". March 14, 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2024.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.