Development of evaluation methods and determination of hardness variation with leaf order and tissue type of Kimchi cabbage during summer harvest

The texture of Kimchi cabbage was investigated by determining the hardness variation of midribs by leaf order and midrib position and analyzing the hardness characteristic by probe type. The objective of this research was the development of assessment methods for hardness of Kimchi cabbages in cropping types of summer season production. The hardness of the midrib of Kimchi cabbage leaves varied depending on the degree of development of the internal and external epidermis and the vascular tissues. The midrib hardness of Kimchi cabbage leaves did not differ significantly among cultivation types and tended to be lower toward the inner leaf. Using the Volodkevich bite jaws probe or blade set probe to measure the cutting force proved to be a suitable approach for examining the texture characteristic of Kimchi cabbage. The peak force of hardness in volodkevich bite jaw probe test the smallest distance and the second and third peak force intervals distance showed shortest among all the tested probes. In addition, hardness force tests with inside and outside results pattern was similar. When measuring the cutting force of midrib by these probes, it is preferable to measure from the outer epidermis to the inner epidermis of the leaf midrib, at 40–50 mm from the leaf stalk, on the 2nd to 6th outer leaves of Kimchi cabbage head formation.