Search for predictors of cooking quality of marrowfat pea (Pisum sativum L) cultivars

The grain from 116 marrowfat pea breeding lines was assessed subjectively using current visual methods and then analysed objectively for L*a*b* colour, hydration capacity and cooking quality. The data show that the current method of selecting genotypes by subjective methods is not able to select marrowfat peas for specific processing uses. However, an objective measure, the -a* value of the dry grain, was a very good predictor (p < 0.001) for the hydrated and cooked green colour. Cultivars which have a high hydration coefficient may be more suitable for canning and deep frying because they hydrate to a larger size, while cultivars with a high bulk density and a darker green grain are more suitable for use as extrusion products. (C) 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.