Context

Ganxet beans are a quality legume much appreciated by consumers, but rarely sold as preserves. This is because the techniques used in its preservation, especially sterilisation, significantly alter its organoleptic properties and make it sensorily similar to other bean preserves, whereas they would present significant sensory differences if cooked using conventional methods. Accordingly, as consumers cannot recognise their quality, they are not willing to pay a higher price for these beans. Given that the end product reaching the consumer is the result of many factors, it may be possible to take action at different points to reduce the effects of heat treatment and possibly conserve objective sensory differences between a preserve of an excellent raw material and one of lesser quality. With this aim, the project started in 2018, working along two main lines: firstly, selection of the raw material and, secondly, the treatment for producing the preserves.
The results from the project have permitted: a) greater understanding of the agronomic behaviour of the Ganxet bean and in order to optimise its production; b) the development of new protocols for a heat treatment of Ganxet bean preserves that is less aggressive to the raw material; c) a higher quality end product by combining germplasm and the optimal treatment; and d) development of models for raw material quality control.