Nitrate content in various

plants As noted above, nitrates are a normal product of nitrogen metabolism in plants. Their maximum content is observed during the period of maximum maturation of plants. In most cases, they appear before harvesting begins. From this it follows that in unripe vegetables( squash, eggplant) and potatoes, as well as in early ripening vegetables, more nitrates can be contained than in products that have reached normal harvesting maturity.

Also, the level of nitrate content in vegetables can rise sharply in case of incorrect application of nitrogenous fertilizers, both mineral and organic( for example, when they are applied shortly before harvesting).

Different plants have their own individual features of accumulation of nitrates. There are also "stores" of nitrates, which include green leafy vegetables - lettuce, rhubarb, parsley, spinach, sorrel. They have the ability to accumulate up to 200-300 mg of nitrates. Beet can accumulate in itself the maximum permissible concentration of nitrates - up to 140 mg%, and some varieties and more. Other vegetables contain significantly less nitrates( mg%): potatoes - up to 25, early carrots - up to 40, late - up to 25, zucchini - up to 40, cucumbers - up to 15, white cabbage early - up to 90, late - up to50. A very small amount of nitrates( less than 10 mg%) is found in fruits, berries and melons.

In plants, nitrates are also unevenly distributed. For example, in cabbage, most nitrates accumulate in a stump. Cucumbers and radishes show a higher content of nitrates in their surface layers, and carrots - on the contrary. Washing and cleaning vegetables and potatoes on average leads to a loss of 10-15% nitrate. Even more is destroyed during thermal cooking, especially when cooking, when it is lost from 40( beet) to 70%( cabbage, carrot) or 80%( potato) of nitrates.

Storage of vegetables also reduces the content of nitrates for several months by 30-50%.This is due to the fact that nitrates are quite active compounds in the chemical sense.

Materials used:
Shilov VN, Mits'yo VP"Healthy food"