This study was conducted to find out the change in nutritional components and antioxidant activities of salted Chinese cabbage according to storage temperature and duration using supercooling. Salted Chinese cabbage was investigated every 2 weeks while it was stored at -2℃ and 2℃ for 8 weeks. This was followed by an analysis of freeze dried samples. The analyzed contents were free sugar and free amino acid contents, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, and TPC and TFC. Free sugar content of salted Chinese cabbage decreased with longer storage duration, while free amino acid did not change significantly. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities did not change significantly with storage duration whereas the TPC and TFC of salted Chinese cabbage stored at -2℃ was higher than that stored at 2℃ for 6 weeks. Therefore, the quality of salted Chinese cabbage was maintained in direct refrigerator storage for a long duration, showing economic and industrial values as a new storage technology.

Commercial direct refrigerators have good energy efficiency, but are difficult to use for supercooled storage due to their large temperature deviation. Placing insulators and conductors inside the refrigerator could reduce these temperature deviations to within 0.3 degrees, allowing for the supercooled storage. The supercooled storage of salted Chinese cabbages during ten weeks was progressed to compare the other low temperature storages. The nucleation temperatures of salted Chinese cabbage were around -2.5oC and the freezing points were around -0.4oC, so -2oC was selected for the supercooled storage. The growth rate of lactic acid bacteria and yeast at -2oC storage was lower than that at 2oC storage. The reducing sugar was maintained higher due to the growth rate of lactic acid bacteria. The supercooled storage had an effect of delaying the fermentation of the salted Chinese cabbage, which may have the effect of delaying the fermentation of kimchi. This enhancement method of the direct refrigerator was effective for the supercooled storage and would be promising for commercial use.