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Factors Influencing Softening of Salt‐Stock Pickles in Air‐Purged Fermentations
Author(s) -
GATES KAREN,
COSTILOW RALPH N.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1981.tb14580.x
Subject(s) - softening , food science , brine , chemistry , fermentation , lactobacillus plantarum , potassium sorbate , sodium hypochlorite , bacterial growth , inoculation , acetic acid , lactic acid , horticulture , bacteria , biochemistry , biology , materials science , sugar , organic chemistry , composite material , genetics
Cucumber fermentations in 1‐gal glass jars were purged with air at high rates to study factors influencing softening of the cucumbers and treatments whit h might prevent softening. The cucumbers were softened much mere rapidly and extensively in fermentations purged at 100 ml air/min than at 20 ml air/min. This could not be prevented by initial acidification (up to 0.6% acetic acid) nor by brining at high brim: strength (up to 35° salometer). No soft pickles were found in air‐purged lots treated in any of the following ways: (a) acidified and treated with hypochlorite and then buffered and inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum (controlled fermentation process); (b) added 1.035% potassium sorbate;(c) used nitrogen for purging for first two days and then air‐purged; and (d) the cucumbers were blanched and inoculated by washing unblanched cucumbers with the brine used to cover them. Pectinolytic enzyme assays were run on most fermentation brines, but enzyme activities were not well correlated with the extent of softening. The results indicate that softening of air‐purged cucumbers is caused by the growth of some oxygen‐dependent, sorbic acid‐sensitive microorganism(s) growing in or on the cucumbers. The first day or two after brining appears to be the most critical in the development of the causative, organism(s).