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PECTIC SUBSTANCES AND FIRMNESS OF CUCUMBER PICKLES AS INFLUENCED BY CACL 2 , NACL AND BRINE STORAGE 1
Author(s) -
HUDSON J. M.,
BUESCHER R. W.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of food biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-4514
pISSN - 0145-8884
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4514.1985.tb00350.x
Subject(s) - chemistry , pectin , softening , brine , food science , demethylation , solubility , biochemistry , organic chemistry , statistics , gene expression , mathematics , dna methylation , gene
The effects of brine treatments (CaCl 2 and NaCl) and storage on pectic substances and texture of cucumber pickles were examined. Firmness of cucumber pickles was closely associated with the solubility characteristics and degree of esterification (DE) of pectic substances. Brining, storage, time of CaCl 2 addition and concentration of NaCl and CaCl 2 were all observed to influence the characteristics of pectic substances. Important to preventing softening was maintenance of pectic substances not extractable (NXP) by conventional methods, i.e., by water (WSP), the chelator sodium hex‐ametaphosphate (CSP), and dilute alkali (OHSP). Erosion of NXP consistently resulted in increased levels of CSP and reduced firmness. Reducing the amount of demethylation of pectins was also associated with maintaining firmness. Although the DE declined rapidly during brining, tissues from treatments that enhanced firmness had pectic substances with the highest DE. CaCl 2 added to brine at the beginning of fermentation was most effective in preventing the demethylation of pectins and solubilization of NXP. In contrast, delayed addition of CaCl 2 and storage in low NaCl concentration (5% or less) caused greater pectin demethylation, erosion of NXP with concomitant increases in CSP and tissue softening.