THE EFFECT OF BLANCHING TEMPERATURE ON THE TEXTURE OF LACTIC FERMENTED CUCUMBERS (Cucumis sativus L.)

Abstract

In the history of mankind, the use of canned vegetables has been a source of ensuring a diverse range of vegetables in winter and has led to the development of cropping systems with technological features specific to industrialization. The effects of blanching temperature on the texture and quality of cucumber fruits under the conditions of lactic fermentation have been important topics of study over time. In comparison, in this paper we studied the complex influence of fermentation time (25 days) and temperature level (22 °C) on qualitative aspects such as pH level, total acidity and salt concentration change. Two different temperatures were also used for blanching with the salt solutions, 96 °C and 67 °C. The results of this study show that iodized sea salt was useful for whole pickles because they showed a better taste and texture. Pickled cucumbers blanched at 96 °C showed a better texture and lower acidity than those at 67 °C.