Influence of Temperature and Humidity on Microbial, Enzymatic, and Physical Changes of Stored, Pickling Cucumbers

Abstract

Pickling cucumbers stored at five temperatures and four relative humidities were examined for growth of eight microbial groups, the activities of two enzyme systems (pectinolytic and cellulolytic), and weight loss. Twenty-four storage tests for 6 days each were conducted during the 2-year study. In general, microbial populations of the eight groups increased rapidly at the higher temperature (>21 C) and humidity (>70%) treatments. Moisture loss of the cucumbers was rapid with combinations of high temperatures and low humidities. The results suggest that the best environmental conditions for storage or transport of cucumbers would be a combination of low temperature (10 C) with high relative humidity (about 95%). These conditions minimized undesirable microbial, enzymatic, and physical changes of stored, pickling cucumbers.