Quality of Cucumbers Commercially Fermented in Calcium Chloride Brine without Sodium Salts

Abstract

Commercial cucumber fermentation produces large volumes of salty wastewater. This study evaluated the quality of fermented cucumbers produced commercially using an alternative calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) brining process. Fermentation conducted in calcium brines (0.1 M CaCl 2 , 6 mM potassium sorbate, equilibrated) with a starter culture was compared to standard industrial fermentation. Production variables included commercial processor ( = 6), seasonal variation (June-September, 2 years), vessel size (10,000-40,000 L), cucumber size (2.7-5.1 cm diameter), and bulk storage time (55-280 days). Cucumber mesocarp firmness, color, bloater defects, pH, and organic acids were measured. Complete lactic acid fermentation was achieved, resulting in terminal fermentation pH values of 3.23 ± 0.09 and 3.30 ± 0.12 for CaCl 2 and NaCl processes, respectively. On average, CaCl 2 brined, fermented cucumbers were 1.8 N less firm, which remained significant in the finished product ( < 0.0001). Color differences evidenced by higher hue and lower chroma values ( < 0.0269) were consistent with increased photooxidation in CaCl 2 brined cucumbers. Commercial implementation of CaCl 2 brines for cucumber fermentation in open tanks variably resulted in texture and color defects that can impact product quality. Additional research is needed to understand the atypical softening observed at the commercial scale and identify process controls for quality improvements.

Effect of Brine Acidification on Fermentation Microbiota, Chemistry, and Texture Quality of Cucumbers Fermented in Calcium or Sodium Chloride Brines

“…We also controlled other variables that are less precise in commercial fermentation, including exact pack out ratios of 55:45 cucumbers: brine (w/w) resulting in uniform concentrations of brine components, constant incubation temperature of 28 °C, and the use of a starter culture instead of a natural fermentation in the NaCl‐brined treatments. Since minimal firmness changes were observed in the treatments with CaCl 2 brines in this study, we conclude that the reduced firmness documented in commercial trials for CaCl 2 ‐brined cucumbers (McMurtrie & Johanningsmeier, ) was due to an interaction between the CaCl 2 brining process and a production variable that was controlled for in these experiments. On the other hand, some softening did occur in the NaCl‐brined, fermented cucumbers in this study.…”

“…Initial brine acidification using acetic acid or HCl had no effect on texture quality of fermented cucumbers for either brining salt ( P = 0.8235), despite the differences observed in the initial rate of cucumber acidification during fermentation (Figure ). Furthermore, the cucumbers fermented in CaCl 2 brines were significantly firmer than cucumbers fermented in NaCl brines, which is in contrast to the softening that was observed in commercial trials in CaCl 2 brines (McMurtrie & Johanningsmeier, ; Pérez‐Díaz et al., ; Wilson et al., ). Based on our findings, we conclude that the exclusion of acetic acid from fermentation brines during commercialization was not directly responsible for the observed softening.…”

“…CaCl 2 concentrations were estimated to be equal to the molar concentrations of titrated calcium. The natural calcium (approximately 3.0 ± 0.8 mM) contributed by the fresh pickling cucumbers (McMurtrie & Johanningsmeier, ) was considered negligible and not considered in the calculations. Titration of total chlorides was done by a modification of Fajans Method using 0.171 N silver nitrate as a titrant and dichlorofluorescein as the indicator (Collier, ; Fajans & Hassel, ).…”

“…However, several consumer sensory tests of cucumber pickles produced with the modified CaCl 2 fermentation process showed a lower texture quality in the pickles produced in CaCl 2 brine (Pérez‐Díaz et al., ; Wilson, Johanningsmeier, & Osborne, ). This overall reduction in texture quality was shown to be directly related to the CaCl 2 fermentation process in a series of commercial fermentations from the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons (McMurtrie & Johanningsmeier, ).…”

Production of Probiotic (Turshi) Pickled Vegetables

“…Lactic acid fermentations have widely known for years and used in various food industries such as fruit and vegetable processing, production of rye bread and fermented milk beverages (McMurtrie, 2016;Gorzelany et al, 2018;McMurtrie and Johanningsmeier, 2018).…”