Fermented vegetable products Flashcards
The primary commercial fermented vegetable products in Canada include:
- cucumber pickle (can be acidified, pasteurized and refrigerated)
- Olives
- Sauerkraut
Prior to fermentation, fresh fruit and vegetables harbor a variety of microorganisms including (3):
aerobic spoilage microflora, as well as yeasts and molds
Brining the vegetables (adding salt) results in the production of __________________by LAB
organic acids, and a variety of antimicrobial compounds by LAB
LAB are initially present on fresh vegetables in (higher or lower) numbers compared to other mesophilic organisms
lower
Explain what happens during vegetable fermentations (organic acids…..)
- During the fermentation, organic acids diffuse into the brine, and the low pH that results, influences microbial growth in the vegetable material
- As the vegetable cells die, sugars diffuse into the brine resulting in the rapid growth of LAB
- In the absence of brine, spoilage microbiota are able to grow
- Spoilage bacteria result in the deterioration of the vegetable material due to the elaborate destructive enzymes produced (proteases, lipases, amylases, nucleases, etc.)
_____________ are important in the initiation of the fermentation of several vegetables
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
Name a few characteristics of L.mesenteroides
1) grows more rapidly than other LAB over a range of temperatures (5-35) and brine concentrations (0-5%)
2) carries out heterolactic fermentation of vegetable sugars typically glucose sucrose and fructose and produces CO2 and acid (lactic and acetic)
3) The carbon dioxide that it produces replaces air and provides anaerobic conditions favorable for the stabilization of vit c and the natural color of vegetables
L. mesenteroides will grow until an acidity level of ______ is achieved
1.5-2.0%
If the temperature is above ______ L. mesenteroides will not grow, and this will be detrimental to the development of the fermentation
22C
___________ are able to survive the elevating lactic acid levels and produce exclusively lactic acid from the remaining sugars
Lb. plantarum
Lb.plantarum will grow above an acidity of ____
2%
Why will Lb.plantarum outcompete other LAB at the end of the fermentation reaction?
due to its higher acid tolerance
__________ will continue fermenting after Lb.plantarum until an acidity level of 2.5-3% is obtained and there’s no sugar left in the vegetables
Lactobacillus brevis
TRUE OR FALSE: Bacteriophages are a problem for vegetable fermentation
FALSE
Explain the relationship between vegetables fermentations, starter cultures and phages
Vegetable fermentations do not typically use starter cultures, but if phages are present and inhibit one strain of LAB, another resistant indigenous strain will grow instead.
If given _________ conditions, at approximately ___C, and ____% salt concentration, LAB dominate the microbial community able to grow on the sugars from the cabbage
anaerobic
22
2-3%
TRUE OR FALSE: High-quality sauerkraut can be produced without a starter culture if the conditions are correct
TRUE
During the first 24-48 hours what will be produced from the salted cabbage (sauerkraut fermentation)? (3)
- CO2
- lactic acid
- acetic acid
Explain the relationship between sauerkraut quality and temperature
- Temperature is important, the best quality sauerkraut is produced between 18-22C, since this temperature favors the growth of L. mesenteroides
- Generally, lower temperatures produce higher quality sauerkraut
- Higher temperature can produce sauerkraut in 7-10 days but it will be of lesser quality, LAB don’t grow as well during fast fermentation producing a much less complex flavor
Why are the outer leaves removed in sauerkraut fermentation?
To lower the non-LAB bacterial load
Why do we remove the core of the cabbage in sauerkraut fermentation
Because the core contains high levels of sucrose which can lead to dextran formation by L.mesenteroides resulting in a slimy texture