نوع مقاله : مقاله کامل علمی پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد، گروه علوم و صنایع غذایی، دانشکده صنایع غذایی، دانشگاه بوعلی سینا، همدان، ایران
2 دانشیار، گروه علوم و صنایع غذایی، دانشکده صنایع غذایی، دانشگاه بوعلی سینا، همدان، ایران
3 استادیار، گروه علوم و صنایع غذایی، دانشکده صنایع غذایی، دانشگاه بوعلی سینا، همدان، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Background and objectives: Pickled cucumbers are among the widely consumed products and play an important role in the dietary basket. They are consumed throughout the year by individuals with different preferences. However, the pasteurization process, which is applied to extend shelf life, may cause undesirable changes such as color alterations and textural softening. These changes reduce the final product quality and affect consumer acceptance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of citric, ascorbic, and acetic acids on the sensory attributes, color, pH, titratable acidity, and texture of pasteurized pickled cucumbers.
Materials and methods: In this study, to investigate the effect of different food-grade acids on the characteristics of pasteurized pickled cucumbers, fresh cucumbers were prepared and, after washing and grading based on visual quality, were processed together with aromatic herbs and a 5% brine solution. To adjust acidity, citric, ascorbic, and acetic acids were added at the same concentration (0.8%). The produced samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties, including color (image processing method), pH, titratable acidity, salt, and ash content, as well as textural properties using puncture, cutting, and texture profile analysis (TPA) tests. Microbiological assessments (total count, mold, and yeast) and sensory evaluations (color, flavor, texture, crispiness, and overall acceptance) were also performed. Data were analyzed using a completely randomized design with three replicates.
Results: The type of acid significantly affected the salt content of pickled cucumbers (p < 0.05). Citric acid reduced salt uptake by approximately 12.77%, and ascorbic acid by 5.2% compared to acetic acid. A similar trend was observed for ash content, with citric acid resulting in the lowest values. Citric acid also produced the lowest pH in the pickled cucumbers, significantly different from samples containing ascorbic and acetic acids (p < 0.05). Ascorbic acid increased lightness and helped maintain color stability, whereas acetic acid enhanced firmness, springiness, and chewiness. Sensory evaluation showed that samples containing acetic acid received the highest scores for overall acceptance (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The type of food-grade acid significantly influenced the physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties of pasteurized pickled cucumbers. Citric acid reduced surface lightness and ash content, ascorbic acid preserved the green color and increased titratable acidity and internal and surface yellowness, while acetic acid most effectively enhanced texture firmness, resistance, and overall sensory acceptance. All samples were within safe and standard limits for pH, titratable acidity, salt, and microbiological properties. Based on these findings, acetic acid is recommended as the optimal acid for producing pasteurized pickled cucumbers due to its ability to maintain desirable textural characteristics and high consumer acceptance.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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