Fermented food - pickle, Study notes of Food Microbiology

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Pickles

Introduction

• Pickles are aromatic and spicy food accessary which stimulate the

sense of taste and act as appetizers. They add variety and

palatability in the meal and aid in digestion by stimulating the flow

of gastric juices. Pickles are prepared from fruits and vegetables

like cauliflower, carrot, radish, garlic, ginger, raw mango, amla,

onion, lemon, green chilies etc.

History

• Pickling began 4000 years ago using cucumbers native to India. It is called “ achar ” in northern India. This was used as a way to preserve food for out-of-season use & for long journey, especially by sea.

Pickle Etymology

• The term pickle is derived from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. In the U.S. and Canada, the word pickle alone almost always refers to a pickled cucumber.

Types Of Pickles

1. Brined dill pickles
2. Fresh pack or quick-process pickles
3. Relishes
4. Fruit pickles

Pickling Equipment

• Utensils made of zinc, iron, brass, copper, or galvanized metal should not be used.
• For fresh-pack pickling large container made of stainless steel, glassware.
• For fermenting and brining, a crock or stone jar, an un chipped enamel-lined pan, a glass jar, a bowl, used for small quantities.

Pickle Plant

Amla pickle process

Key ingredients in pickling

• Salt – lactic acid, a preservative.
• Vinegar – Acts as a preservative due to the acidity of vinegar.
• Sugar – Sweetens taste; counteracts vinegar.
• Spices/herbs – Adds flavor.
• Water – Makes liquid portion of brine.
• Alum – Fermented pickle; does not improved firmness of quick-process pickle

• Dark Pickles – Darkness of pickles may be caused by used of ground spices, too much spices, iodized salt, overcooking, used of iron container. It can also result from the growth of micro-organisms.
• Dull or faded pickles – Pickles become dull or faded due to insufficient curing or use of inferior quality food material.
• Formation of scum – When vegetables are placed in brine for curing, a while scum is formed on the surface due to the growth of wild yeast. This scum favours the growth of putrefactive bacteria which may cause the vegetable to become soft and slippery. Addition of about 1 percent acetic acid in brine prevents the development of scum.
• Cloudiness – Cloudiness results from use of inferior quality vinegar or by chemical action between the vinegar and chemical impurities such as calcium, magnesium and iron compounds present in salt or food itself.

General method of preparing pickles-

1 - Pickling by salt- Fruits and vegetables like raw mangoes, lemon , green chilies are preserved by using this method. Procedure of preparing pickle is as follows:

• Wash fruits or vegetable and peel if desired.
• Cut the fruits or vegetables into pieces.
• Fill the pieces into jar.
• Sprinkles salt at the rate of 15 - 20 g per kilogram of fruit.
• Keep in the sun for about 4 - 5 days. Shake the contents in between.
• Add spices as desired.
• Mix well.
• Label the jar and store at room temperature.

2 - Pickling by use of vinegar- Mango, garlic, onion, cauliflower, green chilies, etc. are pickled by used of vinegar. Care is taken that the final concentration of vinegar in finished pickle is not less than 2 % in terms of acetic acid. Procedure as follows-

• Select mature fruit or vegetable.
• Wash well with water.
• Remove cores, seeds or other inedible portions.
• Cut into pieces.
• Blanch in water.
• Dry in shade for 2 - 3 hrs.
• Repeat same procedure as pickling by salt.