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9.6 Pickles and sauerkraut technology
9.6.1 Vegetable natural acidification technology
9.6.1.1 Gherkins and cucumbers
Raw materials must follow strict specifications for a high quality finished product; the following parameters must be considered as critical:
Cucumbers have to be picked at their ripeness for eating, when the sugar content is at about 1.5-2.2%, needed for lactic fermentation. Unripe cucumber does not have enough sugar.
The general technological flow-sheet is as follows:
RECEPTION
CONTROL
TEMPORARY STORAGE
GRADING BY SIZE
WASHING
SMALL HOLES are made in large size cucumbers skin;
RECEPTACLE FILLING: raw material is simply put in the receptacles in bulk, with care to arrange them in such a way that a maximum of pieces could be introduced;
SALT SOLUTION PREPARATION: 6% salt solution (NaCl);
SALT SOLUTION ADDITION: the salt solution is poured into the receptacle;
FERMENTATION is carried out at 20-30° C, anaerobically. This step takes generally 4-8 weeks. Acidity reaches a value up to 1.5% lactic acid (and in some exceptional cases up to 2% lactic acid) which corresponds to a maximum pH value of 4.1.
STORAGE; after the last fermentation stage, drums and other receptacles have to be stored at low temperature; best conditions for 12 months shelf life should be below + 15° C. Storage temperature will determine the shelf life of the products.
Addition of 1000 ppm potassium sorbate will prevent mould development without having any influence on lactic fermentation.
Raw material grading by size is a very important technological step. In order to accelerate brine penetration, mainly for medium to large size cucumbers, the practice of making small holes in the raw material skins is generally recommended.
A major factor influencing the quality of lactic fermented cucumbers is the water durity; optimal results are obtained at 15-20° durity.
Cucumber consistency / texture is influenced by the formation of calcium pectate with the pectic substances from raw material tissues. In some countries, calcium chloride (0.3-0.5 %) is added in order to firm up the cucumber consistency. Chlorinated water which still contains active chlorine can inhibit or even stop the lactic fermentation.
9.6.1.2 Sauerkraut
In some countries cabbages are submitted to lactic fermentation as whole vegetables; however, in many countries the cabbage is shredded before fermentation. As shredded cabbage and its technology is at the basis of an important industry, giving good quality products, with a uniform fermented product and with good keeping quality and ease of distribution, this will be described first.
Cabbage as raw material for sauerkraut must be sound, ripe for eating, well-leafed and from suitable varieties. Optimum total sugar level needed for the lactic fermentation is 24%; generally good quality raw material contains up to 30-60 mg/100 g of vitamin C.
9.6.1.2.1 Shredded sauerkraut
The technological flow sheet is as follows:
RECEPTION
CONTROL
TEMPORARY STORAGE is carried out in bulk, up to a height of about 1 m, during few days. This step produces a heat generation which facilitates later fermentation by the softening of tissues.
REMOVAL OF EXTERNAL LEAVES
CORING is done with a specially adapted mechanical screw; this operation generates small particles of finely divided cabbage which will be mixed with the main part of vegetable during shredding / chopping. The core represents about 10% from the whole cabbage, is rich in sugar and vitamin C, but being too high in fibre content needs to be chopped separately as described.
SHREDDING/CUTTING of cabbage is carried out with complex specific equipment which is generally installed directly on the "top" of fermentation silos and is mobile, installed on rails and moves all along the silos. The dimension of resulting shredded cabbage is about 2-3 mm thick.
The same complex equipment is designed to grind the added salt to fine particles and to distribute shredded cabbage and ground salt in an uniform manner to the fermentation silos. The usual capacity of fermentation silos is up to 30 tons, with separate compartments of 45 tons each.
SALT ADDITION is carried out by the equipment described above; the proportion of salt is 2-2.5% with respect to cabbage.
This proportion must not be changed because the salt in this technology does not have a preservative role but only that to extract from cabbage the juice needed for fermentation.
It is be preferable to obtain a fairly light pressure on cabbage just after salt addition with some simple mechanical means. This is important in order to:
FERMENTATION. The maximum acidity level obtained is generally of about 1.5% lactic acid (and very rarely 2.5%); this is obtained in 4-6 weeks. Optimal acidity is 1.0-1.8% and pH value 4.1 or lower.
Fermentation temperature is at 20-25° C in the first phase and needs to be lowered then to 14-18° C. During fermentation, the brine from each storage / fermentation silo cell is periodically circulated with a pump in order to uniformise the fermentation process.
STORAGE is performed in same silos used for fermentation, or the finished products is removed from silos and packed in drums and other receptacles according to distribution schedule.
These silos are usually made of reinforced concrete and coated with gritstone plates or with an acid-resisting material layer.
Fig. 9.6.1 shows a medium scale industrial installation for the processing of shredded sauerkraut.
At small scale and in traditional processing, shredded sauerkraut can be obtained by using simple available glass or rigid plastic receptacles. At home, this process can use glass jars and / or local / traditional pottery receptacles from a minimum size of 2-3 kg up to the available / practical sizes (better limited to 10-15 kg).
In some countries shredded sauerkraut is preserved in receptacles by pasteurization, once the fermentation process has been completed.
9.6.1.2.2 Whole sauerkraut
According to the consumer preference in different countries and to the specific situations it is also usual to preserve whole cabbages by lactic fermentation.
At small or medium scale operations, whole cabbage could be processed/ fermented in cylindric receptacles like 30 to 200 litre rigid plastic drums, or rectangular receptacles made from food grade rigid plastic. It is possible to find this type of drum in a significant number of developing countries. These two types of rigid plastic receptacles could also be used for shredded sauerkraut production.
Prepared whole cabbages are put into fermentation receptacles and a 5-6 % salt concentration brine is poured on top. The fermentation conditions are the same as for shredded sauerkraut. In order to assure a uniform fermentation and to avoid a strict anaerobic (butyric) fermentation it is necessary to apply a periodic juice "aeration" (each 2-3 days at the beginning of the fermentation, and then each 5-7 days).
A simple flow-sheet for preparation of whole sauerkraut at family / farm / community levels is presented in section 9.6.1.4.
9.6.1.3 Other acidified vegetables
In principle all vegetables with a sugar content of at least 2 % could be preserved by lactic fermentation.
From a practical point of view it is mainly the following vegetables which are preserved by this technology: unripe tomatoes (green tomatoes), peppers, eggplant, carrots and cauliflower, alone or usually in a mix with cucumber as mixed pickles.
Fermentation of individual vegetables is carried out according to a flow-sheet as described for whole sauerkraut (section 9.6.1.4). The type of cut, brine concentration and frequency of operating steps have to be adapted to each case; green tomatoes are fermented as whole vegetable.
9.6.1.4 Simplified flow-sheet for whole sauerkraut processing
9.6.1.4.1 Process
a) Cabbage preparation
* size A: about 700 g per cabbage
* size B: less than 1.2 kg per cabbage
* size C: more than 1.2 kg per cabbage
b) Salt solution (brine) preparation
c) Initial processing
d) Processing follow-up
After the first week, in order to assure a homogeneous acidification / fermentation process for big receptacles (i.e. drums or other receptacles of 20 to 2001 capacity), it will be necessary to proceed once a week to an "aeration" step. After completion of brine surface cleaning (as described above), the following operations will be carried out:
These operations will be carried out for each fermentation receptacle once a week, during an estimated period of six weeks; total duration will be determined by the temperature in the storage room and by the chemical composition of specific raw material (cabbage) lots.
Always keep salt solution (brine) level at 10 cm above cabbages, e. g. cabbages must be always covered by brine.
9.6.4.1.2 Consumption of the finished product
It is possible to estimate that at reasonable ambient temperatures and with a strict followup of the above recommendations, the finished product will be ready for consumption about 6 weeks after initial processing.
The finished product could be used "as is" in vegetable salads, or prepared according to local taste: with tomato sauce, beans, minced meat, etc. as a replacement of fresh cabbages.
In the same way as with natural acidification or lactic fermentation the cabbage texture is modified and softened so that tissues are more digestible than fresh vegetable. It is possible to use the finished product in local dishes and in new recipes without having to boil it. Apart from the taste benefits of acidified cabbages, this is also produces a significant fuel savings.
The juice resulting from natural cabbage acidification is recovered and could be used separately as a refreshing vegetable juice; the preparation is described in this document.
9.6.1.4.3 Finished product storage
It is possible to store the finished product after completion of fermentation (i.e. after the estimated six weeks period); the storage time will depend on the ambient air temperature.
If a cool space is available, the finished product shelf-life/storage time at a temperature of about + 15° C is estimated at six months. At an ambient temperature not exceeding +20° C, the storage time could be estimated at 2-3 months.
9.6.2 Artificial vegetable acidification technology
This technology is based on the addition of food grade vinegar which has a bacteriostatic action in concentrations up to 4 % acetic acid and bactericidal action in higher concentrations.
Vegetables preserved in vinegar need to reach, after equilibrium between vinegar and water contained in vegetables, a final concentration of 2-3 % acetic acid in order to assure their preservation.
To achieve this final concentration, a 6-9 % acetic acid vinegar is used, as related to the specific ratios vinegar/ vegetables.
In vinegar pickles, salt (2-3 %) and sometimes sugar (2-5 %) are also added.
If the vinegar concentration is lower than 2%, vinegar pickles need to be submitted to a pasteurization in order to assure their preservation.
9.6.2.1 Cucumbers in vinegar.
This represents the basic product obtained by this technology. Cucumbers have to be wholesome, with a soft texture and not have reached eating maturity. They must have a low sugar content because in this technology there is no lactic fermentation involved. Dimensions are up to 12 cm length, with a preference for small cucumbers.
The technological steps are the followings:
SIZE GRADING
WASHING
ARRANGE IN RECEPTACLES - glass jars, etc.
POURING OF VINEGAR is usually carried out at room temperature; however, hot vinegar addition enables a sterilisation of cucumber surface and facilitates vinegar penetration in vegetable tissues.
SALT (SUGAR) ADDITION
SPICING ADDITION
The technological cycle of artificial acidification is considered completed when acetic acid concentration reaches an equilibrium value; the time needed is about 2 weeks.
When equilibrium concentration in acetic acid is below 2 %, the cucumbers are submitted to a pasteurization for 20 min at 90-1000 C in order to assure their preservation.
9.6.2.2 Cucumbers in vinegar with previous lactic fermentation are excellent quality products because the lactic fermentation improves the taste of these cucumbers. The principle of this process is to assure preservation both by acetic acid and by lactic acid simultaneously.
Technological processing flow-sheet is as follows: small cucumbers ("cornichons" or "gherkins") are washed, brushed and small holes are made in the skin; the vegetables then are put in drums with slightly warm 6% brine which also contains spices.
The lactic fermentation runs for few days up to a lactic acid concentration of about 0.5 %. The cucumbers are removed from the brine, washed thoroughly and well drained. Preservation is usually done in glass jars by pouring a normally flavoured vinegar with about 9% acetic acid usually in order to bring the final concentration to 3% calculated as acetic acid.
In order to obtain a high quality product only wine vinegar should be used. In some pickles (e.g. in "Cornichons") the usual level of wine vinegar is set at 20 % of packaged product total weight; some alcohol vinegar could be still added and final concentration will be adjusted as described above.
9.6.2.3. Other vinegar pickles
One type in this category is represented by other vegetables acidified with vinegar separately or in a mix (red peppers, sweet green pepper, green tomatoes, cauliflower, etc.). The preparation steps are similar to the ones used for cucumbers in vinegar.
Significant quantities of special mixed vegetables in vinegar are manufactured in many countries, with the international name of "mixed pickles" with following composition: small cucumbers ("cornichons"/"gherkins") - maximum 70 mm in length -, sliced carrots, cauliflower, small onions (less than 25 mm diameter), mushrooms etc. and spices.
The vegetables are acidified separately in vinegar and then are put into receptacles (glass jars); a flavoured vinegar, salted and sweetened with acetic acid concentration of 3-5% is poured over them.
In the case of lower acetic acid concentrations, a pasteurization at 90° C for 10-20 minutes is applied according to the receptacle size.
Vegetable acidification "accidents" and how to prevent them
Canned vegetables can be classified as follows:
1. - canned products in salt brine;
2. - canned products in tomato concentrated juice;
3. - canned products in vegetable oil.
9.7.1 Canned vegetables in salt brine
The technological flow-sheet covers steps that are applied partly or completely according to Fig. 9.7.1.; orientative technical data for processing are seen in Table 9.7.1.
Figure 9.7.1 Technological flow-sheet for vegetable canning in salt solution (brine)
Storage silo (1)
Sorting (2)
Washing (3)
Grading (4) Preliminary operations
Cleaning (5)
Cutting (6)
Blanching (7) or steaming (8)
Cooling (9)
——————————————————
Receptacle filling (10)
Preheating (11)
Hermetic sealing (12)
Sterilisation (13)
Cooling (14)
Labelling (15)
Storage (16)
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TABLE 9.7.1 Orientative technical data for canned vegetables in salt brine
NOTES:
- for 112 cans = 15 mini for 1/1 cans = 20 min.
- for 1/2 and 1/1 glass jars = 25 min.
9.7.2 Canned vegetables in concentrated tomato juice
General technological flow-sheet covers two types of operations:
a) Preparation of vegetables is similar to the one described for canned vegetables in salt brine: sorting, washing, grading, cutting, blanching and cooling; the exception is for spices which are not blanched.
b) Preparation of canned products covering: receptacles filling with vegetables, adding concentrated tomato juice (with minimum 8% refractometric extract), hermetic closing/sealing of receptacles, sterilisation and cooling of receptacles.
Technical data for canned vegetables in tomato juice are given in Table 9.7.2.
TABLE 9.7.2 Orientative technical data for canned vegetables in tomato juice
* One usual composition for mixed vegetables in tomato juice is:
RE = Refractometric extract
Each vegetable is prepared separately as in general canning operation description. At receptacle filling for mixed vegetables products, each vegetable should be introduced separately in specified proportions; hot concentrated tomato juice (at least 700 C) is poured onto the vegetables.
Sterilisation is carried out according to the instructions given in Table 9.7.2 and then receptacles have to be thoroughly cooled.
9.7.3 Canned vegetables in vegetable oil
General flow-sheet is described in figure 9.7.2
Figure 9.7.2 Flow-sheet for vegetable canning in vegetable oil
Reception (1)
Sorting (2)
Cleaning/peeling (3)
Washing (4)
Cutting (5)
——————————
Frying (6) or Blanching (7)
Cooling (8)
Filling and adding of vegetable oil, sauce or tomato concentrated juice (9)
——————————
Sealing (10)
Sterilisation (11)
Cooling (12)
Labelling (13)
Storage (14)
9.7.4 General heat preservation operations - canning
Introduction
The success of heat preservation operations lies in:
Selection of raw materials
It is appreciated that some varieties of fruit and vegetables are not suitable for canning, either because they are uneconomical to prepare or because the colour, flavour or texture are poor.
Suitable varieties must be available to the canner in quantities sufficient to meet his requirements and in sound conditions for canning. The flow to the cannery should be regulated in order that perishable materials are not left for a long time before being handled, since any delay will cause deterioration.
Apart from the main ingredients, be it fruit or vegetables, minor ingredients also require careful selection. Sugar, salt, water and spices for instance may all be contaminated with spoilage organisms, so constant testing of all raw materials is essential.
Preparation
This is carried out by various methods, including grading, trimming, peeling, washing and blanching.
All equipment must be scrupulously clean and preparation should be completed quickly and carefully in order to keep the bacterial load as low as possible.
Thorough washing of vegetable is necessary to remove spores of heat resistant bacteria which are present in large numbers in the soil.
Blanching in steam or hot water is of no avail against these heat resistant (thermophilic) spores because of the comparatively low temperatures involved.
Reasons for blanching are:
Filling
Filling, be it mechanical or by hand, requires careful attention.
The cans must be clean and the correct weight of foodstuffs must be added. Under-filled cans will be underweight and the headspace will be too large, resulting in too much air being left in the can. Overfilling may lead to seams being strained during processing and to ends becoming distorted and bulged.
If the product forms hydrogen on storage as is the case with coloured fruits, swelling of the can due to hydrogen pressure will occur more quickly in an overfilled can than in one which has been correctly filled. Overfilling also affects heat penetration in the can and may lead to spoilage outbreaks.
Air removal
Before the can is seamed, air must be removed from the contents and the headspace. Normally, this is carried out by passing the cans through a steam box until the temperature at the centre of the can is at least 160° F. This operation, termed exhausting, is necessary for the following reasons:
This ensures that the ends remain concave, even when storage temperatures are a little higher than usual, and also acts as a reservoir for hydrogen which may be formed by reactions between the can and its contents. Thus a high vacuum makes for a long shelf life. Large cans, however, should not reach such a high exhaust temperature before seaming as smaller cans because of the danger of the can body collapsing on cooling, a condition known as "panelling".
Double seaming
The can should be double-seamed as soon as the correct centre temperature has been attained. Any delay between exhausting and seaming will lead to loss of vacuum and may lead to bacterial spoilage. The quality of the double seam must, of curse, be frequently checked.
Heat Processing
After seaming, the cans are heated for a definite time at a definite temperature to kill or inhibit organisms which may cause spoilage. This operation is termed "heat processing".
The times and temperatures required for "heat processing" of various packs have been determined experimentally to ensure that spores of the most heat resistant food poisoning organisms known, Clostridium botulinum, are destroyed.
There are other organisms, however, whose spores are more heat resistant than those of Clostridium botulinum and which although they will not cause food poisoning may cause spoilage and for this reason the minimum heat processing time is often exceeded by recommendations made by laboratories.
At the same time there is a limit to the amount of heating which a canned food may be given without spoiling its flavour, texture and colour and this also has to be taken into consideration when process recommendations are made.
Bacterial spores have a greater resistance to heat when the growth-medium is neutral or near neutral, and neutrality is normally required for bacterial growth to commence. Because of this, canned foods have been broadly divided into two groups:
a) "acid" foods having a pH of 4.5 or lower and
b) "non-acid" foods having a pH of more than 4.5.
"Non-acid" foods (vegetables) must, therefore be "heat processed" at high temperatures using steam under pressure, whereas "acid" foods (fruit) may be processed at the (lower) temperature of boiling water, since this will kill moulds and yeasts and if any bacterial spores survive the combination of acid and heat, they will be inhibited from growth by the acid environment.
The rate of destruction by heat follows a definite pattern, the same proportion of the surviving bacteria being destroyed in successive units of time. The more bacteria there are in a pack, the more time will be need to reduce their numbers. For this reason, it is essential that the initial number of bacteria be kept low, and this may be achieved by ensuring fast and hygienic handling at all stages in the cannery.
Pressure gauges and retort temperature control equipment must be checked frequently for accuracy. Processing times and temperatures must be strictly adhered to, and complete removal of air from the retort during processing must be achieved by adequate venting. Failure to remove the air completely will result in their being cold spots in the retort and intermittent spoilage is likely.
Cooling
As soon as the heat processing time is completed, the cans are cooled in chlorinated water as rapidly as possible without damaging them. Cans processed in steam develop high internal pressure because of the expansion of the foodstuff, the expansion of air in the can and the increase in the vapour pressure of the water in the can.
During the heat process, these pressures are counter-balanced to some extent by the pressure of the steam in the retort, but on releasing this steam pressure at the commencement of the cooling period, the pressure in the can may be sufficient to strain the seams seriously and may even distort the ends.
Cans of A21/2 size or larger, when processed at temperatures of 240° F or more, are liable to undergo permanent distortion, such as peaking. This may be avoided by pressurecooling, which involves replacing steam pressure by air pressure before introducing water to the retort, and maintaining this until the pressure inside the can has fallen to a safe level.
This presents difficulties, since if the air pressure is maintained after the can has developed a vacuum, the can body is liable to collapse. Where pressure-cooling is not carried out, the retort pressure is allowed to drop slowly to atmospheric pressure and the cans are then cooled with water.
Storage
After cooling, the cans should be stored in cool, dry conditions. The maintenance of a constant temperature is desirable, since a rise in temperature may lead to condensation of moisture on the can, with possible rusting. Cool conditions are required because storage at higher temperatures not only causes chemical and physical changes in the product and the container but also introduces a risk of thermophilic spoilage.
Other known causes of container spoilage in storage are the use of labels and cardboard cases which have too high a chloride content, and the use of unseasoned wood in the manufacture of packing cases, all of which tend to cause rust formation on the cans.
General technical operations for fruit and vegetable canning lines
a) Receptacle washing will remove the impurities and, as much as possible, the microorganisms on the inner surface of metallic cans or glass jars. Washing must be performed just before receptacle filling in order to avoid a new contamination.
Washing methods are variable and depend on receptacle type and need to be carried out with adequate mechanical equipment.
Metal cans are washed on the can feeding lines of filling equipment; a high pressure spray of warm water (65-8° C) is directed into the receptacles while these are submitted simultaneously to a rotation and forward motion.
Glass jars are submitted to a triple washing: wetting for 10 min in a warm detergent and disinfectant solution (40-45° C) containing 100 mg active Cl/litre; washing with high pressure (2.5-3 at) warm water sprays (65-85° C); rinse with cold water. Special attention MUST be given to recycled glass jars; washing process must be intensified or repeated, depending upon their contamination.
b) Receptacles are filled in order to maintain a specific ratio between the solid part of the composition and the filling or covering liquid.
For canned vegetable products, the covering liquid may be a 1-3% salt solution with or without addition of sugar (1-3%), tomato concentrated juice or various sauces based on concentrated tomato juices. Salt solution (brine) preparation may be performed with salt percolators; the resulting solution is saturated, containing 318 g/l and needs to be diluted to usual concentrations ( 1-3%). Brine is then heated up to filling temperatures which depend on product type (up to 85-90° C).
Sugar solutions (syrups) for fruit products may be prepared on the same type of percolators as brine.
Receptacle filling is carried out by leaving an empty space of 5-15% of the total volume, depending on filling temperature and the product type.
c) Pre-heating (exhausting) of full receptacles aims at the removal of air from the tissues and the increase of the initial temperature of the receptacle contents. On modern production lines, exhausting is eliminated and replaced by the increase of the filling liquid temperature and hermetic receptacle closing under vacuum.
When exhausting is applied, with steam or with hot water, the pre-heated receptacles must be immediately closed in order to avoid the contraction of liquid phase and thus air introduction. Exhausting is performed in special, continuous equipment; product temperature is between 80 and 95° C, during 2-10 min.
Figure 9.7.4.1 Vertical retort ("autoclave")
Figure 9.7.4.2 Horizontal retort ("rotoclave")
