FERMENTED FRUTIS AND VEGETABLES.
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.

Table of Contents

FAO AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BULLETIN No. 134

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome 1998

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion what so ever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

M-17
ISBN 92-5-104226-8

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Contents

FOREWORD

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

AUTHORS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Fermented Foods : an Ancient Tradition
Fermented Foods are culturally and economically important
The need for research
Description of terms used

CHAPTER 1 : THE BENEFITS OF FERMENTING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

1.1 Improving food security
      1.1.1 Food preservation
      1.1.2 Salvaging waste foods
      1.1.3 Removal of anti-nutritional factors
1.2 Increasing income and employment
1.3 Improving nutrition
      1.3.1 Vitamins
      1.3.2 Digestibility
1.4 Medicinal benefits
1.5 Improving cultural and social well being

CHAPTER 2 : BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FERMENTATION

 2.1 The diversity of fermented foods
 2.2 Organisms responsible for food fermentation
      2.2.1 Bacteria
      2.2.2 Yeasts
      2.2.3 Moulds   
      2.2.4 Enzymes  
2.3 Desirable fermentations
2.4 Manipulation of microbial growth and activity
      2.4.1 Moisture
      2.4.2 Oxidation-Reduction potential
      2.4.3 Temperature
      2.4.4 Nutritional requirements
      2.4.5 Hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
      2.4.6 Inhibitors
2.5 Controlled fermentation

CHAPTER 3 : YEAST FERMENTATION

3.1 What are yeasts?
3.2 Conditions necessary for fermentation
3.3 Production of fruit alcohol
      3.3.1 Grape wine
      3.3.2 Factors affecting wine fermentation

CHAPTER 4 : PRODUCTS OF YEAST FERMENTATION

4.1 Fermented fruit juices
      4.1.1 Red Grape wine
      4.1.2 White Grape wine
      4.1.3 Banana Beer
      4.1.4 Cashew wine
      4.1.5 Tepache
      4.1.6 Colonche
      4.1.7 Fortified grape wines
      4.1.8 Date wine
      4.1.9 Sparkling grape wine
      4.1.10 Jackfruit wine
4.2 Fermented plant saps
      4.2.1 Palm wine
      4.2.2 Toddy
      4.2.3 Pulque
      4.2.4 Ulanzi (Bamboo Wine)
      4.2.5 Basi (Sugar cane wine)
      4.2.6 Muratina

CHAPTER 5 : BACTERIAL FERMENTATION

5.1 What is bacteria?
5.2 Lactic acid bacteria
      5.2.1 Lactic acid fermentation
5.3 Acetic acid bacteria
      5.3.1 Acetic acid fermentation
5.4 Bacteria of alkaline fermentation
5.5 Conditions required for bacteria fermentation
      5.5.1 Temperature
      5.5.2 Salt concentration
      5.5.3 Water activity
      5.5.4 Hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
      5.5.5 Oxygen availability
      5.5.6 Nutrients
5.6 Principles of lactic acid fermentation
      5.6.1 Dry salted fermented vegetables
      5.6.2 The 'sauerkraut' process
      5.6.3 Brine salted fermented vegetables
      5.6.4 Non salted, lactic acid fermented vegetables
5.7 Principles of acetic acid fermentation
      5.7.1 Microbes involved in the vinegar process
      5.7.2 Microorganisms involved in the fermentation of vinegar
      5.7.3 Fermentation methods

CHAPTER 6 : PRODUCTS OF BACTERIAL FERMENTATION

6.1 Dry salted pickles
      6.1.1 Dry salted lime pickle
      6.1.2 Pickled cucumbers
      6.1.3 Pak-Gard-Dong (Piclked leafy vegetable)
      6.1.4 Tempoyak (piclked durian)
      6.1.5 Piclked beetroots
      6.1.6 Lamoun Makbous (piclked lemons)
6.2 Brined fruit and vegetable pickles
      6.2.1 Green Mango Pickle
      6.2.2 Lime pickle (brined)
      6.2.3 Kimchi (pickled cabbage)
      6.2.4 Green olives
      6.2.5 Black olives
      6.2.6 Jackfruit pickle
      6.2.7 Pickled Radish
      6.2.8 Pickled cucumber
      6.2.9 Pickled leafy vegetables
      6.2.10 Other pickled vegetables and fruits
6.3 Non-salted lactic acid bacteria products
      6.3.1 Gundruk (pickled leafy vegetable)
      6.3.2 Kocho (pickled false banana)
      6.3.3 Sinki (pickled radish)
      6.3.4 Sunki
      6.3.5 Kanji
      6.3.6 Fermented tea leaves
6.4 Alkaline fermentation products
      6.4.1 Kawal
      6.4.2 Ombolo wa koba

CHAPTER 7 : PRODUCTS OF MIXED FERMENTATION

7.1 Vinegar
      7.1.1 Coconut water vinegar
      7.1.2 Pinapple peel vinegar
      7.1.3 Palm wine vinegar
      7.1.4 Coconut toddy vinegar
      7.1.5 Nipa Palm Vinegar
      7.1.6 Quick process pickles
7.2 Cocoa products
      7.2.1 Cocoa powder
      7.2.2 Chocolate
7.3 Coffee
7.4 Other mixed fermentation products
      7.4.1 Vanilla
      7.4.2 Tabasco
      7.4.3 Tea

CHAPTER 8 : THE WAY AHEAD

8.1 Improving the understanding of fermented products
      8.1.1 Documenting the traditional knowledge
      8.1.2 Developing a scientific understanding of the microbial processes
8.2 Refining the process
      8.2.1 Process control
      8.2.2 Quality control
8.3 Disseminating the improvements
8.4 Creating a supportive environment

REFERENCES

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Fermented foods from around the world
Table 2.2 Microorganisms commonly found in fermentig fruit and vegetables
Table 2.3 Water activity for microbial reactions
Table 2.4 Classification of bacteria according to temperature requirements
Table 5.1 Major lactic acid bacteria in fermented plant products