PICKLES!
Microbes Involved:
- Enterobacter
aerogenes
- Lactobacillus brevis and L.
plantarum
- Leuconostoc
mesenteroides
- Pediococcus
cerevisiae
- Enterococcus
faecalis
What they
do?
- E. aerogenes produces carbon
dioxide which produces and anaerobic environment.
Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc produce lactic acid
which sours and softens the cucumbers. Yeasts produce many of the
flavors. The added salt inhibits growth of undesirable bacteria
and extracts water from the cucumbers?
- Question.
By what process does the water leave the cucumber and what type of
solution are the cucumbers in?
- ANSWER
-
What are
Pickles?
- Gherkins, bread and
butter, dill, and sweet are all terms that describe various
pickles. They are essentially
fermented cucumbers with added spices such as dill and
garlic.
Pickle
Facts:
- Click
here to learn some Pickle Phacts
How are quick process
pickles different from fermented pickles?
- Each type is made in its unique
way. Most pickles are quick process pickles in which a large
amount of vinegar (acetic
acid) is mixed with salt and
other spices and boiled; this is poured over the pickles and they
are then processes. Fermented pickles use lactic
acid produced by natural
fermentation to create the characteristic flavor. The lactic acid
bacteria used also provide protection against spoilage by
producing natural bacteroicins (substances that kill
bacteria).
How to Make
Pickles
Click
here to learn how to make your own pickles
Back
to Food Production Page
ANSWER
The process is called
osmosis
(the diffusion of water across a semipermiable membrane)
and the brine is a hypertonic
solution.
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