Abstract
Fresh cucumber was sliced into small pieces of each approximately 10g. Fourteen sliced pieces were soaked in 3 liters of aqueous solutions of 5-20% sorhitol, or 10% NaCl solutions containing 520% sorbitol at 4°C with continuous stirring.
Quantities (%) of sorbitol and NaCl permeated together with moisture content of the flesh were assayed during the soaking process. The results were as follows:
(1) Permeation of NaCl and sorbitol into the flesh proceeded at a fixed weight ratio of the two compounds throughout the whole soaking process.
The ratio of quantity between sorbitol and NaCl in the flesh was dependent on the composite ratio of the two compounds in the soaking solution employed.
(2) The quantity of sorbitol permeated in the flesh was inversely proportional to the moisture content of the same flesh. This inverse proportionality varied somewhat with co-permeation of NaCl.
(3) Similar inverse proportionality was observed between NaCl quantity and the moisture content of the flesh. The relationship also varied with co-permeation of sorbitol.
(4) From the linear relations between the quantity of the two compounds and the moisture content, apparent rates of dewatering by sorbitol and NaCl were evaluated. It was thus found that the dewatering rate induced by the combination of sorbitol and NaCl was nearly the same as the total of those induced by sorbitol and NaCl alone.
These results indicate that the moisture content of the cured cucumber can be controlled by changing the composition of NaCl and sorbitol in the soaking solution.
