The Effect of Initial Sodium Chloride Concentration and Amount of Additional Calcium Compounds on the Yield and Hardness of Salted Mume Fruit under Early Brining Process

Abstract

In order to improve the yield, shrinkage and hardness of salted mume fruit, the authors attempted to elucidate some factors for improvement of the salting method. The effect of initial NaCl concentration and Ca compounds content of the salted mume fruit was investigated. And mutual relationships between the hardness of salted mume fruit, pectic substances and Ca content were examined. The following results were obtained. 1) The yield of salted mume fruit increased with the declining of initial NaCl concentration. And the yield produced by using of the brine salting method with declining of initial NaCl concentration was about 20% higher than that produced by using of the dry salting method. 2) The declining of the yield, shrinkage, softening and increasing of pectin content in salted mume fruit were observed according to the increasing of initial NaCl concentration. 3) The yield, hardness and Ca content in alchohol-insoluble solid (AIS) of salted mume fruit increased with addition of Ca compounds. 4) The hardness of salted mume fruit, which included the large amounts of both hydrochloric acid-soluble pectin and sodium hydroxide-soluble pectin, and small amount of water-soluble pectin as pectic substances composition, was high. 5) With respect to the changes of cation contents in AIS by the brine salting method, Ca and Na ion contents increased, but Mg and K ion contents decreased.