The effect of repeated use of seasoning pickle on the quality of mirinboshi, the seasoned and dried anchovy Engraulis japonica, was investigated. Anchovies were soaked in the seasoning pickle, a water solution of sugar and salt, which had been repeatedly used 10, 20, and 30 times, then sun-dried. After each use, the seasoning pickle was supplemented with the proper amounts of sugar and salt.
Total-N, amino acid-N, free amino acid, and inosinic acid concentrations of the seasoning pickle increased as the number of times of use increased, and brown color of the seasoning pickle also deepened. The losses of water soluble components such as free amino acids, inosinic acid, and other nitrogenous components from anchovy meat seem to be higher freshly prepared seasoning pickle than to the repeatedly used pickle. When the seasoning pickle was repeatedly used, therefore, the concentrations of extractive nitrogen, free amino acids, and inosinic acid in the final mirinboshi products were fairly high compared with those processed using freshly prepared pickle. Also, the products were tinged deep brown, which resulted in high stability to lipid oxidation, as evaluated from the POV and fatty acid composition of the lipids during storage at -20°C.
These results suggest that the repeated use of seasoning pickle is very effective for improving the flavor, color, luster, and stability against lipid oxidation in mirinboshi.
