EFFECT OF PICKLING METHODS ON QUALITY AND LIPID COMPOSITION OF OLIVE FRUITS

Abstract

The fruit of the tree Olea europaea has been a desirable foodstufffor thousands of years, particularly for inhabitants of countries around the Mediterranean Sea. The art of olive processing was practiced at the village level and methods were passed on through the generation. In the last I 00 years, table olive processing has moved from the village to well-developed large scale productio•n centers, particularly in Southern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and northern African countries and the United States of America (USA).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pickling methods on quality and lipid composition of olive fruits.

Wattagin, Humid, Maraqi and Picual cultivars were pickled in different methods using different concentrations of NaOH according to Spanich- style green olives and compared to the traditional method of pickling usually used in Egypt using high salt concentration.

The following pickling methods were used:

• Untreated (control) olive fruits were placed directly in brine solution NaCI (1 kg salt/3 L water), and left for a natural fermentation for 12 months.