Lactic acid fermentation of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) into pickles

Lactic acid (LA) fermentation has many benefits. It is feasible in small scale, inexpensive, and does not require additives and confers organoleptic characteristics to the foodstuff according to the habits and requirement of the consumers. Sweet potato roots were pickled by lactic fermentation by brining the cut and blanched roots in common salt (NaCl, 2-10%) solution and subsequently inoculated with a strain of Lactobacillus plantarum (MTCC 1407) for 28 days. The treatment with 8-10% brine solution was found to be the most acceptable organoleptically. The final product with 8 and 10% brine solutions had a pH of 2.9-3.0, titratable acidity of 2.9-3.7 g/kg, LA of 2.6-3.2 g/kg and starch of 58-68 g/kg on fresh weight basis. Sensory evaluation rated the sweet potato lacto-pickle acceptable based on texture, taste, aroma, flavor and aftertaste. Principal component analyses reduced the six original analytical variables to two independent components (factors), which accounted for 92% of the total variations.