Effects of dry-salting and brine-pickling on physicochemical properties and flavor of spaghetti squash shreds

Abstract

The effects of dry-salting and brine-pickling on the physicochemical properties and flavor of spaghetti squash shreds were investigated. The results showed that dry-salting had a positive effect on the contents of total acid, soluble sugars, reducing sugars and Vc of squash shreds compared to brine-pickling, except for the acceleration of water loss. The pH of dry-salted and brine-pickled shreds were 4.65 and 4.83 at day 12, respectively. Additionally, after 12 d of pickling, higher brittleness (34.11% higher) was observed in dry-salted shreds than in brine-pickled shreds, accompanied by higher levels of protopectin (15.31% higher), cellulose (60.71% higher) and lignin (18.75% higher) and lower activities of polygalacturonase (27.58% lower) and cellulase (13.30% lower) as well as a more intact cell structure. Furthermore, this study characterized the shred flavor by using electronic tongue and electronic nose combined with GC-MS analysis, and found that dry-salting resulted in a more pronounced salt and umami taste and a faster development of more intense aroma. These results demonstrate the benefits of dry-salting in pickling spaghetti squash shreds and provide new ideas for developing related pickled products.