Storage quality in different brines of pickled capers ( Capparis spp . )

Se encurtieron durante dos meses botones florales de tamaño intermedio de {Capparis spinosa L. var. spinosa y Capparis ovata Desf. var. canescens (Coss) recogidos de plantas silvestres. Las alcaparras después de la fermentación se conservaron en salmueras del 10% y 20%. Las alcaparras fermentadas fueron mantenidas durante 180 días en salmueras usadas o recién preparadas (frescas) del 10 y 20%, determinándose a intervalos la estabilidad durante la conservación por análisis físicos, químicos y microbiológicos. La calidad del producto se mantuvo en todas las muestras de alcaparras fermentadas durante los 180 días, tanto en 10% como en 20% y en salmueras usadas o frescas. La acidez durante la conservación fue mayor en salmueras usadas. El crecimiento de bacterias del ácido láctico se observó sólo en salmueras frescas del 10%, decreciendo desde el valor inicial en el caso de C. ovata y desde los 30 días para C. spinosa. Debido al escaso sedimento y a la textura más firme, C. spinosa fue preferida a C. ovata. Durante el almacenamiento en salmueras frescas, no se observó formación de sedimentos ni pérdida de flavor en ninguna de las especies. Los productos encurtidos pueden ser almacenados durante un largo período en salmueras frescas que contengan al menos un 10% de concentración salina.


INTRODUCTION
Capers («kapari, kebere or gevil» in Turkish) are the flower buds of Capparis genus in the Capparaceae family, a plant of tropical and arid areas.Capers grow wildly at various regions of the world are used for several purposes since ancient times.Perennial shrub plant have thick and deep roots, lignify bulky on the high of about 50-100 cm, and are generally thorny and hairly.
Certain species and varieties of capers have been cultivated especially in Mediterranean regions, and have become an important economic plant in Italy and Spain for the last three decades.The plants show strong resistance to hard environmental conditions (rocky, inclination places, poor soils and limiting water, etc.), and could proliferate by the seed on cutting (Ozcan andAkgül 1995, Akgül 1996).
Especially the fermented product from flower buds in Mediterranean countries had reestimated as a seasoning (Barbera 1991).Special pungent flavor is the result of number of sulphur-containing compounds formed by the hydrolysis of glucósidos (Brevard etal., 1992).The final product is a valuable ingredient in several foods (Gerhardt 1979;Akgül 1993).
Packed pickling products recently (about 3-5 thousand tons/year) have been exported from Turkey to European Countries.Quality and technological problems exist in the products obtained from wild plants (Ozcan and Akgül 1995;Akgül 1996).Fermentation studies as regard capers arised in the few years except for product storage after fermentation.There is little information on storage of fermented capers in Italy and Spain.It was carried out work with regard to the composition of raw and fermented buds and the effect of brine and packing on product quality of capers (Alvarruiz et al., 1990, Breward et ai, 1992, Ozcan and Akgül 1990).
However, the rise of interest to the final-product needs long storage practices.More raw buds in conjunction with plant cultivation will be also processed.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of various storage experiments on sensory, chemical and microbiological qualities of pickled capers from different plant species.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Flower buds of Capparis spinosa L. var.spinosa and Capparis ovata Desf.var.canescens (Coss.)Heywood respectively were collected from wild plants in Içel (Büyükeceli-Gülnar) and Kenya (Selçukiu) in june 1996.The buds classified in the size between 8 and 13 mm were processed in 10 % and 20 % (in equilibrium) brines for storage.Middle size (8 < X < 13 mm) buds were put into 3 L jars and brined at a pack-out ratio of 2/1 (brine/buds).Pickled products were stored to determine the storage stability, during 180 days in old and fresh brines at the same concentrations.The brines were analysed at certain intervals (0, 30, 60, 90 and 180 days) (Etchells and Bell 1976).Some chemical, physical and microbiological analysis of brines were done as four replication during storage.The chemical analysis were done according to AOAC (1984).Firmness was determined according to Chesson and Moore (1985), using Biological Material Test Instrument (VIBRO-METERS SAGM., FRIBOURG SWITZERLAND, Frequency range: 0-2200 Hz, Linéarité: 0.05 % and working temperature: -10-(+50 °C) modified by Ógüt and Aydm (1991).Rogosa agar, nutrient agar, potatoes dextrose agar and Eosin Methylen Blue agar were used for lactic acid bacteria, total bacteria, yeast-mould and conforms respectively.Results were analysed for statistical significance by analysis of variance (Minitab 1991) and differences among groups were established by Duncan method (MStat C 1991).Experiments and analyses were replicated and duplicated.

Appearance Properties
Color of buds in old and fresh brines of both species at initial storage were yellowish green.C. spinosa buds were also the same colour in all brines after 30 days storage.From 60 days, color of C. ovata buds were bright in old brines and dull yellowish green in fresh ones.Colors of brines through storage had generally brownish red, however dull color was dominant at ones.
Flavor in fresh brine products according to old brines partly decreased, similar results were reported by Alvarruiz et al., (1990).No sediment with fresh brine was observed and the buds reached rapidly to the bottom.Opening was not observed in buds of species for both brines.Tiny grayish spots on the surface of buds were less with fresh brines than the old ones.This fact was due to put in to fresh brine from old brines of fermented buds.Firmness of buds in fresh brines decreased partly but C. spinosa buds were more firm texture.
According to these results, color of buds in both species changed during storage.Color of C. spinosa was more yellowish green desired.
Fresh brines were beneficial for eliminating off-flavors.Also no sediment was observed, and thus fresh brine might suggest for product stability during storage.Furthermore, fresh brines resulted in reaching to the bottom of buds that exhibited advantage to color quality of storaged product.Bud firmness decreased partly, however, having an negative effect.In fresh brines, more firm buds of C. spinosa were superior to C. ovata.
Storage conditions of several fermented products may be affected through physical, chemical and microbiological properties of brine in conjunction with salt concentration (Sahin 1985).

Storage Characteristics
Brine analysis results of both species in middle size fermented buds at 10 % and 20 % old and fresh brines are given in Table I.
Relationship between acidity and pH values (on 60, 90 and 180 days) of 10 % and 20 % old and fresh brines during storage was statisticaly significant (P < 0.01 ).Lactic acid bacteria grown in 10 % fresh brines of both species.On initial and 90-180 days difference between LAB value were significant at the P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 level, respectively.Differences between of both species firmness values in 20 % old and fresh brines on initial and 180 days respectively were significant at the P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 level.
Acidity values during storage were low at the samples with fresh brine of C. ovata and C. spinosa.pH decreased markedly in 10 % fresh brine as from initial to final storage.
Generally total and coliform bacteria counts in old brines of C. spinosa were lower levels than other samples.Yeasts-moulds growth in 10 % and 20 % old brines at initial, 10 % old and fresh brines of C. spinosa through 90 days, and 10 % fresh brine of C. ovata was detected.
No important changes occurred in bud firmness during storage.Old and fresh brines had similar effects on firmness.
Acidity in old brines was usually higher than fresh brines during storage.Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) growth were observed only in 10 % fresh brine, it decreased as from initial and 30 days at C. ovata and C. spinosa, respectively.Firmness of bud was similar in all the samples.Results suggested that 10 % salt level was sufficient for storage of fermented capers.
Even low salt concentration (ca 10 %) prevented generally tissue softening through storage.Whereas, it was known that low salt concentrations and fungal originated pectinolitic enzymes resulted in softening of fermented products (Alvarruiz et al., 1990;Fleming 1991).LAB growth in 10 % fresh brine during storage indicated available still reducing sugars.LAB were not found in old brines with the same salt concentration, probably due to soluble inhibitory substances of buds.
As a result, the product quality was sinnilarly kept with 10 % and 20 % old or fresh brines.During storage in fresh brine, sediment and off-flavour were not observed for both species.Fermented products can be stored in brine containing at least 10 % salt.
Decreasing of off-flavors preventing of sedimentation, and desirable firmness of buds suggested that fresh brine have to use for long-term storage of pickled capers.Alvarruiz etal., (1990) also reported that salt concentration should not be below 10 % for firmness and color in capers storage.They indicated, otherwise, some off-flavor and/or softening defects.Our results were generally similar to literature findings, with minor differences from different raw materials and process parameters.

CONCLUSIONS
Since kept of bud color, no sediment, rapidly reached bottom of buds, removing of undesirable odor in old brine and decreased microbial amounts, the fresh brine containing at least 10 % salt should be suggested for storage of pickled capers.