Effect of Salt Concentration on the Physicochemical Characteristics and Sensory Acceptance of Salted Radish Pickles

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of different salt concentrations during the fermentation process on the physicochemical properties, microbial characteristics, and sensory acceptance of salted radish pickles. Five formulations (LM1–LM5) containing different salt concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) were prepared. Salt concentration significantly (p < 0.05) affected pH, lactic acid content, moisture content (MC), water activity (), and colour (L*, a*, and b*) of the fermented salted radish pickle samples. Samples fermented with lower salt concentrations exhibited lower pH, moisture content, and water activity, but higher lactic acid content compared with those fermented with higher salt concentrations. In addition, increasing salt concentration resulted in lighter, less red, and more yellow samples, indicating that salt concentration had a significant influence on the physicochemical properties of the fermented product. Microbiological analysis revealed that higher salt concentrations affected the total plate count (TPC), yeast and mould (Y&M), coliforms, Escherichia coli, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Sensory evaluation was conducted with 35 untrained consumer panellists using a seven-point hedonic scale. The results showed that LM1 (2%) received the highest mean scores for colour and odour, while LM3 (6% salt) achieved the highest mean score for texture. LM4 (8% salt) obtained the highest mean scores for saltiness, taste, and overall acceptability, indicating that it was the most preferred formulation among the panellists. Therefore, LM4 (8% salt) was selected as the optimum formulation for salted radish pickles fermented for seven days.