Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Food Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #152796
Title: Rapid softening of acidified peppers: Effects of oxygen and sulfite

Author
item McFeeters, Roger
item BARRANGOU, L - NCSU
item BARISH, A - NCSU
item Morrison, Sabine

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/2004
Publication Date: 7/22/2004
Citation: McFeeters, R.F., Barrangou, L.M., Barish, A.O., Morrison, S.S. 2004. Rapid softening of acidified peppers: Effects of oxygen and sulfite. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 52(14):4554-4557.

Interpretive Summary: Red bell pepper is a high value vegetable that is difficult to store in acidified brines because it sometimes softens rapidly to the point that it is unusable. In the course of efforts to develop a procedure that will allow reliable, salt-free bulk storage in acidified solutions, we found that oxygen caused rapid softening of acidified, blanched red bell peppers. Addition of sulfite at the time of acidification was effective in prevention of the softening caused by oxygen.

Technical Abstract: Evidence was found for two previously unreported, non-enzymatic reactions that affected texture retention in acidified red bell peppers. First, oxygen was found to cause rapid softening of the pepper tissue such that it lost at least 40% of the initial tissue firmness within two weeks after acidification. Secondly, sulfite added to the acidified peppers prevented the softening caused by oxygen. Combined addition of sulfite and calcium chloride resulted in better retention of tissue firmness during extended storage than either component by itself.