[CH] More on fermentation
Gregory (sclash27@execpc.com)
Tue, 20 Oct 1998 22:13:43 -0600
A few weeks ago I was watching "Food Science" on PBS. (A television show
that is a broadcast of food science lectures at The University of
Wisconsin-Madison) On this particular day they explained in detail the
fermentation process of sauerkraut. The professor named the particular
species of micro-organisms that are involved and the method used to ensure
that those are the micro-organisms that you end up with. This is what I
remember;
1. Salt eliminates those that are salt intolerant.
2. Keeping the sauerkraut at room temperature causes to gain predominance
those micro-organisms that can flourish at that temperature.
3. Cutting off the air eliminates those that require it.
4. One of the micro-organisms that remains produces acid until it expires.
5. the last micro that remains is anaerobic, salt tolerant, room
temperature flourishing, and acid tolerant.
I was unable to remember which particular micro-organisms were involved, so
I e-mailed UW-Madison to see if I could get a transcript of what I saw on
television. This is the response I recieved:
Hi Gregory Schultz
I am answering your question based on info. that i got from a book.
<italic>Enterobacter cloacae
Erwinia herbicola
</italic>These are Gram negative bacteria (rods) that decrease in number
with time of fermentation
<italic>Leuconostoc mesenteroides
</italic>It is a heterotroph that produces lactic acid, Carbon dioxide
and flavor and compounds that stimulate the other Lactobacillu (bacteria
that produce lactic acid )
<italic>Lactobacillus plantarum
</italic>These are the homofermentative bacteria (that produce only acid)
that produce 1.7% lactic acid and dominate the microflora as fermentation
progresses.
Reference: Introduction to Food Fermentation (Text for fermentation
course at Kansas State University) by Daniel Y. C. Fung.