THE EFFECTS OF ACIDIFICATION AND TEMPERATURE DURING WASHING OF SPANISH-STYLE GREEN OLIVES ON THE FERMENTATION PROCESS

The effects of temperature (22 and 40 degrees C) and acidification by HCl, H3PO4 and fermentation brine during the washing step of Spanish-t ype green olive processing were studied. When acids were added to the washing waters, the diffusion rates of sugars and polyphenols from the flesh of olives to the surrounding liquid diminished. This phenomenon could be related to the pH of the washing water. Both heating and aci dification during the washing step influenced later lactic acid fermen tation and the final values of the combined acidity in. brines. Thus, when the washing step was carried out at 40 degrees C the fermentation process was accelerated.