Hardaliye: fermented grape juice as a traditional Turkish beverage

Twenty-six aged hardaliye samples, collected from different spots of the Ki rklareli province of Turkey and hardaliye produced in laboratory conditions using the traditional method were investigated in this study. The pH range d from 3.21 to 3.97 Red colour (Hunter Lab a(L) value) of samples ranged fr om 1.33 to 9.66. The total bacterial count ranged from 3.5 x 10(2) to 8 x 1 0(5) cfu ml(-1) The lactic acid bacteria counts of the samples were found t o be between 1.0 x 10(2) and 4.0 x 10(4) cfu ml(-1). Yeasts and moulds, whi ch were found in 21 samples out of 26 ranged from 1.0 x 10(2) to 8.1 x 10 c fu ml(-1).Coliforms and Escherichia coli were found in none of the samples. The changes of some microbiological and chemical properties of hardaliye d uring fermentation were investigated The pH of hardaliye dropped from 3.86 to 3.39. The ethanol content of the end product was determined as 595.50 mg dl(-1) During the fermentation process, the total bacteria count, lactic a cid bacteria count and yeast count changed from 2.1 x 10(5), 6.0 x 10(4) an d 1.2 x 10(5) cfu ml(-1) to 1.3 x 10(2),1.2 x 10(3) and 1.1 x 10(3) cfu ml( -1) respectively. Lactobacilli isolated from hardaliye samples were characterized by API 50 C H and other phenotypic criteria. A succession of Lactobacillus species, dom inated by L. paracasei subsp. paracasei and L. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum were found during the fermentation process. (C) 2001 Academic Press.