Investigating the suitability of strained yoghurt acid whey for pickling

Acid whey (YAS) is a by-product produced in the manufacture of strained yoghurt. YAS is considered as waste by manufacturers as it cannot be processed like whey due to the high amount of lactic acid its composition. With this study, our goal was to add economic value YAS by investigating its suitability as pickling media in chornichon cucumber pickle manufacture. Fermented and pasteurized pickles were produced in 4 different times with 2 different brines, vinegar and YAS. Fermented pickles were fermented for 21 days for manufacture, and their chemical and microbiological properties were followed on day 0, day 7, day 14, day 21. Pasteurized pickles are produced by applying heat treatment at 74°C for 15 minutes after filling. After production, the chemical, microbiological, sensory and textural properties of fermented and pasteurized pickles were followed in the 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The dry matter content of fermented and pasteurized pickles produced with YAS was higher than that of fermented and pasteurized pickles produced with vinegar acidity (P < 0.05). In pasteurized pickles, number of Lactococcus species decreased during storage (P < 0.05), but they were able to maintain their viability. Rapid increase in the number of lactic acid bacteria in the first 14 day of fermentation decreased the numbers of yeast-mold as LAB dominated the environment (P < 0.05). No statistical difference was observed in acid and salt values in fermented pickles at the same analysis point (P > 0.05). Pickles manufactured with YAS exhibited slight bitterness only at 2 wk of storage (P < 0,05). While no statistically significant difference was observed in fermented pickles in textural properties (P > 0.05), it was observed that pickles manufactured with YAS had higher puncture stress compared to pasteurized pickles manufactured with vinegar (P < 0.05). There werw no difference in color values between pickles manufactured with vinegar or YAS (P > 0.05), there was a decrease in L *, a *, b * values for all pickles during storage (P < 0.05). In conclusion, YAS can be used as a pickling media in chornichon pickle manufacture.