PROCESS

NOTES

Sliced vegetables or fruits (or whole prepared vegetables)

Prepare vegetables as shown in Diagram 3.13. and fruits as shown in Diagram 3.1.

Mix ¬ salt
Mix ¬ water
Mix ¬ (sugar)

Prepare a brine containing ingredients according to the type of product required (Table 1) and to taste (e.g. the use of sugar or different fruit and vegetable mixtures). Store vegetables for up to 18 months in food grade plastic or wooden barrels to allow natural fermentation to precede. Ensure that vegetables are held below surface of brine at all times (Fig. 12).

Fill/seal ¬ jars + lids

Remove from barrels and repack in jars. Jars and lids sterilised by boiling in water for minimum of 10 min. Fill new brine/vinegar onto vegetables in jars. Small lid sealers available (Fig. 11). Final salt content = 2-6%, final acetic acid content = 6-10%.

Fill/seal ¬ brine/vinegar

Pasteurise

Heat filled jars in boiling water for 10- 20 min., depending on the type of vegetable used and the size of the jar.

Cool

Cool in air or more rapidly in a jar cooler (Fig. 8).