Fermentation of Cucumbers Without Sodium Chloride

Cucumbers were successfully fermented and stored in the absence of sodium chloride (salt) under laboratory conditions, provided the fruit were blanched (3 min, 77°C) before brining in a calcium acetate buffer and the brine inoculated with Lactobacillus planturum . Bloater formation was prevented by blanching even when brines were not purged of CO 2 . Firmness of cucumbers was similar in salt‐free brines or those containing salt after 1 mo, but firmness of salt‐free cucumbers was lower after storage for 12 mos. Under pilot‐scale, commercial conditions, however, the cucumbers were severely bloated, and the firmness was unacceptable after storage for 7 mo, due apparently to Microbial recontamination after blanching.