Addition of sugar, amino acids and corn steep liquor to cucumber fermentation.

The development of appreciable brine acidity in cucumber salt stock is necessary for curing the cucumbers and maintaining a desirable color during subsequent storage of stock. Several investigators (Le Fevre, 1920,1922; Joslyn, 1929; Fabian et al., 1932; Fellers et al., 1937; Fellers, 1939) recommended the addition of sugar to cucumber fermentations with the object of stimulating the acid forming bacteria and producing more lactic acid. However, Fabian and Wickerham, (1935) showed that the addition of 1 per cent sucrose to barrels of genuine dills caused an initial increase of acid forming bacteria but not an increase in final acidity. Other studies by Jones et al. (1940) and Veldhuis et al. (1941) reported that the addition of sugar at the start of fermentation, or after 7 to 10 days, or in small amounts at short intervals throughout the fermentation, did not appreciably increase acid production even when the acid forming bacteria showed a significant rise in numbers. Lactobacillus plantarum is considered to be mainly responsible for acid production in cucumber fermentations (Etchells et al., 1946; Costilow et al., 1956), therefore, the presence of plentiful amounts of essential vitamins and amino acids for its growth is of great importance. Several workers (Rosen and Fabian, 1953; Costilow and Fabian, 1953a) have demonstrated that, during cucumber fermentation, the essential vitamins are present in sufficient amounts to satisfy the needs of L. plantarum. However, Costilow and Fabian (1953a, b) reported that great coliform and yeast activity caused a decrease in cystine and tryptophane levels respectively. They indicated that these two amino acids seem to be reduced during cucumber fermentation to a critical level for the growth of L. plantarum. Since corn steep liquor is an inexpensive industrial by-product, it could be used, if beneficial, on a commercial basis in cucumber fermentation. Little information, however, is available on its application for such a purpose. A patent by Pollack (1941) recommended the addition of one ounce corn steep liquor for every gallon of brine when making genuine dill pickles. The corn steep liquor treated barrels showed 1.4 per