BIO 01 - Performance Task
FOOD FERMENTATION SCRIPT
Sauerkraut
Alivio, Marielle Cybi C.
Quijada, Nikki Sofia S.
Tundag, Samarah E.
INTRODUCTION
Sauerkraut is made by shredding cabbage, adding salt, and then crushing
it with your hands or something resembling a mallet that can crush the
cabbage and cause it to sweat. Sauerkraut was invented by Chinese
people. The Chinese were building the Great Wall of China over 2000
years ago and needed to feed thousands of workers in a remote area.
One of the most remarkable things they discovered about cabbage is
that it can be preserved without refrigeration or canning by fermenting
it. They didn't use salt, probably because salt was scarce at the time, but
they fermented and preserved the cabbage with rice wine, and it was a
nutritious dish that fed the workers and kept them healthy and strong. It
is now commonly served as an accompaniment to sandwiches, wraps,
and salads.
LIST OF INGREDIENTS
Source of fermenting organisms
Both ingredients provide such a source of fermenting
microorganisms. The organisms obtained from the cabbage and
salt are sufficient to ferment the substrates.
Source of substrate
Our main substrate is a vegetable, in this case cabbage, which is
high in simple sugars. The simple carbohydrates in the vegetables
will also serve as substrates when they are fermented into simple
sugars. Because sauerkraut is only made with cabbage and salt,
cabbage is the only ingredient with a substrate because it is high in
simple sugars.
LIST OF INGREDIENTS
Mechanisms of Preservative Action
Spoilage microorganisms (microorganisms that cause food to spoil and develop offensive odors,
tastes, and textures. These single-celled microorganisms can cause mushy or slimy vegetables) are
also present because it will contaminate the preparation so it should be eliminated for us to have a
successful making of fermented vegetables.
Salt, an ingredient in the preparation of sauerkraut, is high in solute and thus can act as a
preservative in the preparation of sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is a product made by naturally
fermenting salted, shredded cabbage with lactic acid. Other acids produced will also contribute to
the preparation's preservative. One of the ingredients used to make sauerkraut is salt, which
contains a high concentration of solute that causes plasmolysis of microorganisms by causing
osmosis of water from the cell into the environment, resulting in dehydration of the cell and death.
The acid destroys the ionic bonds in the proteins of spoilage microorganisms by competing with
acidic amino acids involved in ionic bonding, affecting the folded and polypeptide chain bonding.
And because acids lower the pH of the environment, it causes unwanted bacteria to denaturalize
and die.
LIST OF INGREDIENTS
Transport mechanisms of preservatives
Even though salts cannot enter the cell, they do cause osmosis, which causes
water to move out of the spoilage microorganisms to balance the higher
solute concentration outside. Also, acids such as vinegar do not need to enter
the cell because they can simply denature the membrane proteins of
microorganisms. Because acids are undissociated organic acids with
properties such as fat solubility and neutral charge, they can easily diffuse
into the target microorganism's cell membrane; in the cytoplasm, the higher
intracellular pH causes the acid to dissociate, producing primarily hydrogen
ions (H+), but also acetate ions (CH3COO–). These ions are toxic to the cell
and, as a result of protein denaturation, interfere with cellular processes
such as enzyme activity.
PROCEDURE
1. Clean everything. Sterilize the jar for the fermenting process by boiling some water
in a tea kettle, pouring it into the jar, and gently wash the cabbage.
⚠ This process will aid in reducing the quantity of undesirable or spoilage
microorganisms in the preparation, hence enhancing its preservation.
2. Shred the cabbage into a thin ribbon.
3. Weigh the cabbage. Place the large bowl atop a digital scale and take out the bowl's
weight. Add the shredded cabbage and record the total weight.
4. Add about 2% of the cabbage's total weight in salt.
⚠ The concentration of salt has a controlling influence on the microbial succession.
PROCEDURE
5. Toss the cabbage with the salt.
⚠ Salt helps release water from the cabbage. It uses osmosis to separate water from the shreds of cabbage to
create the fermentation brine. It also inhibits the growth of some undesired bacteria that could degrade the product
while simultaneously creating an environment that is conducive for the good lactic acid bacteria. If the cabbage is
appropriately salted, salt also contributes to the flavor of the finished sauerkraut by ensuring a good salt-acid ratio
(balance).
6. Let the cabbage sit for about 10-15 minutes.
7. After you let the cabbage rest, it’s time to massage it. Knead the cabbage for 5 minutes. By the end of this
process, you’ll have have the brine sitting in the bottom of your bowl.
8. Pack the cabbage into the jar. Grab handfuls of the cabbage and pack them into the canning jar. Pour any liquid
released by the cabbage while massaging it in.
9. Weigh the cabbage down so that it stays below the brine.
⚠ So that it stays below the brine. Any cabbage that's exposed to the air is a potential mold grower.
PROCEDURE
10.Cover the jar. Cover the mouth of the mason jar with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band
or twine.
11.Over the next 24 hours, press down on the cabbage every so often. As the cabbage releases its
liquid, it will become more limp and compact and the liquid will rise over the top of the cabbage.
12.If after 24 hours, the liquid has not risen above the cabbage, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup
of water and add enough to submerge the cabbage.
13.Ferment the cabbage for 3 to 10 days. Store at room temperature 68°F to 72°F
⚠ If the temperature is above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, the sauerkraut may become soft and lack
flavor. If the temperature is below 60 Fahrenheit, the fermentation may be sluggish and the proper
acidity may not be achieved.
💡 T he equation showing the reactions that occur during
fermentation is as follows:
By converting two molecules of pyruvic acid from glucose, two ATP molecules
and two NADH molecules are produced. Oxygen is not present when glycolysis
takes place. Pyruvate serves as the final electron acceptor in the lactic acid
fermentation process, with NADH serving as the electron carrier.
As a consequence of the conversion of each pyruvic acid molecule to lactic acid,
4NAD+ is produced. Two of the NAD+ return to resume glycolysis. The lactic acid
fermentation pathway where glucose is first converted to pyruvate by
glycolysis, followed by the conversion of glucose to pyruvate yielding two ATPs
is known as homolactic acid fermentation. This reaction takes place in the
presence of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase.
Some Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus species frequently use this
route.
A brief but comprehensive explanation as to
how fermentation happens and how it occurs
in the food product.
Classifying the raw materials used in your assigned product
to biomolecules.
White cabbage Brassica oleracea L. (var. capitata cv. Lennox)
was applied as the raw material for the fermentation,
Isothiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, goitrin, allyl cyanide, and
nitriles were determined.
Identifying the optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme involved in fermentation.
The pH of the sauerkraut during the fermentation for all treatments is between 3.56 - 5.71
pH. The longer the fermentation, the lower the pH that turned into acidic condition. The
higher salt concentration causes the pH of the sauerkraut to increase, the bacteria’s
fastest growth is in acidic condition.
Sauerkraut must be stored inside a container at 70 to 75°F while fermenting. At these
temperatures, sauerkraut will be fully fermented in about three to four weeks; at 60 to
65°F, fermentation may take six weeks. Below 60°F, sauerkraut may not ferment. Above
80°F, sauerkraut may become soft and spoil.
Highlighting parts of the cell involved in fermentation.
1. Leuconostoc mesenteroides
2. Lactobacillus brevis
3. Pediococcus pentosaceus
4. Lactobacillus plantarum
Identification of fermenting organism involved in fermentation.
Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a bacterium associated with the sauerkraut. This
organism initiates the desirable lactic acid fermentation in these products. It
differs from other lactic acid species in that it can tolerate fairly high
concentrations of salt and sugar (up to 50% sugar). L. mesenteroides initiates
growth in vegetables more rapidly over a range of temperatures and salt
concentrations. It produces carbon dioxide and acids which rapidly lower the
pH and inhibit the development of undesirable microorganisms. The carbon
dioxide produced replaces the oxygen, making the environment anaerobic and
suitable for the growth of subsequent species of lactobacillus. Removal of
oxygen also helps to preserve the color of vegetables and stabilizes any
ascorbic acid that is present.
Cell modifications in the fermenting organism.
1. Leuconostoc mesenteroides - a heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium is
exceptionally well adapted to sugary environments and, as a result, possesses a
broad range of biocatalytic capabilities that are important in carbohydrate
modifications.
2. Lactobacillus brevis - is a microaerophilic, obligately heterofermentative, lactic
acid bacterium that has been isolated from numerous settings.
3. Pediococcus pentosaceus - categorized as a “lactic acid bacteria” because the
end product of its metabolism is lactic acid.Gram-positive microbes that produce
energy via fermentation.
4. Lactobacillus plantarum - it is an extremely common and adaptable lactic acid
bacteria. It is a component of the vegetable fermenting product's microbiota.
References
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-sauerkraut-in-a-
mason-jar-193124
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-
science/sauerkraut#:~:text=Sauerkraut%20is%20the%20product%20re
sulting,fermentation%20of%20salted%2C%20shredded%20cabbage.
https://www.fao.org/3/x0560E/x0560e10.htm#:~:text=Leuconostoc%20
mesenteroides%20is%20a%20bacterium,up%20to%2050%25%20sugar).
https://www.verywellfit.com/cabbage-nutrition-facts-calories-and-
health-benefit-4117541
https://extension.psu.edu/lets-preserve-fermentation-sauerkraut-and-
pickles#:~:text=Store%20the%20container%20at%2070,may%20becom
e%20soft%20and%20spoil.
