EFFECT OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE CONCENTRATION, TEMPERATURE AND FRUIT SIZE ON THE PROCESSING TIME OF SEVILLIAN-STYLE GREEN TABLE OLIVES (OLEA EUROPAEA L.)

Sevillian-style green table olives are one of the main products derived from the olive (Olea europaea L.) tree on the market today. The way they are prepared involves the use of a sodium hydroxide solution to reduce the concentration of oleuropein, reducing the original bitter taste of the fruit. In this study we investigate the effect of hydroxide concentration, process temperature and fruit size on the time required to complete the process. Using a complete factorial design, these factors were evaluated at two levels. The shortest treatment time (180 min) was obtained using the highest levels of sodium hydroxide concentration and temperature (15 g·L-1 NaOH and 25 °C). The interaction of these two factors was significant, unlike the size of the fruits, which was not significant for the two levels tested (240 and 150 units∙kg-1)