Effect of Osmotic and Pickling Pretreatments on Nutritional Quality and Acceptance of Traditional Fermented Oyster Mushrooms

The study was conducted to evaluate the pretreatment effects of ascorbate and osmotic solution on oven dried and pickled mushrooms. Significant differences in nutritional composition and sensory quality were observed between the pickled and dried samples of mushrooms. Pickling obtained in high moisture content, crude fibre, crude fat, crude protein, soluble solid and ash content, however, the content of carbohydrates and dry matter were lower than oven drying. Both osmotic and ascorbate pretreatments significantly affected the composition. As result, ascorbate concentration increased the protein, ash and fat contents of mushroom samples. In contrary to ascorbate pretreatment, osmotic solution pretreated mushrooms resulted in highest rehydration capacity. The sensory evaluation results of the pickled mushrooms products had more acceptances and acquired good colour, flavour and overall acceptability than that of oven dried products. Ascorbate treatments combined with pickling are advantageous in terms of mushroom quality as compared to oven drying methods and osmotic pretreatments. Unlike osmotic pretreatments, the mushrooms that were pretreated in ascorbate were maintained their nutritional compositions, acidity and physical quality. Keywords: Ascorbate, osmotic, pretreatments, mushroom, pickling, oven drying, nutritional quality, consumer acceptabilit