Effect of the Beet Addition on the Quality of American Preferred Kimchi during Fermentation

To improve the Quality of American preferred kimchi (APK), the APK added different ratios of beets were prepared and the Qualities of those kimchi were investigated by measuring the changes of physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics during fermentation at . The pH of APK added beet (APKB) decreased as the amount of beet increased while total acidity gradually increased. The reducing sugar content was the highest in APKB added beet at early stage of fermentation. The number of Lactobacillus sp. and Leuconostoc sp. were the highest in beet added group during fermentation. In a texture experiment, the hardness of Korean standard kimchi used as control group showed rapidly decrease while the hardness of APKB were decreased slowly as fermentation proceeded. In Hunter`s color values of APKB, lightness and redness increased as the amount of beet increased while yellowness decreased. Sensory scores of overall acceptance, taste, texture and appearance evaluated by Americans as sensory panels were the highest in APKB added beet. Americans also preferred fresh kimchi to optimum ripened kimchi. Therefore it was suggested that the American preferred kimchi added beet was the best group among American preferred kimchi groups.