METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF FIRMNESS IN CUCUMBER SLICES1

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Abstract
A punch and die assembly was adapted to the Instron UTM for deter‐mination of firmness of mesocarp and endocarp tissues in cucumber slices. A cylindricalpunch 0.315 cm diameter (0.200 to 0.635 cm diameter tested) and a cucumber slice thickness of at least 0.48 cm were found to be suitable for the method developed. Penetration force was about five times greater for mesocarp than endocarp in 4 to 5 cm diameter cucumbers. Mesocarp and endocarp were firmer near the stem end than near the blossom end of cucumbers. Force readings also declined for both tissues with increase in fruit diameter from about 2 to 6 em. Single slices taken from the center of 20 cucumbers and punched once each at specified locations in the mesocarp and endocarp provided sufficient sampling to limit the coefficient of variation to about 5%. The correlation coefficient between sensory analysis for firmness and puncture force readings of fermented cucumber slices was 0.88.

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