Preparation and evaluation of pickles made from asparagus waste stems

The general objective of this research was to evaluate the color stability of pickled asparagus with time. The salt addition time, with respect to the color maintenance of the asparagus sprouts, and the sensory acceptability of the final products were determined in this study. Discarded asparagus stems from Longaví (Linares province), located in the central-south area of Chile, were used. The pickle preparation and sensory evaluation analysis were carried out at the Universidad Católica del Maule in Curicó, Chile. Microbiological analysis was carried out separately at a private laboratory. The pickles were prepared with three different salt concentration treatments: 2.5, 7 and 9%. The sensory and microbiological attributes were evaluated after three different time periods: 10, 11 and 12 weeks. Color, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and the sensory attributes of flavor, texture and aroma were measured. In addition, the appearance and acceptability of the pickles was assessed by a group of thirteen trained panelists. The results of the analysis showed that it is possible to prepare pickles from asparagus stems that are waste products of the agroindustry. The panelists described variations in aroma between the 13th and 24th days for the treatments 2.5% and 9%. However, they found that the flavor, color and appearance of all the pickles remained stable with time for all treatments. There were no significant differences in the acceptability of all the final products to determine which pickling method was the best.