The Canning of Green Bananas. I. Processing Factors Affecting the Acidification of Hot Water Peeled Fruit

Abstract

Acidification of green bananas by blanching in hot acetic acid or citric acid solutions (160-190° F: 71-88° C) lowered the pH of the fruit at a much faster rate than dipping in the acid solutions at room temperature. A combination of blanching in hot acid solutions and canning in acidified brine proved to be an adequate acidification procedure when using either acetic or citric acids. However, acidification in the can with 2% salt brines acidified to .3-.35% citric acid proved to be the simplest procedure to lower the pH to a safe level for boiling water processing. Storage of acidified samples at room temperature resulted in negligible changes in the stabilization pH and on the pH of the solid portion, but at the end of a year of storage the fruit pH was always higher than the stabilization pH. The acidity of the green fruit affected the pH of the canned acidified product, which increased as the acidity of the raw fresh fruit increased. Unsalted canned bananas were higher in pH and lower in titratable acidity than samples packed in 2% salt brines.