Effects of Processing Technique on the Sensorial Quality and Shelf Life of Button Mushroom Pickle

Mushroom is a protein rich food having high medicinal and nutritional value consumed by the people of different age group. Mushroom is highly perishable and start deteriorates within 1-3 days in ambient condition (26 ± 4°C). To increase the shelf life and assure availability all year round, five differently treated button mushroom pickles were made with the objectives to assess the treatment with best sensory acceptability and shelf life. Five treatments varied in the concentration of salt, mustard oil, spices, and addition of vinegar were taken for this study. Shelf-life study for differently treated pickles stored in sterilized glass bottle was done for a period of 12 months in order to evaluate the change in colour, flavour, texture and visual appearance of fungus. After critically observing periodically, T₅ (salt cured blanched button mushroom + 6% salt + spices + 30% Mustard oil and 10% vinegar) sample was found to be the best treatment as compared to the other treatments. It has been observed that there was No change in colour, texture, taste, flavour and no fungal growth up to the twelfth month of storage without any deterioration in quality parameters. Multivariate analysis showed that colour was the most dominant and significant parameter attributed to the overall sensory parameter and their attribution was in order colour (r = 96.5%) > flavour (r = 95.0%) > texture (r = 92.2%) > appearance (r = 94.3%) > taste (r = 85.7%).