Contribution of starter culture to the sensory characteristics of fermented Almagro eggplants

Trial fermentations were performed using three experimental starter cultures with a view to selecting the most appropriate starter for use in the manufacture of Almagro eggplants. The lactic acid bacterial strains used in the starters had previously been isolated from spontaneous fermentations. The combined action of the obligate heterofermentative species Lactobacillus brevis and the facultative heterofermentative species L. plantarum yielded Almagro eggplants with sensory properties preferred by panelists. Conversely, another obligate heterofermentative species, namely, L. fermentum, present in certain starter formulations tested, appeared to encounter difficulty growing during fermentation and exerted little influence on the sensory characteristics of the eggplants produced.