Sensory Evaluation and Microbiological Analysis Squash (Cucurbita maxima L.) Pickles

Squash (Cucurbita maxima) is an agricultural product produced in the Philippines which is known as rich in vitamin A and C. Pickled vegetables are known in Bicol Region, Philippines as “atsara” which is considered the easiest way of preserving vegetables especially in the abundant season of vegetable. Papaya is one of the products that has been into pickles that serve as appetizers, particularly with meat during meal time. In this new innovative process, the Squash (Cucurbita maxima) can be processed into pickled products as revealed to the sensory evaluation conducted by 30 panelists. It is revealed that Treatment 1 has an appealing quality attribute to the panelists in which 500 grams of squash were added with 250 grams of sugar, 400 grams of vinegar, 100 grams of pineapple and 10 grams’ salts. It is also noted that the 400 grams of vinegar is just enough to improve the crunchiness of texture of the product. Furthermore, this study revealed that the increased weight of squash in the same pickling solution affects the flavor of the products. With regards to the microbiological analysis results suggest that the pickled squash is within the marginal quality (102 - 104 CFU/g), with Aerobic Plate counts of 5.1 x 102 CFU/ml. However, coliform count was identified therefore it is recommended that during processing good manufacturing Practices (GMP) must be strictly applied.