This study evaluated the sensory characteristics of sauerkraut prepared by adding 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% (w/w) sea salt to cabbage. The quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and acceptance test of sauerkraut were determined for each salt concentration, and the principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis were performed to confirm the correlation between each factor. Results of the QDA determined 14 descriptive terms; furthermore, brightness and yellowness of appearance and the sour, salty, and bitter flavors differed significantly according to the salt concentration. Results from the PCA explained 22.56% PC1 and 65.34% PC2 of the total variation obtained. Sauerkraut prepared using 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% sea salt had high brightness, moistness, sour odor, green odor, sour flavor, carbonation, hardness, chewiness, and crispness, whereas sauerkraut prepared with 2.0 and 2.5% sea salt had high yellowness, glossiness, salty flavor, sweet flavor, and bitter flavor. Hierarchical cluster analysis classified the products into two clusters: sauerkraut of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%, and sauerkraut of 2.0 and 2.5%. Results of PLSR determined that sauerkraut of 1.0 and 1.5% were the closest to texture, taste, and overall acceptance. We, therefore, conclude that sauerkrauts prepared using 1.0 and 1.5% sea salt have excellent characteristics in appearance, taste, and texture.

This study investigated the minimum salt concentration required for achieving the optimal quality characteristics of sauerkrauts made by adding 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% (w/w) of sea salt to cabbage according to the fermentation period. For evaluating the quality characteristics, we measured the microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and coliform group), pH, total acidity, salinity, chromaticity, and hardness every 24 hours. The lactic acid bacteria were identified and analyzed, and acceptance test was carried out on the 4th day of fermentation. The results showed that the salinity of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% sauerkrauts on the 4th day of fermentation was lower than the average salinity of Baechu-Kimchi. The 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% sauerkrauts had significantly higher lactic acid bacteria than the 2.5% sample, and the coliform group was not detected after the 5th day of fermentation. Among the microbes identified, Weissella cibaria JCM 12495 was found only in domestic sauerkraut, in addition to Lactococcus lactis NCDO 604, Leuconostoc citreum JCM 9698, and Lactobacillus sakei DSM 20017. The results of the acceptance test show that 1.0 and 1.5% sea salt sauerkraut had significantly higher overall acceptance compared to the other samples. In conclusion, sauerkraut with a salt concentration of 1.0 and 1.5% (w/w) had abundant lactic acid bacteria and excellent sensory properties, suggesting that the production of low-salted sauerkraut can be adopted to reduce consumer salt intake in the future.