This study was carried out to determine the optimum temperature of the jicama pickle solution by evaluating physicochemical and sensory characteristics at various temperatures. The soaking solution of the jicama pickle was prepared at different temperatures (95, 75, 50, and 25oC). During storage, the titratable acidity, Brix, and the salinity of the jicama pickles increased, and these values increased with increasing temperature of the soaking solution. The higher the temperature of the soaking solution, the lower the L and b values. In all samples, the hardness increased rapidly until the 5th day of storage, and then gradually decreased. During storage, the jicama pickles showed a high tendency to harden at soaking solution temperatures of 75 and 95oC. Sensory evaluation indicated that the taste, flavor, crispness, and overall preference of the jicama pickle were higher at a soaking solution temperature of 75oC and above. The higher the temperature of the soaking solution, the higher the acceptability. Based on these results, we conclude that soaking solution temperature of 75°¦95oC in the manufacture of jicama pickles had a positive effect on the reduction in tissue softening and the sensory properties of the jicama pickle.

This study was performed in order to provide basic data for predicting the usefulness of Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) as a food raw material. The changes in the physicochemical properties of freeze-dried and hot air-dried Jicama were investigated and analyzed. The moisture content of raw Jicama was 81.84%. The crude protein, crude fat, crude ash and carbohydrate content of hot air-dried Jicama powder were 2.85, 0.79, 7.93 and 88.44%, while those of freeze-dried Jicama powder were 3.93, 0.83, 7.92 and 87.32%, respectively on dry basis. Regarding the color values, the lightness of freeze-dried Jicama (92.86) was higher than that of the hot air-dried Jicama (88.01), whereas the redness (-0.67) and yellowness (3.21) of freeze-dried Jicama were lower than those of the hot air-dried Jicama (0.43) and (11.96), respectively. The brown index was lower in the freeze-dried Jicama (0.029) than in hot air-dried Jicama (0.107). The total sugar content showed no significant differences between freeze (46.49 mg/g) and hot air-dried Jicama (45.11 mg/g). Finally, the amylose content was higher in freeze-dried Jicama (5.66%) than in hot air-dried Jicama (6.63%).