Sodium diffusion in green olives during the debittering. II: effect of lye temperature

Abstract

The diffusion of sodium in green olives, variety Arauco/Criolla was quantitatively measured during the debittering process with lye of 2,25%, at 15, 20 y 25 ºC. The experimental data were correlated with the equation: C=C1 + P0 x e -P1X x senh (P2t) x eP3Te (X=diffusion distance, t=time, Te=treatment temperature) and this equation was used to calculate the sodium concentration gradients (dC/dX). Were required 23 hours at 15 ºC and 7 hours a t 25 ºC in order to attain the same final concentration gradient. Matching the final concentration gradients with that of the treatment at 20 ºC, the treatments at 15 and 25 ºC could be ended at 15 and 4,5 hours respectively. These findings quantitatively corroborate the significance of controlling the lye temperature.

Keywords

• debittering
• diffusion
• green olives
• sodium
• temperature
• variety arauco/criolla