Characteristics of Salted Radish Cubes at Different Season

Characteristics (salt concentration, weight loss, soluble solid content, moisture content, and textural properties) of radish cube were evaluated during salting. Three different summer radish cultivars harvested in high land were immersed into 15% brine solution (radish : brine solution = 1 : 2) at for 4 h. The time required to reach the optimum salt concentration (3%) was different among cultivars; 3 h for 'Bakbong', 4 h for 'Kwandong' and '92343'. Similar weight loss (about 24-26%) of salted radish cubes was found among cultivars. While the highest value of weight loss of salted radish cubes was observed with '92343', the lowest, 'Bakbong'. Hardness decreased during salting; the highest value of hardness was observer with 'Kwandong', the lowest, 'Bankbong'. The sample of '92343' has the lowest moisture content but has the highest soluble solid content and hardness, while 'Bakbong' has the highest moisture content, but has the lowest soluble solid content and '92343'. In separate experiments, seasonal variations in characteristics of salted radish cubes at optimum salt concentration (3%) were observed: for 'Bakbong', salt concentration, weight loss, soluble solid content, and hardness, and for 'Bakwang', salt concentration, weight loss, and hardness were higher in autumn cultivars than in spring or summer one, while moisture contents of both cultivars were higher in spring or summer cultivars than in autumn one.