Effect of maturity, cooking, salt and fermentation time on the quality of African oil bean (<i>Pentaclethra macropylla</i>) slices: A survey

Abstract

A survey on the effect of seed maturity, cooking, salt and fermentation time on the quality of fermented African oil bean slices was carried out. The sensory quality of fermented “ukpaka” or “ugba” slices is enhanced when mature and ripened seeds are used for production but reduced when immature macrophylla seeds are used or the product is adulterated with the addition of some non “ukpaka” seeds as part of the raw materials. 2-3 hours of steady heating using thick logs of fire wood or medium sized kerosene stove achieved the desired degree of done-ness for normal “ugba” slices. Addition of salt (after the pre-fermentation stage) just before wrapping and 3 days fermentation enhanced the flavour of the “ugba” slices. Insufficient cooking or poor handling was implicated in the darkening of the fermented “ugba” slices.