Quality and Acceptability of Brine Pickled Duck Eggs

Cooked and raw duck eggs were held in saturated salt brine for periods up to four weeks. Fresh egg controls and brine pickled eggs were evaluated for flavor, texture and color by a panel consisting of about equal numbers of American and Thai ethnic origin. Albumen quality, microbial growth and pH were determined. American panel members preferred flavor, texture and color of control eggs and rejected or disliked flavor, texture and color of salt brined eggs. Thai panel members preferred flavor, texture and color of all salt brined eggs, especially those held in brine for four weeks at 21° C. Halophilic bacteria were enumerated in eggs after four weeks in salt brine, followed by four weeks at 3° C. out of brine. No halophilic organisms were detected in control eggs. Counts in uncooked eggs were lower than in those eggs cooked before brine immersion. After four weeks out of brine, counts in raw eggs reached 6.0 × 103, whereas those cooked before brine treatment reached 1.7 × 105.