Research noteEffect of post-fermentation storage on Spanish-style green Manzanilla olives

•Spanish-style green table olives can be properly stored at ∼9% NaCl.•Post-fermentation storage affects physicochemical characteristics of brines.•Post-fermentation storage phases causes a progressive deterioration of texture.•Storage decreases lactic acid bacteria population in brine and on olive surface.•The initial fermentation profiles persist after storage phase and packaging.

The work studies the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory changes which take place during the post-fermentation storage phase of Spanish-style green Manzanilla olives, achieved mainly by increasing NaCl to up to ∼90 g/L. The storage caused: i) an overall significant titratable acidity decrease and combined acidity increase, ii) a degradation of the texture of the fruits, iii) a considerable decrease in the lactic acid bacteria population, and iv) non significant changes in the yeast population. The later packaging of olives improved the colour index of the fruits, but did not prevent texture degradation. The multivariate statistical analysis of their sensory scores showed that the fermentation profiles of olives may persist even after the post-fermentation storage.