Marination of Beef With Unripe Grape (Koruk) Products at Different Holding Times: Quality Assessment

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of utilizing unripe grape (koruk) juice (UGJ) and dried unripe grape pomace (DUGP) with thyme as marinade components and applying distinct marination holding times (2, 24, 48 h) on the physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of beef. pH, total acidity, salt content, water activity, and marinade absorption values of samples were affected by the usage unripe grape products (UGP) in marinade formulations and different marination holding times. UGP demonstrated efficacy in impeding oxidation at 48 h of marinating. The most efficacious treatment in reducing the counts of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) and total psychrotrophic aerobic bacteria (TPAB) in samples was achieved by marination with 50% UGJ for 48 h. The counts of Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, and LAB were below the detection limits for samples marinated with 50% UGJ and 50% UGJ with thyme and salt. If the marination process was conducted for 24 h, it was observed that all marinated sample groups exhibited significantly elevated scores for color, texture, and overall acceptance when compared to the control sample (p < 0.05). The overall acceptance scores of the samples marinated for 24 h with 25% and 50% unripe grape juice, as well as thyme and salt, were 6.6 and 6.7, respectively, on a 9-point hedonic scale. It was thus concluded that UGJ and DUGP could be recommended as natural components in beef marination for the purpose of improving quality characteristics.