Composition of spontaneous black garlic fermentation in a water bath

Abstract Garlic was fermented spontaneously in a water bath with a temperature of 72 °C and relative humidity close to 90%. The fermentation periods were 0 (fresh garlic), 7, 14, and 21 days. Several physicochemical properties: antioxidant capacity, total polyphenol, flavonoid content, pH, and browning intensity were determined. All of the chemical properties of black garlic increased significantly during the fermentation, except the pH value. The pH value was decreased conveniently during the time of fermentation. Browning intensity as physical properties also increased during the fermentation. A volatile compound in garlic during the fermentation process was analyzed by SPME-GCMS and was quite different compared with fresh garlic. A water bath could be considered as fermentation instrument of black garlic processes.