4. Conclusions
H. erinaceus vinegar was produced and its quality characteristics along with phytochemical contents were monitored during fermentation. During the acetic acid fermentation, there was little change in pH, yet the acidity increased from 2% to 4.09%. Organic acids in H. erinaceus vinegar increased during fermentation with acetic acid as the most abundant. Moreover, vinegar produced by H. erinaceus fermentation showed antioxidant activity comparable to other vinegars when assayed by DPPH and ABTS. The results in this research indicate the possibility that H. erinaceus vinegar could be used as a new product with antioxidant activity that is comparable to other vinegar products.