Physicochemical and Organoleptic Characterization of Flavoured Pineapple Candy (Ananas comosus L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Post Harvest Technology, Department of Horticulture, SHUATS, Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) during the year 2022-2023. The pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) is a popular tropical fruit in India. It is well-known for its nutritional and therapeutic properties, but it is not an easy food to consume on its own. It has a lot of potential in processed forms like candy. Attempts are being made to create products that are not only nutritionally delicious but also consumer-acceptable. The medicinal, nutritional, and organoleptic quality of pineapple candy can be improved by mixing in different syrups such as mint syrup, rose syrup, tulsi syrup, ginger syrup, and cardamom syrup. The study followed a completely randomised design with three replications. The pineapple candy samples were examined for physicochemical changes after preparation and sensory evaluation was performed on a panel of 7 experts using a 9-point hedonic scale. These candies were kept at room temperature for around 90 days. The storage experiments demonstrated that total soluble solids and pH gradually increase till the end of the experiment, whereas titratable acidity and ascorbic acid decrease in decreasing order. Based on the organoleptic test results, treatment T3 (Pineapple + Sugar syrup @ 60% + Rose extract @ 10%) was determined to be the best-flavoured pineapple candy.