DEVELOPMENT OF BEVERAGES FROM WILD PRICKLY PEAR (Opuntia dillenii Haw.)
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Date
2017-12
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Wild prickly pear (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) is one of the wild fruit of Himachal Pradesh which
can be of great importance because of its high antioxidants, colour pigments and other quality
parameters besides its medicinal properties. So, investigations were conducted to exploit its wide quality
parameters for the development of various beverages which can be exploited on commercial scale in the
state for its proper utilization, otherwise, this fruit is going waste. Because of mucilagenous
characteristics of its pulp in the fruit, it was not possible to extract the juice by physical methods, but
enzymatic extraction of juice worked well. So, out of various enzymes Viscozyme+Pectinase (3:1) @
0.1 per cent and 120 minutes holding time at 50oC temperature was found to be the best method for the
juice extraction from its fruit. Best quality beverages without the addition of colour and flavour were
prepared viz; drink by keeping juice 14 per cent, 12oB TSS and 0.30 per cent acidity; squash by keeping
35 per cent juice, 40oB TSS and 1.20 per cent acidity; appetizer by keeping 35 per cent juice, 45oB TSS
and 1.20 per cent acidity along with spice extract and syrup by keeping 30 per cent juice, 65oB TSS and
1.50 per cent acidity from its juice. Although all the products after packing in glass and PET containers
could be stored successfully in refrigerated storage (4 - 7oC) for six months. However, quality of the
products packed in glass bottles was retained better in refrigerated storage conditions as compared to the
polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) stored in ambient temperature conditions (15 - 25oC). The cost of the
products prepared from wild prickly pear fruit juice was comparable to the cost of the similar products
in the market. Hence, wild prickly pear fruit can successfully be utilized for the production of good
quality and nutritionally enriched products with remunerative cost on commercial scale.
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