Product development from tender cashew nut

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Date
2020
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Volume Title
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Department of post harvest Technology ,College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara
Abstract
Cashew, an important horticultural crop of India, has great socioeconomic significance in our country. Cashew seed is often considered a nut in the culinary sense and this nut is either eaten on its own or used in different recipes of food preparation. Substantial quantities of cashew nuts are produced during rainy season in Kerala, especially in the late season flowering types, which are inferior in quality and are being wasted. To avoid this loss, harvesting could be carried out in the immature stage and could make value added products. Hence, the present research work was carried out to study the utilisation of immature cashew kernels, its storage methods and potential of value addition. Six different varieties viz., Madakkathara-2, Sulabha, Dhana, Priyanka, Poornima and Kanaka were selected to study the physical and biochemical parameters of the immature cashew kernels. Among the physical characteristics, shelling percentage was highest for Madakkathara-2 (17.88%), the highest kernel weight was for Poornima (2.76g) and the highest kernel size, shell weight and testa weight was observed for the variety Priyanka. Other physical parameters like colour, external appearance and shape of kernel differed with varieties. The estimated range of composition of immature cashew kernels was 0.19-0.23% tannins, 4.88-9.63% carbohydrates, 5.08-9.08% fat and 7.29- 12.45% protein, which varied with varieties. Storage studies of immature kernel were carried out by preserving in different concentrations of brine solution (5%, 10% and 15%), sugar syrup (50°B, 60°B and 70°B) and after drying (2-3% moisture content). Storage period was for four months and the best storage method was preserving in 10% brine and 70°B sugar syrup, which had high organoleptic scoring and acceptable limit of microbial count. Pre-treatments like washing and steam blanching could reduce the tannin content in kernels. Various value added products were prepared from the stored kernels viz., salted bits and pickle from kernels preserved in brine; dried bits and preserve from kernels preserved in sugar syrup; and cashew ball, cookies, jaggery coated cashew bits and honey coated cashew bits from kernels preserved after drying. Most of the value added products showed high acceptability during organoleptic evaluation and was comparable with those from fresh kernels. Even some of the products like honey coated and jaggery coated cashew bits showed higher acceptability than those from fresh kernels. The immature cashew kernels are potential raw materials for preparing value added products especially during rainy season to avoid the loss of matured nuts. Also these kernels were observed to contain enough nutrients which makes it a healthy food item.
Description
MSc
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Citation
174876
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