Strawberries produced in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil: quality of the frozen fruit and pulp

<p></p><p>Abstract The freezing of whole strawberries or pulp can provide raw material for the out of season use of strawberries in yogurts, fillings, toppings, ice cream and juices. However, although the consumption is not in natura, the quality of the final product should be satisfactory. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of strawberries produced in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, frozen either whole or in the form of pulp, during storage. Fruits of the cultivars Tudla, Oso Grande, Albion and Portola were produced in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais, and after harvesting, were washed, vacuum packed (whole or pulp) and frozen for up to 180 days. The treatments consisted of cultivars (c) and days of storage (d), constituting a double factorial c × d design, using three repetitions of 10 fruits per batch or three pulp-packs, respectively, for the frozen whole fruit assessments. The intensity of the red colour of the whole strawberries or strawberry pulp reduced during storage (reduction of hue). When whole, the cultivars 'Tudla', 'Oso Grande' and 'Portola’ were a lighter red than' Albion ', but in the form of pulp, there was no difference between 'Tudla' and 'Albion'. The 'Oso Grande' strawberries, stored whole or in pulp, showed higher soluble solids contents than those of the other cultivars, and 'Portola' showed the lowest content and also the lowest titratable acidity (when whole). The fruits and pulp of the ‘Tudla’ cultivar were more acidic. During the storage of frozen whole or pulped strawberries produced in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais, changes occurred in the colour, soluble solids and titratable acidity.</p><p></p

Sensory and quality assessment of processed raisins from three cultivars produced in the semiarid region of Brazil

<p></p><p>Abstract In the semiarid region of Brazil, viticulture has been expressively highlighted due to its capacity to allow the plants to produce significantly throughout the year. Dehydration is an efficient alternative for fruit preservation, the process being easy to apply, extending the shelf life and aggregating value to the product. It is therefore necessary to study the grape cultivars produced in the region for the production of raisins, observing the possibility of obtaining a product acceptable on the market. Thus the objective of this work was to evaluate the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of raisins produced from ‘Vitória’, ‘Niágara Branca’ and ‘Benitaka’ grapes in the semiarid region of Brazil. The experiment was carried out in the Technology Laboratory for the Processing of Vegetable Origin Products of the State University of Montes Claros, Campus Janaúba-MG, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three treatments (three grape cultivars: Vitória, Benitaka and Niágara Branca) and seven replicates (each replicate composed of three bunches of grapes). The raisins were evaluated for their moisture contents, yield, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity and sensory acceptance. The product processed from 'Niagara Branca' presented the highest processing yield, while that from 'Vitoria' showed the highest pH value. The Benitaka cultivar stood out for presenting a product with a lower moisture content, higher soluble solids content and higher titratable acidity. As for the sensory aspects, the raisins from the Vitória and Benitaka cultivars were accepted by consumers for all the attributes studied. The product obtained from the Niágara Branca cultivar was rejected by the consumers.</p><p></p