EVALUATING THE QUALITY AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF WATERMELON AND APPLE JUICE BLENDS

Abstract

The fruit juice industry is a growing globally and the practice of mixing different fruits to make a juice blend is a recent trend being exploited in the industry. Little has been done to maximize the nutrients and sweetening content. This study evaluated the quality and sensory properties of the watermelon/apple juice blend. The watermelon and apples were obtained in the ripe stages, they were washed and chopped into smaller sizes and then blended separately. The design for the study was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Data collection and analysis were performed on pH, Total Titratable Acidity, Total Soluble Solids, protein, ash, crude fibre, potassium, potassium, calcium, iron, copper and zinc. The study revealed that 66.67% watermelon and 33.33% apple blend (W4AM) as well as the 25% watermelon and 75% apple blend (W5AM) recorded the highest value for total soluble solids (12.167 °Brix, 12.333 °Brix) and titratable acidity (0.034%, 0.034%) respectively. W5AM blend also recorded the highest vitamin C content (9.983 mg/100 g). Generally, the proximate composition of the blends had improved nutritional components as compared to the individual juices. The results showed significant differences between the blends (p<0.01) where the sensory evaluation showed that W5AM was mostly preferred amongst the blends for parameters like appearance, odour, taste and mouthfeel. However, the 50% watermelon and 50% apple blend (W6AM) were preferred in terms of overall acceptability. Furthermore, the 100% apple gave highly acidic drink. It was concluded that to obtain high nutritional and sensory quality drink, the 25% watermelon and 75% apple blend (W5AM) should be considered.