Development of technology for the production of useful jelly candies from cucurbit crops on a natural basis

Abstract

The object of the study are the fruits of cucurbits crops, as well as confectionery products based on the fruits of watermelons and melons. The fruits of watermelons and melons are not processed on an industrial scale for a number of reasons: the lack of technological solutions for primary processing and preparation for processing, the instability of raw materials for processing. The pulp of watermelons must be processed within 5 hours under certain conditions; in the pulp of melons, changes in microbiological indicators begin within an hour of storage at room conditions. Because fruits have a high moisture content, the solution for effective fruit processing is to bind this moisture with thickeners and produce jelly candies. Sweets made without antioxidants did not withstand the standard shelf life for jelly sweets, and the growth of mold fungi increased. The reason may be the low acidity of the raw material. Citric acid was added as an antioxidant. There were problems of taste and smell; citric acid interrupts the natural smell of raw materials. During the search, the powder of dried, red-fruited rowan was chosen. The finished product had a barely perceptible natural aroma, the powder did not affect the taste. There were inclusions in the cross-section, but the appearance became more attractive. Jelly sweets without the addition of rowan powder had active mold growth on the 7th day of storage at a temperature of 22–25 °C; with the addition of rowan powder under the same storage conditions, they showed growth on the 16th day. The finished product meets all physical, chemical, and microbiological standards. The shelf life of such jelly sweets at a temperature of +6 °C in sealed packaging is up to 30 days without mold formation