Candied pumpkins – a delicacy with functional properties

Abstract

Pumpkin vegetables have many functional properties. However, deep processing really supports the lost vitamins and degradation results of phytonutrients. Candied pumpkins suggest minimum processing of a primary produce and represent useful alternative to other types of confectionery. The aim of the work was to improve the technology of production of candied pumpkins with balanced flavor characteristics and higher content of carotenoids. Two types and cultivars of pumpkins were used for production of candied fruit: Muscat De Provence (Cucurbita moschata Duch) and Zhdana (Cucurbita maxima Duch). Candied fruits were made according to a traditional recipe and enriched with flavoring components. Orange and cinnamon which stand out for their valuable chemical composition were also used for improvement of flavor characteristics of the produce. The process flow included the following operations: preparing and chopping pumpkins into pieces; mixing with sugar with simultaneous addition of enriched flavor components; soaking for 8…10 hours; separating the resulted syrup; heating the syrup (t=102±1°С); pouring the hot syrup onto the pieces of pumpkins; cooling (t =35±5°С); separating the syrup; repeated heating and pouring the hot syrup onto the pieces of pumpkins; cooling and separating the syrup; drying the candied fruit (t=45±5°С); adding powdered sugar. In the process of the research with conventional methods the authors determined the general dry solids content, the content of dry soluble substance, pectin substance and sugars, titrated acidity, the content of carotenoids and ascorbic acid. The pumpkin cultivar Muscat De Provence was at a considerable disadvantage with the Zhdana cultivar in the quantity of dry solids and dry soluble substance, though it was remarkable with high content of carotenoids, which is important for the functional purpose of the produce. It is established that the applied technology of making pumpkin candied fruits allows obtaining a high quality product with balanced taste and aromatic characteristics with a high amount of carotenoids and ascorbic acid. The content of dry substance in the finished candied fruit was at 80.02...83.96%. The derived product, depending on a pumpkin cultivar and a recipe, contained from 8.05 to 16.55 mg/100 g carotenoids and up to 10.47...14.86 mg/100 g ascorbic acid.