Abstract
Abstract Pumpkin is a yellow or orange-colored vegetable with a mild flavor that stands out as a fiber and nutrient source. However, the products with pumpkins are still little explored in Brazil, due to high perishability in natura and to the lack of eating habits of regional baked goods. This study aimed to produce and characterize a pumpkin flour to be used as an ingredient in muffins, evaluate the technological, and sensory characteristics of these cakes, and select the most sensorially accepted muffin for nutritional composition evaluation. Three muffins were produced as following: one control (M0); and two containing 5 (M1) and 10 (M2) g/100 g of partial substitution of wheat flour by pumpkin flour, thus maintaining the other ingredients common to cakes. The technological characteristics of firmness, volume and color were evaluated. Sensory acceptance was assessed using an affective test on an unstructured 9-point hedonic scale. There were no significant differences in the firmness and image analysis (distribution, size, and pore area of the crumb) among the three muffins, however, M1 and M2 presented darker crust color, more orange crumb, and a lower volume compared to M0. The sensory acceptability of the muffins was considered as a criterion for selection for nutritional composition analysis. The muffins’ acceptance of M1 was better than M0, but without differences to M2. The consumers’ opinions were also considered, and M1 was selected for having greater acceptance. Nutritionally, M0 and M1 presented similar levels of proteins, digestible carbohydrates, and lipids, however, M1 showed a higher content of ash and total dietary fibers: 2.01 ± 0.03 and 1.57 g/100 g (dry basis), respectively. Thus, the pumpkin flour could be produced and used as a regional, enriched, and natural-colored ingredient for muffins or other bakery products, and therefore they had a socially positive impact on family farming.
Highlights
In Brazil, pumpkins (Cucurbita sp.) are grown mainly by family farming and locally commercialized due to its high perishability and low-profit margin (Resende et al, 2013)
After the processing of the Pumpkin Flour (PF), we observed an acceptable yield of 3.85 g/100 g, considering that pumpkins have only 5 g of dry matter/100 g of fresh pulp (United States Department of Agriculture, 2019)
The ash content of the dehydrated pumpkin of the mentioned study was higher when compared to our PF, which could be due to harvest variations, such as soil type stage of maturation
Summary
In Brazil, pumpkins (Cucurbita sp.) are grown mainly by family farming and locally commercialized due to its high perishability and low-profit margin (Resende et al, 2013). It is well-known that pumpkins are a high energy food source and possess a considerable amount of total dietary fiber: 1.1 g/100 g in the cooked pulp, without peel and seeds (United States Department of Agriculture, 2019). Baked goods have been targets for fortification and nutritional improvement due to their daily role in the diets of consumers (Zhou et al, 2014)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.