Preserving jackfruit: unlocking year-round availability as industrial ingredient for value-added food products

Abstract

The research aimed to preserve jackfruit and produce value-added food products to address the seasonal availability of jackfruit, which often results in significant waste. Due to its limited time in the market and the potential for wastage during periods of abundance, there is a need for preserving jackfruit to extend its availability throughout the year. The study focused on developing innovative food products using jackfruit concentrate as industrial ingredients for the food industry, as current commercial applications for jackfruit nutrition are limited. The process involved preparing jackfruit concentrate through the boiling and evaporation of pulp until reached at 40 %TSS (20 % added sugar). Organoleptic evaluations determined this concentrate to be the most suitable product. Subsequently, various food items, including jackfruit jam, jackfruit leather, jackfruit pitha, and jackfruit candy, were produced using this concentrate. Organoleptic assessments were conducted for these food products, followed by an examination of their physicochemical, nutritional properties and microbial load. The chemical composition of the products revealed a range of characteristics, including 30 to 80 %TSS, 4.9–17.25 mg 100 g −1 vitamin C, 17.01–79.83 % total sugars, 9.67–51.98 % reducing sugars, 6.80–30.04 % non-reducing sugar, and a pH range of 4.2–5.7. These findings underscore the potential of jackfruit concentrate as an industrially significant ingredient, offering improved sensory qualities and nutritional benefits in various food applications. The study contributes valuable insights into the processing and utilization of jackfruit concentrate, paving the way for its broader adoption in the food industry.