Development of fruit mincemeat based on palmyrah fruit leather with the addition of dried fruits

Abstract

The fruits of the plant palmyra (Borrasus flabellifer L.) provides health and immunity. This fruit is often wasted during peak season due to low usage among consumers and industries. To increase the usage of palmyra fruit, developing value addition techniques are ideal. Making palmyra fruit leather (PFL) and adding additional dried fruits to the fruit mincemeat was the aim of this study. The pulp was manually extracted, and eight treatments were prepared by adding different percentages of citric acid and sugar to reduce the bitterness of the palmyra fruit pulp. The PFL was prepared by spreading it on a stainless-steel plate and drying it at 60 °C for 6 hours. The dried PFL was peeled off the plate and cut into small pieces. PFL pieces and dried fruits such as mango, banana, date and raisin were mixed to create the fruit mincemeat. The sensory evaluations were performed on all samples by 12 trained panellists using hedonic scale. PFL 3 received the significantly higher rating for sensory attributes and identified as the best formulations for the fruit mincemeat. The proximate and mineral composition, as well as microbial characteristics of PFL3, were analysed using the AOAC method. The total plant count was analysed and found absent in fruit mincemeat. Palmyra fruit mincemeat demonstrated excellent sensory qualities and nutritional value, indicating that it is a product rich in minerals and nutrients. This product could potentially market with attractive packaging to increase its market share in both locally and globally