Titrable Acidity Study

3.5.2.2 Titrable acidity (per cent)

The method described by Ranganna (1991) was adopted for estimation of titrable acidity. A weighed amount of pulp was transferred to a volumetric flask and the volume was made up with 10 times dilution with distilled water to known amount. After 30 minutes, the suspension was filtered through whatman No. 1 filter paper and the filtrate was used subsequently. An aliquot (10 ml) was taken from the filtrate and titrated against standard sodium hydroxide using phenolphthalein as an indicator. The titrable acidity was expressed as percentage, citric acid and equivalent adopting the following formula.

3.5.2.3 Ascorbic acid (mg/100 ml)

The volumetric method described by Ranganna (1991) was adopted. A known amount

After 10 minutes, the solution was deleaded by adding potassium oxalate crystals in excess and the volume was made up to a known amount with distilled water and filtered through whatman No. 1 filter paper. The filtrate was taken in a burette and titrated against boiling Fehling’s mixture (5 ml of Fehling’s solution A + Fehling’s solution 5 ml of B) till the blue colour faded. Then one ml of methylene blue indicator (1 per cent) was added and the titration was continued till the contents attained a brick red colour and titre value was noted. The percentage of reducing sugar was calculated according to the following formula:

3.5.3 Organoleptic parameters (According to 9 point hedonic scale)

Each treatments of pomegranate nectar were evaluated for their sensory parameter like colour, texture, taste, flavour and overall acceptance level based on the 9 point hedonic scale by a semi trained panel of 10 to 25 judges. An organoleptic parameters were collected on every alternated month (0, 2, 4 and 6) till 6 months of storage period. A format of sensory evaluation scorecard was as appendix-I (Ranganna, 1991).

3.5.4 Sedimentation

100 ml of pomegranate nectar was filled in the 100 ml of glass measuring cylinder and allow to resting for an hour without any disturbance. Then sedimented part was recorded as scaling on measuring cylinder,

The data was collected on physical parameters of fresh pomegranate represented as mean of three observations without statistical analysis. The data were collected on quality aspects such as biochemical parameters and organoleptic parameters of fresh product and during storage, which were statistical analyzed by adopting analysis of variance techniques as described by Panse and Shukhatme (1967). The treatment differences were tested by ‘F’ test of significance of the basis of null hypothesis. The appropriate standard errors (S.Em.±) were calculated in each case and the critical differences (CD) at 5 per cent level of probability were worked out to compare two treatment means, wherever the treatment effects were significant. The data analyzed statistically at the Department of Statistics, N. M. Collage of Agriculture, NAU and Navsari.

3.5.7 Economics of production

The economics of pomegranate nectar processing was evaluated by considering current rates of different inputs such as cost of raw materials, labours, electricity, fuel, package materials, depreciation, supervision charges and interest on the fixed capital. The gross returns as per treatments were worked out by considering prevailing market price. The sale price of the product was also calculated by adding profit margin to the cost of each product. Benefit: cost ration