Post Harvest Technology – Abhinava Krishi

Posted on 28 April, 202128 April, 2021 by

Future aspects in value addition of Banana Pseudostem

Introduction

Banana (Order: Zingiberales; Family: Musaceae; Genus: Musa) is an important tropical and sub-tropical fruit crop grown all over the world. India is the largest producer and consumer of banana globally, producing about 30.46 million tons in the year of 2019 (FAOSTAT, 2021), contributing about 23% of world production. India is the largest producer of banana and the major producing states are Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Banana is commonly known as Kela in Indian sub-continent and regionally as Vazhappazham in Kerala, Vazhakkai in Tamil Nadu, Aratipandu in Andhra Pradesh, Kola in Bengali and Kol in Assam.

Banana is a large perennial monocotyledonous herbaceous plant having height up to 9 m with a long pseudostem that arises from the underground rhizomes (Ghag & Ganapathi, 2018). The leaves are oval, elongated and dark green in colour with each plant producing a single inflorescence. The fruits are oblong and fleshy with very small black seeds (Imam & Akter, 2011). All parts of plantain plants namely fruits, leaves, pseudostem, rhizomes and inflorescence are useful. Thus, it is known as a ‘Kalpataru’ in India, which is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘wish granting tree’ (Ghag & Ganapathi, 2018).

The plant is traditionally used as a medicinal herb. The leaves serve as a wrap for cooking, wrapping and serving food in certain traditions. Pseudostem and inflorescence are ingredients in many traditional cuisines. Rhizomes and the outer layer of pseudostem are utilized as animal feed. The fruit part is most commonly used either as raw fruit or in desserts, breakfast dishes when it is ripened. Unripe fruits are used commonly in curries, fried chips etc. The banana fruit, peel, and banana pseudo-stem from various species of banana have been reported to be rich in total carbohydrates, fibre and minerals specially potassium.

The cultivation of plantain is mainly carried out for fruits and the other parts such as leaves, inflorescence, pseudostem, peels and rhizomes are practically wasted. However, currently they have gained the status of valuable by-products generated from banana cultivation (Padam et al., 2014). It is estimated that, for each ton of banana fruit harvested, approximately 4 tons of biomass wastes including rotten fruit, leaves, pseudostem, rhizome and fruit bunch stem are produced (Subagyo & Chafidz, 2018). That is, in a hectare, on an average about 60 to 80 tons is of pseudostem alone. Conventionally, there are a few constraints in utilizing them, for instance pseudostem and inflorescence are considered as a vegetable in certain cultures, but the acceptance is very limited when compared to other leafy vegetables due to discoloration and taste. The surface of the banana pseudo-stem is easily subjected to browning after harvest, which will affect the sensory evaluation and economic value of the banana pseudo-stem made products. Other than the medicinal and culinary uses of banana, recent researches identified plantain and its parts as a great source of phytochemicals (Reddy & Hemachandran, 2014). Several applications of the banana pseudo stem in functional food and nutraceutical industries have been explored.

Pic.1#Cross section of Pesudostem.
The part of the plant that looks like a trunk is actually a false stem, called pseudostem. It is formed by the imbrication of the leaf sheaths.

Banana Pseudostem

Banana Pseudo-stem (BPS) constitute a major part of plant biomass, which are wasted usually left in the plantation or incinerated. BPS is a rich source of fiber, total carbohydrate and cellulose (Saravanan et al., 2011). Pseudostem is the part of plantain plant, which is formed by tight overlapping of leaf stalk one over another with a center having tender core in a cylindrical shape. Plantain stem is a low cost agricultural waste, which can be altered into certain value added products in the current scenario.

Banana Pseudostem Applications

At present, the banana pseudo-stem are dumped on road side or burnt which causes environmental pollution. The usage of agricultural wastes contributes to the concept of green technology and hence paves the way towards sustainable development. Moreover it is an additional income for both small scale farmers and processing industries (Padam et al., 2014).

Natural fibre

**Pic.2# Natural fiber extracted from pesudostem of Banana**

Some researchers have successfully demonstrated the use of banana pseudo-stem and leaves for extraction of fibers on a small scale. The pseudostem fiber is used for making several value added products namely rope, cordage, fishing net, mat, packaging material, paper sheets, textile fabrics, bag, table cloth, handicrafts, absorbent, polymer/fibre composites etc. (Subagyo & Chafidz, 2018). The fiber is extracted by using a decorticator machine then retting and degumming processes are done.

Fuel

Bio-ethanol can be produced from banana pseudostem by fermentation process. Similarly, through banana waste methane can also be produced using anaerobic fermentation.

Substrate for edible

Banana pseudo stem can be utilized as a good substrate for edible mushrooms because of its high cellulose content.

Heavy metal and dye

Studies reported that banana pseudostem can be powerful absorbers of mercury and lead. Similarly it is also reported that banana pseudostem adsorbed methyl red in aqueous solution.

Organic manure

Banana pseudostem outer peels are used as organic manure for banana plantations itself.

Organic farming

**Pic.3 #Banana pseudostem used as based for growing veggies.**

Since banana pseudostem is having a good water retention capacity it can be used in organic farming. It can be done through digging small holes in the banana stem with the help of a sharp object like a knife. Add a little soil and feel free to plant as required.

Others

Pseudo-stem can be used in pulp and paper industries due to its cellulosic content. The banana pseudostem fiber can also be used for ropes such as marine rope since this fibre has good resistance to sea water and has buoyancy properties.

Banana pseudostem: Food applications

The banana central core finds use in south Indian cuisine. The tender core in the centre of the banana pseudostem is edible. In southern part of India, pseudo stem is cooked both as gravy and stir fry seasoned with ginger, garlic, chillies, shallots with curry leaves and grated coconut. In Assam, a dish called kolposola is prepared from young banana pseudostem. Some commonly prepared dishes using banana pseudostem and their recipes are Stir fry, curry, soup, stew, thor ghonto, and stem bajji.

Recently, value added innovative products from banana pseudostem are developed from Central Food Technological Research Institute, Karnataka. Apart from this, the high value products viz., mordant from sap, microcrystalline cellulose powder from fiber and edible products like candy from central core can also obtained (Desai et al., 2016). Stem juice can be prepared with or without addition of other juices like lemon or grape and sugar or jaggery (Kumar & Reddy, 2015; Ravi et al., 2011).

Extensive studies are undergone to explore various possibilities of value addition of banana pseudostem. Banana pseudostem can be dried into powder and can be utilized for carbohydrate and mineral fortification in different bakery products like bread, biscuits, cookies and dairy products like shrikhand, paneer and cheese (Thorat & Bobade, 2018).

Health benefits of Banana pseudostem

Banana stem is a rich source of fibre and helps in weight loss (Chandrasekaran, 2012).
Rich in potassium and vitamin B6.
It helps to control obesity.
It is said to be a diuretic and helps detoxify the body.
It can be used as a source of starch, pectin, cellulose, natural dye, bio generation of flavours and nutrients like dietary fibre, carbohydrates and minerals (Padam et al., 2014).
It has less glycemic index and high dietary fibre and antioxidant content which is good for diabetes (Bhaskar et al., 2011).
In southern India, it is consumed as fresh juice to prevent kidney stones (Dawn et al., 2016).
Banana pseudo-stem powder is a well-known remedy for urinary disorders, stomach troubles like diarrhoea, dysentery and flatulence.
The food products which are fortified by banana pseudo-stem powder served as nutraceutical food and these show nutritional improvement as well as prove as medicine.
It is known to be nutritionally superior and associated with several health benefits.

Recently researchers are more focused on identification, quantification and isolation of different bioactive components present in the pseudostem which have potential nutraceutical applications. Few are listed in Table 1.

Variety/Species	Study/ Bioactivity	REFERENCES
Musa spp. (8 cultivars)	Invitro Anti-oxidant activity	Saravanan & Aradhya, 2011
Musa sapientum Linn.	Invivo Anti-diabetic and Anti-lipedemic activity	*Dikshit et al.,* 2012**
Musa parasidiaca Linn.	Invitro Anti-oxidant activity	Joyetal., 2016
Musa acuminata	Invitro Anticancer activity	Nindiaetal., 2019
Musa spp. (10 cultivars)	Antimicrobial activity	*Jouneghani et al.,* 2020**

Table 1: Studies showing potential nutraceutical activities of banana pseudostem

Banana stem extracts

Banana stem extracts having potential hypoglycemic properties are traditionally used as anti-diabetic agents. A comparative study among various plant parts of plantain plant for hypoglycemic effect showed that the banana stem juice extract exhibited highest anti-diabetic activity than other plant parts as fruit, rhizome and peels (Reddy & Hemachandran, 2014).

Conclusion

Banana pseudo-stem is a by-product of banana plant which has a potential for providing profitable products. Banana pseudostem is an agro waste in plantain cultivation. So there is a great possibility of utilizing banana pseudo-stem in the food processing and other industries thereby providing an additional income for both small scale and large scale farmers. In India, the fibers are being used for preparing handicrafts, ropes etc., which otherwise can be used for making fabrics, home furnishings and good quality papers. The presence of various bioactive components in the pseudostem enhances the nutritional quality but also the therapeutic values of the products. So it will be a great opportunity for researchers in future. At the same time, the problem of waste management can also be solved and provides a new scope for the efficient utilization of banana pseudostem. And the farmers will get benefitted directly and it will contribute to our national economy.

References

Dikshit, P., Shukla, K., Tyagi, M. K., Garg, P., Gambhir, J. K., & Shukla, R. (2012). Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of the stem of Musa sapientum Linn. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Diabetes, 4(4), 378–385. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.17530407.2012.00198.x

Dong, N., Alena, N., Klára, S., Jiří, H., Huong, P., Jitka, V., Milena, S., Jana, H., & Tomáš, R. (2017). Antidiabetic compounds in stem juice from babana grown in natural and greenhouse. Czech Journal of Food Sciences, 35(No. 5), 407–413. https://doi. org/10.17221/172/2017-cjfs FAO (2021). http://www.fao. org/3/t0308e/T0308E03.htm, Accessed on March 10, 2021 FAOSTAT. (2019). http://www. fao.org/faostat/en/, Accessed on March 10, 2021.

Thorat, R.L. and Bobade, H.P. (2018). Utilization of banana pseudo-stem in food applications. Internat. J. Agric. Engg., 11(Sp. Issue):86-89, DOI: 10.15740/HAS/IJAE/ 11.Sp. Issue/86-89.

Ravi et al., “A review on composition and properties of banana fibers” Cellulose 60: 65, 2015.

Subagyo, A., Chafidz, A. (2018). Banana pseudo-stem fiber: preparation, characteristics and applications. IntechOpen.

Author Details:

Gadha Sreekumar

Ph. D Research Scholar, Department of Vegetable Science,

Horticulture College and Research Institute,

Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Email@gadharajee@gmail.com

The part of the plant that looks like a trunk is actually a false stem, called pseudostem. It is formed by the imbrication of the leaf sheaths.

Posted on 8 April, 20218 April, 2021 by

Scope of fruit and vegetable carving : An innovative pathway towards generating employment in urban horticulture sector

**Pic.1# Original carving on different fruits and vegetables done by Mr. Sai Teja on a horticulture exhibition in the year 2015.**

Fruit carving is the art of sculpting fruit, a very common technique in Europe and Asian countries, and particularly popular in Thailand, China and Japan. Carving art on the fruits and vegetables has become the sign of attraction for the guests attending the parties. There are many fruits that can be used in this process; the most popular one that artists use are watermelons, papayas, muskmelons, pineapples etc.

Regardless of its origins, vegetable carving is flaunted in many different Asian restaurants, cruises, hotels, and other various places. In the mid-20th century, the art of vegetable carving began to grow outside Asia. Since then, other cultures have slowly come to appreciate the beauty and culture associated with the practice. Today, one can marvel at vegetable carving throughout the world.

Pic.2#Carving on different fruits and vegetable done by Mr.Sai Teja.

Irrespective of the occasion and place, fruit and vegetable carvings find a prominence. They are not easy to make and are a testimony to the skills and talents of the artisans carving it. In most cases, these specialized artisans have taken formal training from culinary institutes and this gives them a hold on the basic techniques. The rest is up to their imagination and practice.

Artisans carve fruits and vegetables about three hours before the event starts and they leave it in cold water for the carvings to set. The tools they need to carve include cutting board, small and medium sized knives with sharp edges, a sharp peeler with preferably an oval edge, bells pins, tooth picks and dry sticks used to represent the stem of flowers. With these tools, the artisan is all set to run his or her imagination wild and come up with a variety of flowers, baskets, insects, birds, animals, toys and just about anything that is appropriate for the occasion.

Pic.3# A typical art of a boat carved out of a single piece of Pumpkin by Mr. Sai Teja

Other than restaurants, one can see carvings done by artisans in all major food festivals today. In some cultures, fruit and vegetable carvings are displayed in formal gatherings and in private parties. In India, for example, one can see fruit and vegetable carvings displayed in many wedding halls just before guests enter the dining area. The idea behind such display is not only to show the skills of the artisans, but also to entice guests to enter the dining hall. Some chefs believe that a visual display of food triggers taste buds and helps guests to better relish their food. For these reasons, it is common to find different carvings on the entrance of dining halls in Indian weddings.

Present scope and future prospects of carving fruits and vegetables

The demand for fruit and vegetable carving is increasing day by day as the people are looking towards alternatives that are livelier and more attractive to decorate in the functions. The abundance of fruits and vegetables throughout the year even in the off-season has been achieved due to advanced horticultural techniques which overcome the problem of non-availability of raw materials for carving. There are very less artisans who are experienced in this art and there is lot of scope in training through workshops and symposiums.

pic.4# A beautiful design of Rose flowers in a Pot carved out from a single piece of Watermelon by Mr. Sai Teja

Once fruit carvers have mastered the techniques past the intermediate stage and become professionals, they can price their services to restaurants, professional caterers, hotels and resorts. On a smaller scale, fruit carvers can present a dish with decorative garnishing to add an aesthetically pleasing experience to their viewers. Rural women, self-help groups, FPO(Farmer Producer Organizations) can be trained with the art of fruit and vegetable carvings to propagate the skill in this field which helps them to generate income as an association. Several food carving competitions are being held across the world which brings the artists great reputation and opportunities to work with some of the biggest events, restaurants and ceremonies. The art of carving fruits and vegetables is eternal and has a never-ending demand. In short, when you see a carved fruit or vegetables the next time, spend a few minutes to admire its beauty and intricacy. It will not only give you a glimpse into the culture, but will also make the artisan happy.

pic.5# A beautiful peacock design carved out of a single piece of watermelon by Mr.Sai Teja

Limitations

The major obstacles of fruits and vegetable carvings include the lack of quality raw materials, pattern designers, transmission of knowledge and creating added value. Quality fresh fruits and vegetables are needed so that the finished carvings can be kept and displayed longer which also depends on the atmosphere and time period where the carvings will be displayed. Fruits and vegetable engravers lack experience and consistency in their art forms where there must be a consistent balance in the lines, patterns, shapes, weight, color and texture. The lack of understanding these factors result in underdeveloped carvings and development of patterns. The limited time available to prepare the carvings has limited the designs and patterns for each venue. The transmission of knowledge between artisans is still limited due to the closure and unwilling transfer of knowledge from senior artisans. The limited transfer of knowledge and skills due to competing attitudes of modern society has led to in-efficient development of fruit and vegetable carvings and lack of apprentices.

References:

https://asian-recipe.com/methods/fruit-vegetable-carving

Panprom, S., Somtrakool, K., & Tidpad, P. (2013). Fruits and Vegetable Carving: Development of Carving Patterns for Banquets. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(9), 697.

https://howandwhat.net/a-brief-introduction-to-fruit-and-vegetable-carving/

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/japanese-thai-food-carving-instagram/index.html

For more information about fruit and vegetable carvings you can contact our author.

Author Details:

Sai Teja

M.Sc (Agronomy)

ASSAM AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY,ASSAM,INDIA

Email@kandapu.saiteja.amj19@aau.ac.in

Mob:91-7032865674

Posted on 19 January, 202119 January, 2021 by

Facilitating Rural Farmers through Perishable Cargo Centre: An initiative by ITC

***Pic #1.Tomatoes and Capsicum stored inside Perishable Cargo Centre at Varanasi,UP.***

INTRODUCTION

In India Agriculture and allied sector is the largest source of livelihoods. 70 percent of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82 percent of farmers being small and marginal. The rural communities lack electricity and thus face serious problems of storage and preservation during harvesting periods, particularly, at seasons of increased yields. Huge losses can result from poor storage of fruits and vegetables. The level of losses depends on the storage structure, method of storage and the storage environment. Due to the high perishable nature about 35% of fruits and vegetables are lost their fresh forms in storage in the rural areas.

Importance of fruits and vegetables in human diet is well recognized. Man can’t live on cereals. Fruit and vegetables are essential for balance diet and good health. Nutritionists advocate 90 g of fruits and 360 g vegetable per capita per day in addition to cereals, pulse, egg etc. Fruits and vegetable are good source of vitamins and minerals without which human body cannot maintain proper health and develop resistance to disease. They also contain pectin, cellulose which stimulates intestinal activities and energy giving substances like oils, fats, and proteins. Many fruits have medical purpose. Proper food storage helps maintain food quality by retaining flavor, color, texture and nutrients, while reducing the chance of contracting a food-borne illness.

What is the Problem:

Poor storage of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables by the rural farmers have resulted in huge losses due to lack of knowledge of useful information on the methods of preservation and storing these perishable agricultural produce. It is astonishing that the losses in fruits and vegetables have been quantified as 30-35% accounting for an economic drain of Rs 2.40 lakh crore annually.

Fruits and Vegetables Losses among the major producing state:

Rank	State	Total Loss (Rs. Crore)
1	Maharashtra	10100
2	Andhra Pradesh	5633
3	Tamil Nadu	8170
4	Gujarat	11398
5	Karnataka	7415
6	Uttar Pradesh	10312
7	Bihar	10744
8	Madhya Pradesh	5332
9	West Bengal	13657
	All India	212552

#Source : ASSOCHAM Report, May,

Present status of India’s cold chain storage sector:

As per available information, there are 8186 number of cold storages with capacity of 374.25 Lakh MT is available in the country for storing perishable horticulture produce like fruits and vegetables. In their report on cold storage infrastructure in India, Emerson Climate Technologies estimate that in 2012, 6300 cold storage facilities were installed in India with a total space of 30.11 million metric tons. The report further notes that this number is required to double if current levels of food wastages are not to increase further. Also intra-country differences with regards to cold storage capacity stand out: 60%, i.e. 10.187 metric tons, of cold storage space is located in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Punjab alone.

Whereas the disparity between supply and demand for cold storage is at 20% in Uttar Pradesh, this gap amounts to staggering 97% in Tamil Nadu, where in 2010 merely 0.0239 million metric tons of cold storage had been installed. The National Horticulture Board estimates that investments in the dimension of about INR 550.74 billion till 2015/16 are required to keep up with growing vegetable and fruit production of vegetables. Currently, 95% of total cold storage capacity in India is in the hand of private players. Due to the ubiquitous lack of cold storage, small-scale farmers are eager to sell their produce as close as possible after the time of harvest since the market value of vegetables decreases by 25% to 40% daily. A report by the World bank states that 10% of this loss occurs in farmer’s markets driving down prices in times of excess supply and in the worst case leads to price crashes resulting in prices that do neither cover production, harvesting or transportation cost.

Perishable Cargo Centre by ITC : A gift to the rural farmers of India

The Perishable Cargo Centre initiative by ITC for availing cold storage facility is a wonderful gift for farmers who can store their extra produce and can sell any time when they get good prices for their commodity. By the help of cold storage farmers can avoid the losses and get higher net return by selling their produce in the market .

Advantage of Perishable Cargo Centre : Storage of fresh vegetables

Fresh leafy vegetables can be kept fresh in storage for 4-6 days when sprinkled with water and covered with polythene sheet. In cool weather, the root of the fresh leafy vegetables were cut off and washed off with clean water. Test conducted with fresh tomatoes reveals that the system could store tomatoes for 25 days at average temperature and relative humidity between 14-20°C and 82-98% respectively. The cooling efficiency achieved with the storage system ranges between 93-98% and a temperature drop of 8^oC below ambient was achieved.

How Farmer’s are getting higher return through availing the benifit from Perishable Cargo Centre

A flower grower from Varanasi named as Sri Amit Singh Patel(50) who used to grow marigold he stored his flowers for 1 week in diwali and sold his flowers on diwali date. Normally he was selling his one garland of marigold in 7-8 rupees. But on diwali day he sold the same garland in 25-30 rupees and earned upto 17 rupees extra on an average. In another case one more farmer who stored his pea in cold store when it was 10 Rs /kg which was the price before one week where as after one week he was able to sold the same pea at 17 Rs / kg.

Conclusion:

Our farmers of different parts of India mostly produce specific kinds of vegetables in bulk at shot time and mostly suffers from its distress sell due to lack of storage facility. From the above case studies it was found that the Perishable Cargo Centre by ITC is helping our farmers by solving the major issue of preventing the distress sell .

Rishi Kant Yadav

mob:9793064466

Center Incharge (Perishable Cargo Center – ITC, Varanasi,UP)

M.Sc.(Vegetable Science) Horticulture,

SHUATS, Allahabad, India

Posted on 20 November, 202022 November, 2020 by

Different Processed Food Products from Palmyrah Palm :A fruit tree with high genetic diversity

***Pic.1# A view of Palmyrah Palm Tree***

Palmyrah (Borassus flavallifer) palm is perhaps the most under-utilized and backline fruit among those belonging to the ‘Palm family’. The fruit is abundantly available in the country side areas but couldn’t sustain in the regular fruit markets, unlike the other fruits of the family palmae such as the coconut, arecanut, date palm, etc. Palmyrah palm, popularly known as “Toddy palm” is a drupe containing 2n =36 number of chromosome. The toddy palm fruits are formed in regular clusters developed into big roundish balls, weighing about an average weight of 2 kg. The trees are exceptionally taller which creates hindrance to the manual harvesters and also blemishes the senescent fruits dropped from the plants. Usually the people dwelling in tribal localities or semi-urban areas exploit great privileges out from the palm products frequently throughout the year for domestic consumption as well as small sales.

The palm fruit has a fascinating characteristic of having acquired multiple edible forms of the fruit with correspondence to its developing stages. All of them are uniquely palatable and differ in both physical forms and textures from one another. Apart from the raw consumption, Palmyrah fruit is a huge contributor of extensively prepared sugar-based products such as Neera (a delicious drink), palm jaggery, palm sugar, palm candy, etc., which are exceptionally sweet in taste with distinct flavors.

***Pic.2# (A fully Mature and Ripened Fruit of Palmyrah Palm,Deogarh,Odisha)***

At tender stage, toddy palm fruits are light green in color and shiny from the periphery. The fruit exocarp gradually turns black as it ripens with its stalk end covered with yellowish green caps of about 5 to 8 in numbers. The unripe matured fruits, if cut into halves, the translucent jelly-like lobes filled inside sockets, usually three in number in a single fruit is revealed. These are nothing but the developed embryo and endosperms of the fruit which is composed of nearly 80% water along with sugar and some vital mineral compounds. This is perhaps the reason behind the fruit acquired the name of “Ice- apple” in many regions. The succulent locules are covered with a thin layer of white testa that should be removed off while consuming or else it imparts a bitter taste to the fruit. In course of development of the fruit, the icy succulent locules acquire a milky white cork-like spongy texture. However, the size of the locules is retained even after the development. A hard woody endocarp is formed at this stage that surrounds the succulent parts that are consumed at the last stage.

Moreover, the mesocarp of the fruit gets filled with thick juicy golden yellow sap having distinct flavor and aroma, thus rendering the fruit to have attained its utmost maturity. There is a simultaneous conversion of the epicarp or rind from light green to orange and eventually into dark brown or black colour. This is the significant stage where toddy palm encounters the highest exploitation and preferably it is so called as well. Most often, the ripen fruits are not harvested and left for senescence. The villagers believe that the fruit imparts better taste when drops naturally. The statement being a myth is refuted by the fact that the fruit must have obtained cent percent assured maturity along with highest sugar and pulp with maximum softness after its natural falling.

***Pic.3# Palm Batter prepared from Ripened Fruit Pulp mix with Rice.***

Unfortunately, the fully ripened fruits generally get ruptured on striking the ground from a larger height. However, these are later on picked up randomly by the local people and carried to their homes for pulp extraction. In fact, this is actually the material that the consumers awaited for. Irrespective of its demand in the urban markets, the toddy pulp seems to be no less worthy than a gold fluid to the local regular exploiters. Therefore, the golden pulp from toddy, after extraction from its bulky fibres is probably utilized in various ways. A large portion of the pulp is cooked for the manufacture of jaggery and sugar crystals and the rest is used in preparation of home-made stuffs like buns, cakes and sweets along with rice-flour or corn-flour as supplements. Due to high sugar content in the fruit pulp itself, usually lesser amounts of the same is involved from external source during the process of preparation. Popular food recipes of cakes, locally called as “Pitha” are prepared out of toddy palm pulp, made into a batter along with the use of grated coconut stuffing followed by steaming or deep frying.

**Pic.4# Different kinds of Pitha prepared from Pulp of Palmyrah Palm (Ripened Fruit Pulp)**

Right after extraction of the pulp, the hard kernels i.e. the woody endocarps with a blanket of ciliary fibers is left out which is usually washed and sun-dried for about 15 to 25 days rather than being disposed of. Interestingly, this kernel holds in the soft endosperm which is prominently observed when the hard kernel is spitted into halves after the excessive moisture is lost out. This again turns out to be another edible matter which can be assumed as the non-emerged sprouts of the seed and is also considered as the store house of large number of vital nutrients. The soft corky texture, along with milky white color and sweet pleasant taste makes it a perfect choice for fruit lovers. This palm endosperm is an essential component of fruit salads and custards.

*Pic.4#Edible soft endosperm inside hard Kernels*(Jajpur, Odisha)

Palmyrah palm is perhaps the only fruit having more number of processed food recipes made out of it in comparision to its direct consumption. Existence of the strong flavor and aroma makes the fruit inelegant for direct consumption. However, sweet lovers can resist with few slices of it. Although, facts pertaining to the stages and forms of consumption of the fruit are usually observed to be non-descriptive in texts and encyclopedias, it is as significant as other aspects of it, for the reason being it carries vast comprehensive touches on the peculiar stages of development, their broad utility and consumers’ acceptance of the fruit.

Bimal Prabhat Dash

Master in Horticulture, Fruit Science

bimaldash.ar@gmail.com

Posted on 23 August, 202023 August, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Preparation Of Value Added Herbal Papaya Candy: Let Food Be The Medicine

Introduction:

Preparation of candy with fruits has been popular these days. Candies, also called as Sweets and Lollies are delicious and delightful. Papayas, Mangoes, Pineapples have often been chosen for the preparation of Candies. Candied papayas are also called “tutti-frutti” in native language. Herbal Candy is a way to bring in more whole food nutrition to your diet. They include wholesome herbal ingredients which are Cardamom, Tulsi and Lemon grass.

The FPO specifications for candied fruits having TSS(Total Soluble Solids) value 75%-80% and reducing sugar 25%. Some nutrition experts even contend that the occasional treat can help you feel less deprived and more positive about your relationship with food, which may help you maintain healthy eating habits.

Papaya (Carica papaya) is a tropical fruit having commercial importance and is famous for its high nutritive and medicinal values. The Candy was prepared by adjusting the level of different ingredients to obtain the best quality. It is organoleptically evaluated for its overall acceptance using nine-point hedonic scales by trained panel of judges. Revanwar et al. (2003)

**Picture 1.#Different composition used in the treatments for preparation of Herbal Papaya Candy for organo-leptic evaluation**

Preparation of Papaya Candy :

Material used for Candy Preparation:

1.Peeled Papaya : 300g

2.Sugar : 220g

3.Water : 200ml.

4.Flavours : Cardamom Powder, Tulsi Powder, Lemon grass Powder

5. Preservative : Citric Acid (1.5g)

Flow Chart for Papaya Candy Preparation:

Method of Preparation:

Select right quality of raw papaya and wash them properly. Make few streaks on papaya with a knife. Allow latex to flow out and peel the papaya. Cleanse them without latex. Allow them to dry. Cut the papaya and remove the seeds and chop them into small cubes (preferably 2-3 cm in dimension). Soak the cubes in common salt for one hour.

Later, cubes of papaya are blanched in water for 10-15 minutes until they become soft and transparent. Remove the water and drain it properly before transferring cubes into a container. Take another container with 220 ml of water adding 220 grams of sugar to it. Boil the solution until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add 300 grams of papaya cubes to the sugar syrup. Boil them for 20-25 minutes and steep the pieces in the Sugar syrup for 6-8 hours. Add 1.5 grams of citric acid as a preservative.

**Picture 4.#Chopping Papaya into small cubes**

Add the chosen herbal flavours such as Tulsi, Cardamom and Lemon grass in preferable proportion. Add organic food colour, if required. Drain the papaya cubes from sugar syrup and allow them to dry in shade until they become crisp. Pack them in Bio-degradable polythene pouches or right quality plastic containers.

Why Candies are prepared ?

Fruits are highly perishable commodities made up of living tissues. They are subjected to continuous change and high metabolism. Storing them for a long time can be troublesome. In India, Actual post harvest losses are 25-30% of the value of fruit produce. At this scale the post harvest losses are Rs.6000 to 7000 crores per annum. Converting them into value added products is beneficial. We could save at least 10% of losses.

Uses:

1) Papaya candy lowers cholesterol and boosts up immunity system.

2) It eases digestion and protects against arthritis.

3) Cardamom contains Cancer-fighting compounds.

4) It treats bad breath and prevents cavities.

4) Tulsi present in candies relieves headache and takes good care of eyes.

5) Lemon grass lowers high blood pressure and treats cough and cold.

6) One medium size Papaya contains 120 Calories, 30 grams of Carbohydrates, 5 grams of Fiber, 18 grams of Sugar, 30 grams Pectin.

Why processing and value addition is crucial ?

With food processing it is possible to maintain a safe and nutritious food supply to millions of people and making it available even in the off season. It prolongs the shelf life of the natural food. When farmers cannot attain reasonable prices for their produce they may opt to convert their produce into value added products. Doing so, farmers get financially benefited and their economic stature will be uplifted.

Konche Jahnavi

M.Sc.Horticulture(Fruit Science)

SHUATS, Prayagraj, Uttar-Pradesh

email@jahnavikonche@gmail.com