Processing Effect on Sweet Cherry into Sweet Cherry Juice Concentrate with Special Reference to its Quality Characteristics

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L. ) is widely cultivated in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir and the fruits are harvested at immature stage to prevent spoilage. The immature sweet cheery fruits with less commercial value were used for processing into sweet cherry juice concentrate. Immature sweet cherry were crushed and treated with 0.1 % pectinase enzyme for 120 min to obtain maximum juice. Sweet cherry juice was found to be rich in reducing sugars (13.4 %) and total sugars (13-18 %). Juice was pasteurized at 85C to inactivate the enzyme, cooled and centrifuged at 3000 rpm to get clear juice. The juice was concentrated in a thin film evaporator to total soluble solids (TSS) of 0-32Brix in 2 passes. Chemical composition of sweet cherry juice during different stages of concentration was determined. Sweet cherry juice concentrate was packed in low density polyethylene bags of size (22 cm 14 cm) and frozen in blast freezer at 40C and stored at 20C. Storage of sweet cherry juice concentrate at 20C for 6 months indicated no significant changes in TSS, acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars and pH. Hunter colour lightness L, and redness a values of sweet cherry juice concentrate decreased whereas b values increased during storage. Sweet cherry juice concentrate was stable during 6 months storage could be reconstituted for preparing ready-to-serve beverages with acceptable sensory quality.