EFFECT OF BOILING TIME AND STORAGE CONDITION (FROZEN AND UNFROZEN) ON THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FLACOURTIA JANGOMAS (LOUR) RAUESCH FRUIT

Abstract

Flacourtia jangomas, locally known as Seriales is an indigenous fruit tree in the Philippines. It potentially contains important nutrients and bioactive compounds, but it is a less known commodity, with no economic value. Moreover, the fruit is highly prone to enzymatic browning reaction, resulting to undesirable discoloration once exposed to air. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the changes in the physico-chemical properties of ripe Seriales fruit as affected by boiling time and storage conditions. Ripe Seriales fruits of known weight were exposed to upto 10 minutes of boiling water. Representative samples from each treatment were analysed of its color, total soluble solids, pH, and % titratable acidity. The same procedures were done to samples that had been stored for 19 days in the freezer. The results of the experiment revealed that storage conditions (frozen and not frozen) only affected the b* of the skin of the ripe Seriales fruits, while boiling time affected all other parameters, excepts pH, %TTA, and b* values of the fruit flesh.