Standardization of method for osmotic dehydration of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) cubes in sugar solution

Abstract

The present study was investigated for the development of osmo dried pumpkin cubes. For osmotic dehydration of pumpkin, combination involving soaking of cubes in 60 °B sugar solution for 6 h at 50 °C prior to dehydration was found to be the best on the basis of sensory evaluation. For storage, four different treatments were given to cubes to maintain the keeping quality. The cubes of treatment T3 (steam blanching (4 min) + 1.0% citric acid dip (20 min)) was considered as best on the basis of higher retention of nutritional (β-carotene and ascorbic acid 10.26 and 6.05 mg/100g, respectively) and sensory quality. The study indicated that the dried products from ripe pumpkin can be stored safely for six months with minimal changes in chemical and sensory attributes. Hence, it is concluded that ripe pumpkin can be utilized for the production of dried products of remunerative cost.