Varietal screening of cashew apple for preparation of RTS and jam

Abstract

Cashew apple is a tropical fruit which is an important byproduct of the cashew nut processing industry. It is rich in vitamins, polyphenols, sugars, minerals, amino acids and dietary fibre and can be considered as a functional food. Cashew tree cultivation is done primarily aiming cashew nut production. The cashew apple is a nutritious fruit available in abundance during the summer in almost all parts of the world and is reported to posess high therapeutic and medicinal properties. It is also useful as raw material for many industrial applications however, utilization of cashew apple has been very limited due to certain disadvantages, such as high perishability and its astringent taste. Short shelf life prevent the effective utilization of cashew apples. It is also crucial to create awareness and confidence among farmers about cashew apple processing for better economic returns. Cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) has multi-purpose; it can be processed to obtain human food. The present study was under taken at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pilicode during 2014-15 to 2016-17 aimed at screening varieties suitable for the preparation of cashew apple RTS drink and jam and conducted sensory evaluation.