Processing and storage stability of bottle gourd (L. siceraria)

Abstract: Bottle gourd (Langenariasiceraria), Aonla (EmblicaofficinalisGaertn.), Lemon (Citrus x limon) and Ginger (Zingiberofficinale) juice was blended in the proportion of 87.90: 23.40: 5.70: 6.00 mL, respectively.  Prepared blend juice was hot filled in glass bottles and thermally processed over a temperature range over 80-950C for 5-30 min.  Significant difference was observed in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), total plate counts and, yeast and mould counts (P<0.05), while no significant difference was in pH and TSS (P>0.05).  The best thermal process was found at 85°C hot filling and processing at 85°C for 5 min.  At this temperature-time combination, 3.52 pH, 5.17 oBrix TSS, 38.32 mg per 100 mL ascorbic acid,      35 cfu mL-1 total plate counts, 2 cfu mL-1 yeasts and moulds count, and nil coli form counts of blend juice was obtained.  Thermally processed cooled bottles were stored at 37°C for 10 d and 55°C for seven d in incubator for stability test.  The t-test indicated that there was no significant difference between the actual and observed values of pH attribute of blend juice (P<0.05).  At various time and temperatures processed blend juice was very stable and microbiologically safe after their accelerated storage.   Keywords: blend juice, thermal processing, storage stability, physicochemical, microbiologica