Abstract:
This study aimed to develop ready-to-use different ash gourd products with extended
shelf life with convenience to consumers. A chemical pretreatment (EDTA, calcium
chloride, citric acid, and sodium metabisulphite), Aloe vera gel coating, packing in
low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and vacuum package with PET|LDPE film were
tested for their effectiveness with storage under refrigeration (4±1°C) and freezing (-
18±1°C), to extend the shelf life of cut ash gourd. A total of 12 treatment combinations
were tested in this study. Physicochemical parameters and microbial quality were
measured during the storage period of 30 days. The chunks with Aloe vera gel-coated,
chemically pretreated, LDPE-packed and stored under frozen conditions, emerged as
the most significantly (p<0.05) effective method for quality preservation. With the
selected method, total bacterial count of 2.71x103 CFU g-1
and a yeast and mold count
of 9.09x102 CFU g-1 were recorded at the end of the 30 days of storage. Firmness of
chunks significantly decreased from 1.81±0.98 N to 1.01±0.32 N. In color, the L* and
a* values increased significantly from 62.97±0.11 to 65.60±0.5 and from -2.13±0.132
to -1.33±0.1, respectively, while b* value changed from 4.18±0.11 to 4.21±0.68,
which was not significant. The pH of the chunks also increased significantly from
4.35±0.17 to 4.91±0.18, while TSS significantly decreased from 2.8±0.1 to 2.37±0.15
°Brix during storage. A ready-to-use spice mix was developed to be used during the
cooking of the chunks, with a series of experiments. The mixture with roasted curry
powder, chili, pepper, onion, garlic, curry leaves, garcinia, salt and turmeric powders
was selected with the highest acceptance in the sensory study. Thus, it can be
concluded that ready-to-use ash gourd chunks with 30 days of shelf life can
successfully be produced using chemical pretreatment, Aloe vera gel coating, LDPE
packaging and frozen storage.
