Value added ash gourd (Benincasa hispida) ready-to-serve beverage and its nutritional and sensory profile

Ash gourd, classified under cucurbits is of minor importance, though it is cultivated in almost every part of India. The ash gourd fruit is generally prized for its medicinal value, which has been explored by ayurvedic practioners. Ash gourd ready-to-serve beverage was developed with salt (0.5%) and pepper (0.2%) as taste enhancers. The developed fresh ash gourd RTS was analyzed for chemical composition and sensory attributes. It recorded total soluble solids as 2.5°B, acidity (as % citric acid) 1.28 per cent. It was found to be good source of ascorbic acid, which was recorded as 10.8 mg 100 ml⁻¹. Total and reducing sugar of the developed ready-to-serve beverage were found to be 0.5 mg and 0.75 mg respectively. Although fresh RTS was not sour, pH was recorded as 5.14. The extract was liked moderately by the panelists as the RTS obtained mean scores of 7.4, 7.9, 7.0, 7.1 and 7.2 for colour, consistency, aroma, taste and overall acceptability respectively. Colour of the RTS was not much affected by the addition of pepper and possessed optimum salt-spicy flavor, which was acceptable by the panelists.