Development of value added products from subtropical peach

The laboratory experiment conducted with the aim of developing value added products from Peach (Prunus persica), a soft, juicy and fleshy stone fruit, generally consumed as fresh, resulted in development of a schematic model for processing the fruit in preparing a variety of food products. Fresh fruit slices subjected to lactic acid fermentation in brine solution using Lactobacillus sp for two days led to production of probiotic drink having 1.37 × 10⁵ CFU ml^-1 living population of Lactobacillus Sp. The left over slices were utilized in the preparation of sweet candy by dipping these in the increasing concentrations of sugar syrup and later drying to an intermediate moisture level of 12 per cent. The excessive softened slices were utilized in preparation of chutney using various spice ingredients. The sugar syrup left was utilized in the preparation of squash, wine and vinegar. Peach probiotic drink so prepared possessed 0.63 per cent lactic acid and 31.5 mg 100 ml^-1 phenolics, The wine contained 9.73 per cent ethanol, 10.2 βB TSS, 1.38 per cent acidity and 143.5 mg 100 ml^-1 phenolics, 5.41 per cent acetic acid and 96.8 mg 100 ml^-1 phenolics. Peach chutney possessed 78.4 mg 100 g phenolics^-1. All the products showed good organoleptic acceptability scoring above 7.0 out of total 9.0. The seeds were used for sowing and raising the fruit crop further.