GRAPE NECTAR READY-TO-DRINK: IDEAL DILUTION AND SWEETNESS
For nectar production tropical fruits industries dilute the juice concentrate until the desired percentage and required by legislation (a minimum of 30% of whole grape juice (14 ºBrix) and add sweeteners to produce ready-to-drink beverages. The objectives of this study were to determine the ideal dilution and sweetness to produce grape nectar sweetened with sucrose. For the ideal dilution determination five different grape nectar samples were prepared with 30%, 40%, 50% and 60% unsweetened concentrated juice (14 ºBrix) add 10% of sucrose. For ideal sweetness determination grape nectar samples were prepared according to the result obtained in the ideal dilution test (50% whole grape juice (14 ºBrix) and 50% water) and were sweetened with five different concentrations of sucrose 5%, 7,5%,10%,12,5% e 15%. The samples were evaluated in individual booths. The samples’ presentation used in both tests was monadic in codified white disposable cups. An acceptance test using a non structures just-about-right scale was done with 50 consumers. The results were analyzed by histograms with the sensory response distribution in percentage related to sucrose(or juice) concentration to be added to the nectar and also by simple linear regression. The ideal dilution for grape nectar were 50% whole grape juice (14 ºBrix) and 50% water (1:1). The concentration found for the ideal sucrose sweetness in grape nectar was 5,6% and it is lower than concentrations obtained to others fruits nectars in similar experiments. This probably happened because whole grape juice is naturally sweeter than other juice fruits.