PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CHAPTALIZED FERMENTED FROM CAMBUCI

Fruit ferment processing can result in a wide variety of products with different chemical and sensory characteristics. One possibility of use for the production of fermented products is cambuci, an endemic fruit of the Atlantic Forest, underutilized, characterized by intense aroma, high acidity and marked astringency. Thus, the development of research focused on its possible industrial applications can contribute to the emergence of new products, favoring its conservation and adding value to the fruit. The objective of this study was to develop alcoholic fermented products of cambuci with different levels of chaptalization and to evaluate the effect of fermentation performance on the physicochemical characteristics of the formulations. Due to the high acidity of cambuci, the must was partially neutralized with calcium carbonate to adjust the pH and favor fermentation. Then, chaptalization with sucrose was performed, obtaining three formulations with 9, 13 and 18 °Brix, (VC9, VC13, VC18, respectively). The formulations were fermented with the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 18 days; In sequence, they underwent clarification using diatomaceous earth as a filter, in a filter press. Once finished, the fermented cambuci were characterized as to pH, volatile acidity, turbidity, soluble solids, dry extract, tannins, and alcohol content estimated by density. The results were analyzed through ANOVA and Tukey test at 95% significance, in the R software. As for the pH there was no significant difference, the values ranged between 3.99 and 4.05, a common range for fermented fruit (pH 3 and 4). For volatile acidity, the values were 0