Produção de fermentados a partir de suco de beterraba (Beta Vulgaris L.) com cascas de laranja pêra (Citrus sinensis L.)

Abstract

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is a herbaceous plant of the Chenopodiaceae family, having its origin in India, the Mediterranean areas and the Atlantic coast of Europe. It is an edible root vegetable used in cooking and, mainly in Europe, for the production of sugar and ethanol. Orange juice is a product of great economic importance and its pleasant flavor makes this drink highly appreciated and consumed by populations of different cultures and eating habits. Europe and North America are the largest consumer markets for orange juice. In Brazil, a report by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in partnership with the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) estimates that almost 37 million tons of food waste were generated in 2018. In this context, alternatives were sought for these waste such as the production of fermented beverages. The objective of this work was the production, characterization and sensory evaluation of fermented beet juice with pear orange peels. The raw materials were characterized, where analysis of ash, proteins, lipids and moisture was carried out. The beet must, mixed with the fruit peel, was obtained, where physicochemical analyzes of the mixture were carried out, such as: pH, total reducing sugars, total soluble solids, total acidity. The must underwent an ethanolic fermentation with commercial yeast, and the fermentation was monitored for several days through Brix and alcohol content. The resulting fermented product was characterized physicochemically. The alcoholic content of the fermented product obtained was 8%, which is within the percentage of current legislation, which recommends that a fermented product must have between 4 and 14% by volume. It is noteworthy that the product obtained was classified as mild, as it had a residual sugar concentration greater than 20g/L. The fermented product was sensorially evaluated for acceptability and also for the frequency of consumption by untrained tasters, where its acceptance was between fair and good and for consumption it was scored higher in the criterion of occasional drinking.