Nutritional composition, microbiological and sensory properties of dried melon: A traditional Turkmen product

Abstract

Seven different cultivars (Taze vaharman, Gokjek, Arap hatli, Turkmen vaharmani, Torli payendeke, Yazki bisek, Gizil gulabi) of honeydew melons (Cucumis melo L.) from Turkmenistan were processed to a dried traditional product known as 'kavun kaki' in order to evaluate the most suitable cultivar for drying process. The chemical composition (dry matter, crude oil, crude protein, crude fibre, energy, ash, water-soluble solids, total sugar, invert sugar, titratable acidity, pH and mineral contents) of the products was determined. The microbiological load (total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria and yeasts-moulds) of the samples were also evaluated. There were no significant differences between the odour, taste and texture scores of all the cultivars according to acceptance sensory analysis. The Turkmen Vaharmani and Torli payendeke samples had the highest colour scores.