Physicochemical properties of tamarillo pulp (Solanum betaceum) and its applicability in the production of ice cream

Abstract

Also known in Brazil as tree tomatoes, tamarillo fruit has gained prominence due to the richness of the nutrients and bioactive compounds that it presents, being a promising candidate for application by the food industry. It is emphasized that the addition of tropical fruits in the preparation of ice cream plays a key role, both in the final characteristics of the product as acceptance of the consumers. This work aimed to characterize, physical and chemically, the pulps of two varieties of tamarillo and to characterize, physical, chemical, and sensorially, four ice cream formulations made with the fruit pulp. To characterize the fruit pulp and ice cream, moisture, ash, carbohydrates, protein, fat, titratable acidity, texture, and overrun analyzes were performed. The ice creams were analyzed sensorially for the attributes of color, flavor, texture, global impression, and purchase intention. The physicochemical parameters showed differences both between the varieties of tamarillo and the different ice cream formulations, except in the fruit protein content. The overrun values of the prepared ice creams ranged from 66.41% to 92.30%. The ice cream added with purple tamarillo pulp at 20% obtained the best score in the flavor attribute, 7.85. In general, the products obtained good acceptance. It is concluded that the concentration and variety of the pulp used to influence the ice cream characteristics and that the tamarillo can be considered a potential fruit in the product manufacture.