EFFECT OF FRUIT MATURITY STAGES ON JUICE AND PUREE QUALITY OF RED FLESH PITAYA (HYLOCEREUS POLYRHIZUS)

The aim of this study was to determine the optimum maturity stage at harvest of red flesh pitaya (RFP) fruits for juice and puree production. RFP fruits from five different maturity stages, namely 25, 27, 30, 33 and 35 days after anthesis (DAA) were analysed for the changes in their physico-chemical characteristics. It was found that there was no extractable juice from RFP fruits harvested at 25 and 27 DAA. It is recommended that the optimum maturity stage for juice and puree production is 30 DAA. The RFP fruits harvested at 30 DAA gave juice yield of 7.7±0.3% and puree with moisture content of 82.0±2.6%. The RFP juice extracted at this maturity stage had total soluble solids (TSS) value of 11.3±0.01°Brix, while TSS value of RFP puree was 11.99±0.50°Brix. The pH and titratable acidity of RFP juice were 3.86±0.30 and 0.30±0.02% citric acid respectively, while that of RFP puree were 4.21±0.30 and 0.31±0.09% citric acid respectively. The vitamin C content of RFP fruit juice (7.45±1.12 mg/100 ml) and puree (6.01±0.80 mg/100 ml) obtained from fruits harvested at 30 DAA was the highest when compared to the juice and puree obtained from RFP fruits harvested at 33 and 35 DAA. Colour attributes (L: 40.32±1.31; C: 42.13±4.31; h: 11.78±0.34) of RFP fruit peel and the TSS value of RFP fruit pulp (11.45±0.10°Brix) could serve as the harvesting indices for harvesters or manufacturers to indicate fruit that had attained 30 DAA.