Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. When evaluated in terms of taste, smell or active ingredients, pumpkin in itself is not very attractive as a raw material. Hence, it is recommended to blend pumpkin with other fruits, which are aromatic, have a defined taste, and contain a large quantity of active ingredients and organic acids to improve its palatibility.

Material and methods. The pumpkin chosen for the experiments was of the variety Karowita, of species Cucurbita maxima. Ten different of compositions were prepared for the purpose of the study: 10, 20 and 30% (w/w) of Japanese quince and cornelian cherry each, or 20 and 30% (w/w) of strawberry and apple each. The puree was then analysed for dry matter, extract, viscosity, colour, vitamin C, total polyphenols, carotenoids and DPPH.

Results. The highest content of vitamin C, which was in direct proportion to the quantity of the supplement added (17.88 to 23.43 mg·100 g^-1), was detected in the quince-enriched puree. The lowest vitamin C content was determined in apple-enriched samples (1.36 to 1.6 mg·100 g^-1). A similar pattern was observed with total polyphenols: the highest values were measured in quince-enriched puree, and the lowest in the puree supplemented with apple.