Evaluation of Rowanberry and Rowanberry-Pumpkin Sauces

Rowanberries (Sorbus aucuparia) are small orange-red fruits of a rowan tree. They have been described as an important source of flavonoids, and their antioxidant activity affects reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. Cultivars of sweet rowanberries and hybrids with other species are sweeter and less astringent than wild rowanberries. The aim of the current study was to determine physical and chemical properties of sauces from various cultivars of wild and sweet rowanberries, and mixes of sweet rowanberries with pumpkins, and to assess their degree of acceptance. The experiments were carried out at the Faculty of Food Technology of the Latvia University of Agriculture. The sauces were made from purees of wild rowanberry and sweet rowanberry cultivars and purees of sweet rowanberry with apple or pumpkin using different species. The content of total dry matter, soluble solids, total carotene, pH, colour L* a* b* values and texture parameters were determined in samples of the sauces. The results showed large variability between the rowanberry and rowanberry-pumpkin sauces. The total dry matter content of sauce samples varied from 25.92 to 31.38%, the total carotene content from 3.94 ± 0.40 to 7.34 ± 0.57 mg 100 g^-1 DM, and firmness from 0.5 to 2.2 N. According with sensory evaluation the panellists liked (P < 0.05) sauces samples made from rowanberry ‘Michurinskaya krasnaya’ puree and from ‘Granatnaya’ and pumpkin purees.