Physico-chemical quality of brazilian cider

Abstract

Apples produced in Southern States of Brazil are selected and classified for internal market respecting rigid criteria established by costumers. As a consequence rejected fruits with no commercial appeal may reach an appreciable amount like 10-20% of total apple production per year, what may represent around 150.000 ton/year. Due to this situation the agricultural sector begins to drive more intensive programs aiming to utilize apple as a raw material in order to obtain products like vine and cider. The processing technology and the products quality are still to be evaluated. Just aiming to contribute with a definition of the quality profile of the product already offered to the consumer it was analyzed physical-chemical indicators from ten samples of Brazilian cider beverage colleted in normal market. As alcohol beverage they show an average value of 5.64º GL, from 4,10 up to 7.3º GL, and with sugar content from 43.50 up to 126.80 g.L-1, what means, it is a sweet alcoholic beverage. Average value for phenol compounds, 327 ppm, gives an special contribution to sensory quality of the product. Total acidity, calculated as malic, is 4.23 g.L-1, comprehends also volatile compounds as a average value of 0.28 g of acetic acid per 1000 ml – quite bellow of the allowed limit of 1.0 g.L-1. The ash and their alkalinity as well as reduced dry extract content and also the color, as expressed by colorimetric measures, are also presented in this article. Sensorial analysis performed with untrained judges panel shows that people do prefers a darker cider, sweet and well gasified.