Improvement technology for preparing balsam-type drinks based on plant raw materials

The object of the study is the preparation of balsam-type drinks. The problem of creating balsam-type drinks capable of satisfying the population's need for biologically active substances and increasing the overall tone of the body, while maintaining the availability and technological effectiveness of production, was solved. The work developed a technology for the preparation of general tonic non-alcoholic and alcoholic balsam-type drinks enriched with vitamins, essential oils and phenolic compounds, intended for mass consumption. For this purpose, the most popular aromatic and spicy plants of Azerbaijan were used. A recipe composition for 11 plant names was selected in order to obtain bitter sugar-containing non-alcoholic and alcoholic tinctures. During the study, watermelon juice and coriander (wild cilantro) were used as a preservative for this purpose. In 3 versions, a recipe composition of plants for the basis of extracts of a new range of alcohol-containing and non-alcoholic balsams was developed and proposed. Using heat treatment in a gentle mode, a blend of plants was obtained for the extraction of biologically active valuable components. Organoleptic and physicochemical indicators of the balsams were determined after their storage in normal and refrigerated conditions. The results of the studies showed that the content of dry substances in them fluctuates within 41.3–57.2%. Active acidity (pH), total amount of macro- and microelements (%) and specific gravity (g/cm3), respectively, amounted to 5.53÷7.74, 1.136÷1.253 and 1.647÷1.2609. The nitrite content was also determined (16–18 mg/kg), since the recipe includes watermelon juice. Studies have shown that the samples stored at room and refrigerated conditions differed slightly in the main indicators and retained the corresponding color without change. However, the balsam prepared using watermelon juice, unlike the others, had a light orange color. The analyses were carried out using chromatograph mass spectrometry. The results showed that the essential oil base of the prepared drinks in all three variants of balsams is 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (13.73÷34.65%); n-hexadecanoic acid (11.12÷34.96%); heptadecanoic acid (12.67÷18.16%). Together with other chemical indicators, they characterize the bouquet and taste of the developed balsam “Ganja”.