Determination of some nutritional and quality properties of cape gooseberry leathers produced under different conditions

Fruit leather is a product obtained by pouring fruit puree as a thin layer on a flat surface and drying it. Fruit leathers can be produced from different fruits and are generally rich products in terms of minerals, fibers and energy value. They are also long lasting, easy to consume and package foods. Capegooseberry fruit is a tropical fruit that is rich in minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and iron, and it is also a source of different functional compounds such as phenolic compounds, vitamin C and carotenoids. In this context, processing capegooseberries into fruit leather is a good alternative for producing a healthy product by using this fruit. In this study, the production of fruit leather from capegooseberry fruit in a drying cabinet at different temperatures and by using the sun drying method was carried out and the effects of different production processes on some nutritional and quality properties of the product were investigated. The protein, carbohydrate, fat and energy values, textural properties and thicknesses of the fruit leathers obtained under different conditions, and the microbial stability of the products after production and during storage were determined and the effects of different production conditions on these properties were investigated. It was determined that the products remained stable for six months in terms of microbiology and that cape gooseberries were a suitable fruit for processing into fruit leather. According to nutritional value analysis results it was found that the carbohydrate and energy values of products were high. Also it has been observed that the hardness values of fruit leathers produced in the drying cabinet increased as the temperature increased. No significant difference was observed between the final products thickness values after drying of the fruit leathers produced under different conditions.