Effect of Sugar Concentrations on the Shelf Life of Pear Candies

The nutritional as well as medicinal benefits of pear fruit are well established and hence its consumption is highly appreciated by nutritionists and dieticians. The current study aims to develop a pear candy and to examine how the variation in sugar concentration alters the shelf life properties with respect to packaging material of pear candy. The study follows a novel approach by preparing pear candy and then keep on increasing sugar concentration while monitoring the change in shelf life. Besides it relates sugar concentration with type of packing material to be used. The physicochemical and sensory evaluation during the study revealed that the most suitable and stable pear candy was the one with least sugar concentration i.e. pear candy packed in polythene and have 20 percent of sugar concentration. It was then followed by the pear candy with same sugar concentration and having brown paper packed. Properties like moisture content, pH, ascorbic acid content and non-reducing content of the pear candy declined with the storage whereas acidity and total soluble solids showed hike with storage. Reduction in pH arranged from 4.55 percent to 3.50 percent. During storage period the acidity of pear candy was increased from 0.9 percent to 1.44 percent while Ascorbic acid content of pear candy was decreased from 3.75 percent to 2.97 percent. It concludes that lower the concentration of sugar and having an air tight packing makes the pear candy not only enhanced the shelf life but also the overall acceptability.