Utilização do maxixe em receitas tradicionais da confeitaria (Cucumis Anguria L.)

Abstract

Maxixe (Cucumis anguria L.) is a fruit widely consumed in Brazil. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and is usually eaten in savory dishes, pure or together with other ingredients. As it is an extremely perishable fruit, it presents difficulties in expanding its commercialization, as well as having few common forms of consumption. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop recipes for sweet preparations using the maxixe as an ingredient, assessing their sensory acceptance. The methodology consisted of developing a jelly from the fruit, using different concentrations of lemon juice and pectin. After preliminary tests, the best formulation was defined and then the jelly obtained was applied to confectionery preparations, pannacotta and cheesecake, and the technical sheets for the preparations were assembled. The desserts were then subjected to sensory analysis with untrained tasters chosen at random on the institute's premises, using affective tests of acceptance (with a nine-point hedonic scale) and purchase intention (with a five-point purchase attitude scale) in order to evaluate the preparations. The data obtained was analyzed and tabulated, with the averages represented in tables and graphs, and differentiated using Student's t-test (p < 0.5). Among the results obtained, we can see the acceptability of the jelly, where all the requirements evaluated scored above 7.0, especially its application in cheesecake, which obtained the most significant scores, with the exception of the aroma and color attributes, whose scores did not differ significantly. It can be concluded that maxixe jelly is viable for use in classic confectionery and can be explored as a new alternative for consumption of the fruit in question.