MINERVA POTSANGBAM AND A.K. CHAURASIYA
Abstract
Wild-seeded banana (Musa spp. L.) belonging to the Musaceae family is one of the most abundantly grown orphan crops in the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India. The cultivation of banana produces substantial waste, particularly from the pseudo stem (central core), yielding approximately 5-7 tonnes per hectare. To utilize this underexploited biomass, a study was undertaken to develop a novel candy product by using banana pseudo stem, with black salt as a pre-treatment owing to its rich mineral content and antioxidant properties. Eleven treatments were formulated with varying black salt concentrations (010%) in a 70% sugar solution. The organoleptic properties, including colour, taste, texture, and overall acceptability, were evaluated by a panel of 15 semi-trained testers using a 9-point Hedonic Scale. Biochemical parameters such as total soluble solids (TSS), total sugar (TS), reducing sugar (RS), non-reducing sugar (NRS), acidity, protein, starch, carbohydrates and potassium content were also analyzed. Among the treatments, Treatment 2 (1% black salt) recorded the highest sensory score of 6.8, indicating the best overall acceptability, followed closely by Treatment 4 (6.6) and Treatment 1 (6.5). Based on these findings, treatments T2, T4, and T1 are recommended for the production of high-quality banana pseudo stem candy with improved sensory and nutritional attributes.