PREPARATION OF VANILLA FLAVOURED PAPAYA SYRUP

Papaya is a wholesome fruit containing a wide range of nutrients which has several beneficial effects on human health. Since papayas are climacteric fruit, it is prone to respiratory changes after harvest and has a short shelf life. The complicated peeling limits the consumption of the fruit among people. Thus, processing of papaya into various products is essential to preserve the fruit and increase the consumption. Preparation of syrup from the fresh fruit can help in increasing the consumption and reduce the rate of fruit spoilage which leads to wastage of such rich nutritious fruit. To the syrup, vanilla flavored essence was added to increase the acceptability among children. The syrup can be utilized in various ways as it binds with various food varieties than jams and other commercial products that have utilization limitations. Quality analysis and proximate studies were performed. The syrup is found to have 35.6% carbohydrates, 1.67% fiber, 0.86% protein and 0.51% ash content. The syrup is found to be stable for over 45 days under refrigeration. Thus, the production of vanilla flavored syrup not only increases the shelf life but also aids in promoting the rate of consumption among all age groups.