PRODUCTION OF GOOD QUALITY WINE FROM SINGLE AND MIXTURE OF FRUIT PEELS

Processing fruits into juices and related products generates a lot of wastes in form of peels which cause disposal problems. This paper summarizes the outcomes of a study of an alternative utilization of these wastes into wine making that could tremendously minimize financial disposal requirements. Averagely, 80kg of peels yielded 180, 144 and 72 liters of wine from pineapple, mango-pineapple mix and mango peels, respectively. In this study, three products were formulated which involved mango peels, pineapple peels and a mixture of mango and pineapple peels in the ratio of 1:2.25, respectively. The effects of initial total soluble solids (24, 26 and 32oBrix) on physical and sensory characteristics of musts and wines were examined. The results showed that during fermentation for 6 months the total soluble solids of all musts decreased to 10.1, 11.4 and 14.5oBrix, respectively while the pH was decreased from 4.5 to 3.65-3.78. The resultant wines had significantly different alcohol content at P < 0.05 in the range of (12 - 18%) by the end of the ageing period. The results of sensory evaluation showed a significant difference in terms of aroma, mouth feel and acidity ratings (P > 0.05), while color, clarity, and alcohol strength were generally similar in all the three aged wines. Samples made from mango and pineapple peels mix showed the highest overall acceptance. It was also observed that whereas this wine was made from cheap and readily available raw materials, it can be sold at relatively lower prices hence offering a competitive advantage over other local producers and economic feasibility. The Food Technology and Business Incubation Center (FTBIC) should, therefore, now aim at scaling-up production of these wines for commercialization. In order to out-compete imported brands, applying attractive flavorings and colorants to the peel wine will help in promoting the wine over the imported brands. Farmers should also be advised to eliminate or reduce fungicide and herbicide utilizations during production of pineapples since the residual agro-chemicals may greatly affect the quality of the product from the peels