Improving the Quality and Shelf Life of Turkish Almond Paste

Abstract

Almond paste is an economically valuable product produced from almonds, sugar and a small amount of water. Oxidative rancidity and oil separation are the major problems that are encountered in the paste products affecting the shelf life. Another problem appears to be drying on the surface of the product resulting in poor consumer acceptability. In this study, the formulation of product was altered by adding a commercial stabilizer, antioxidant mixture and maltose syrup to prevent undesirable quality changes during storage at 4C and 30C. Peroxide value, free fatty acid and Rancimat analysis showed that the addition of antioxidant mixture prevented oxidation effectively and improved sensory scores significantly (P ≤ 0.05). Although stabilizer addition had a detrimental effect on the textural properties, samples that have maltose had high sensory scores. The results showed that incorporation of maltose syrup and antioxidant may improve the texture and shelf life of almond paste. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The available literature on almond paste is mainly focused on the microbiological quality of the product and the prevention of spoilage reactions by modifying packaging materials. However, there is no report on the optimization of the composition to extend the shelf life of almond paste. Turkish almond paste, a healthy and expensive dessert, is a specialty product that is manufactured by using traditional grinding equipment. However, the limited shelf life of this product decreases its export potential resulting in economical losses. Therefore, improved shelf life and quality of the product is of importance from the economical point of view. In our study, we aimed to improve the quality and shelf life of Turkish almond paste by modifying its formulation in order to minimize the undesirable changes that occur during storage.

Textural, Rheological and Sensory Properties and Oxidative Stability of Nut Spreads—A Review

“…It is used as a sandwich spread. Besides peanuts, other types of nuts can be used to make nut spreads [26–28]. Nut spreads are sometimes presented with layers of either jam or jelly in a bottle [29].…”

“…In contrast, the best roasting conditions for peanuts were at 180 °C for 45 min [26] or 160 °C for 40–50 min [27]. The textural characteristic of the nut is affected by the roasting condition.…”

Effect of roasting conditions on color development and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) analysis of Malaysian-grown tropical almond nuts (Terminalia catappa L.)

“…roasting temperature and roasting time) [9]. For example, studies have revealed that the optimum roasting conditions for macadamia nuts and peanuts were 135°C for 20 min; and 180°C for 45 min [11,12], respectively.…”

Determining the rational concentration of dry demineralized whey in a formulationfor marzipan pastes

“…In the context of solving the above problem, analysis of published data and patent sources shows the possibility of partial replacement of almond flour and sugar in marzipan pastes with other formulation ingredients [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Much of these studies are devoted to exploring the possibility of replacing sugar with sweeteners and sugar substitutes but proportion of high-value nut raw materials remains unchanged rendering it impossible for marzipan pastes to be widely used in the confectionery industry.…”