In this study used the apical part of sugarcane stem (tip), very similar to the common palm heart, to produce sugarcane pickles and quantified the nutritional composition as well as quality of sugarcane pickles. Since there is no particular scientific methodology for this type of pickles a methodology adapted from traditional palm heart pickles processing was tested. Based on the results obtained, the adaptation of the traditional palm heart production method was satisfactory to produce sugarcane pickles. Furthermore, sugarcane pickles with shorter maturation are nutritionally superior when compared to those that were left for longer in the field.
Material and Methods
The raw material was the meristematic part of sugarcane tip washed properly and used for processing. After collecting, the sugarcane tips were transported in plastic boxes and then cut separating the meristematic part of the stem where the palm heart is (sugarcane heart). The samples previously separated by maturation were washed in running water and immediately immersed in solution (3% NaCl and 1% acetic acid). This immersion aimed to prevent and inhibit the oxidizing action, thus preventing the darkening of raw material. Sequentially, sugarcane hearts were boiled for 15 minutes in acidified brine at 98 °C. The brine used was made with NaCl (2.5%), citric, and acetic acid (both 0.1%). After the procedure sugarcane hearts were placed in stainless steel sieves at room temperature to drain the brine and, avoid the final product overheating. Sterilized glass containers 13.5 cm and 8 cm in diameter were used in these experiments. Pickles were made in the proportion of 350 g of sugarcane heart to 230 g of brine and then the packages were sealed. Percent composition analyses were performed (moisture, proteins, lipids, ashes, and carbohydrates), as well as determinations of total acidity and pH, both raw material and pickles by a standard protocols.
Results
Both raw sugarcane hearts and pickles showed interesting nutritional results as an alternative food. Sugarcane heart raw did not show variations in physical-chemical composition between the different sugarcane maturations. The pH ranged from 4.4 to 4.5; acidity ranged from 0.34 to 0.35 g of citric acid/100 g of the sample. All the parameters evaluated in the raw product are very similar to the results of the processed product; however, the protein contents of sugarcane heart pickles decreased, and probably soluble proteins may have been solubilized and lost by leaching during processing. Sugarcane heart can be an interesting source of protein (an average 2%), in addition, it was verified that this product does not have high amounts of lipids (0.3%) or carbohydrates, resulting in low caloric value. For sugarcane heart pickles pH, total acidity, and ashes content did not differ according to the different sugarcane maturations tested in this experiment. pH ranged from 4.4 to 4.5; the acidity of 0.46 to 48 g of aq. citric acid/100 g sample and the ash 1.8 to 2.0%.
However, the moisture, protein content, lipid content, carbohydrate content, and energy value were different among the evaluated maturations. Pickles produced from sugarcane with lower maturation time (9 and 12 months) were nutritionally superior when compared to the one that stayed the longest in the field (16 months), the results of moisture prove this fact when they presented lower in the maturation 9 and 12 months (93 and 93.2%, respectively), against 94.5% of maturation 16 months; in the case of protein, carbohydrate, and energetic value, the pickles from sugarcane with lower maturation time (protein: 1.0 and 1.1%; carbohydrates: 4.1 and 3.7%, energy value: 21.6 and 20.8 Kcal/100g of the sample, in 9 and 12 months, respectively) were nutritionally superior to the pickles of higher maturation time (proteins: 0.5%, carbohydrates: 2.7%, energy: 15.5 Kcal/100g sample, 16 months. The sugarcane heart pickles have a high nutritional content which justifies further studies such as the presence of antioxidant activity compounds or mineral specification and quantification, as well as to test sugarcane heart pickles addition in gastronomic recipes as a form of value aggregation.
Conclusion
Low investment is required since the process includes a manual collection of waste, and processing can be done with common kitchen utensils and equipment, such as cookware, stove, freezer, or refrigerator, and utensils such as plastic basins, knives, pickers, sieves, and wrapper under vacuum. Based on the research carried out, it can be concluded that production protocols for obtaining sugarcane heart pickles were developed satisfactorily with food safety and hygiene allowing an option to increase the income of small farmers through the reuse of production residue from rural areas, as well as reduction this crop culture environmental impact. Pickles prepared with sugarcane heart in the shortest maturation (9 and 12 months) presented higher nutritional quality when compared to that stayed longest in the field (16 months). Sugarcane heart physical-chemical characteristics are maintained after pickles processing.
Reference
Costa, S.M., de Souza, U.D., Duarte, S.G., Dias, M.S.B., de Azevedo Arana, A.R. and Uliana, M.R., 2022. Sugarcane pickles: from waste to processed food. Research, Society and Development, 11(6), pp.e16511628577-e16511628577.
