Production of natural bitter orange (Bitter orange aurantium) sauce

Abstract

Sour sauces are an important part of Turkish cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. They are generally used as a flavoring in salads, cold appetizers and various dishes such as stuffed meatballs, raw meatballs and casseroles. In this study, it was aimed to obtain a sauce with a high consistency from the juice of bitter oranges grown in the Mediterranean climate, which is not evaluated due to its bitter taste due to its high naringin content and to be used in salads or meals. Carob molasses pulp (CMP) was used in the sauce preparation process to obtain high consistency. In addition to providing high consistency, CMP has increased the nutritional value of the sauce. For this purpose, bitter orange (Bitter orange aurantium)  juice was evaporated in the open boiler until it reached 25-30 ⁰Brix. After adding 2% CMP to the semi-evaporated bitter orange juice, the evaporation process was continued till it reached the final concentration of 55 ⁰Brix. The obtained sauce was evaluated in pH, total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, color and sensory properties. As a result, the total phenolics content was 785±4.00 mg GAE/L and the total antioxidant capacity was 77±0.00 µmol TE/L. The results showed that the citrus sauce supplemented with CMP was exposed to less heat treatment and lower change in its lightness according to the control and it was liked more than the control in terms of color, consistency, taste and overall acceptability. Consequently, a new high-consistency sour bitter orange sauce was produced which was appreciated by consumers.