Technological properties of fruits of more important plum cultivars used as a raw material for plum brandy production

Abstract

Two-year studies included three major plum cultivars grown in Serbia: Požegača, Stanley and Čačanska rodna, the third, developed at the Fruit Research Institute in Čačak, originating from the cross of two former cultivars. With regard to total sugars and mechanical contents of the cultivars it can be inferred that processing of Čačanska rodna may give potentially highest yield of plum brandy, whereas Stanley and Požegača result in lower yields respectively. The comparison of sugar and pectin contents, as well as, their ratio in fruits of the evaluated cultivars showed the lowest methanol content in brandy made from cv Čačanska rodna. Cv Stanley brandy displayed a slightly higher rate of methanol, whereas brandy produced from Požegača showed the highest percentage of this adverse component. The highest prussic acid potential, i.e. cyanogenic glycoside content, determined on the basis of benzaldehyde and HCN originating from different fruit parts, was recorded in the fruits of cv Čačanska rodna, and the lowest in cv Požegača. In all three cultivars the major quantity of benzaldehyde and HCN originates from the stone component - amygdalin. Therefore, by stone pitting during processing of plum into brandy, the reduction of the potential content of these adverse substances is enabled.

Pored najzastupljenijih sorata u šljivicima Srbije - Požegače i Stenleja, za proizvodnju rakije koristi se sve više i Čačanska rodna, stvorena ukrštanjem ovih sorata u Institutu za voćarstvo u Čačku. Dvogodišnjim istraživanjima utvrđeno je da se plodovi Požegače, Stenleja i Čačanske rodne razlikuju po tehnološkim svojstvima: mehaničkom sastavu, sadržaju ukupnih šećera, pektinskih materija i cijanogenih glikozida (amigdalina i prunazina). Na osnovu dobijenih vrednosti ovih pokazatelja, razmotrena je pogodnost svake sorte šljive za proizvodnju šljivovice, sa stanovišta ekonomičnosti prerade - prinosi rakije, i sa stanovišta zdravstvene vrednosti dobijenih rakija - sadržaji metanola, cijanovodonične kiseline (HCN) i benzaldehida.