Optimization of Process Variables for Preparation of Pomegranate Juice-Fortified Aonla Candy

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of sugar syrup concentration (SSC) (0, 30 and 60 °Brix (°B)), time of dipping (TD) of aonla segments in pomegranate juice (30, 60 and 90 min) and drying temperature (DT) (50°C, 60°C and 70°C) on the quality of aonla candy. The prepared candy was assessed for its physical, chemical and sensorial characteristics such as total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid content (AA) and overall acceptability (OAA). Response surface methodology using Box–Behnken design was utilized for formulating the design of experiments, statistical analysis and optimization of process variables. Second-order polynomial models were fitted to determine the responses as a function of process variables. All three independent variables were observed to have significant effect (P ≤ 0.01) with coefficient of determination (R² ≥ 0.90). The optimum process conditions for preparation of novel aonla candy were SSC of 60°B, TD of 30 min and DT of 70°C. The quality characteristics recorded at optimum experimental condition were TSS of 30.16°B, AA of 207.79 mg/100 g and OAA of 7.71 with lower TA of 1.48%.