Standardizing Recipe for Pomegranate and Apple Blended Nectar

Atiqullah Muslim; Hamid Salari; Mohammadullah Amin

doi:10.62810/jnsr.v4i1.304

Authors

Atiqullah Muslim Kabul University, Horticulture Department, Agriculture Faculty, Kabul, Afghanistan
Hamid Salari Kabul University, Horticulture Department, Agriculture Faculty, Kabul, Afghanistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7994-130X
Mohammadullah Amin Kabul University, Horticulture Department, Agriculture Faculty, Kabul, Afghanistan https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9377-1233

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62810/jnsr.v4i1.304

Keywords:

Pomegranate, Apple, Blended, Nectar, Sensory Evaluation

Abstract

This study was carried out during 2024–2025 at the Laboratory of the Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul University, Afghanistan, with the objective of developing a blended pomegranate–apple nectar of acceptable quality and economic feasibility. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and eleven treatments representing different juice blending ratios. The study assessed chemical properties (TSS, sugars, acidity, and pH), biological stability, sensory attributes, and economic performance of the nectar during storage. The results indicated that increasing storage duration led to a gradual rise in total soluble solids (TSS), reducing sugars, total sugars, and acidity, while pH and non-reducing sugars decreased. The application of sodium benzoate along with proper sterilization and pasteurization effectively prevented microbial spoilage throughout the storage period. Sensory evaluation demonstrated a general decline in appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability with prolonged storage, with the highest scores recorded at the initial stage and the lowest after 90 days. Blends containing higher proportions of apple juice consistently showed better sensory quality. Among the treatments, T11 (100% apple juice) achieved the highest scores for appearance, color, and aroma, whereas T10 (10% pomegranate and 90% apple juice) ranked highest for flavor, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability. Economic analysis revealed that T10 generated a net return of 1.57 AFN per AFN invested. Therefore, T10 is recommended as the most suitable formulation for blended pomegranate–apple nectar production.

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