Development of Functional Apple Nectar Enriched with Ginger Extract

Nasir Ahmad Omari; Hamid  Salari

doi:10.62810/jnsr.v4i2.490

Authors

Nasir Ahmad Omari Kabul University, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul, Afghanistan https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2090-627X
Hamid Salari Kabul University, Horticulture Department, Agriculture Faculty, Kabul, Afghanistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7994-130X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62810/jnsr.v4i2.490

Keywords:

Apple nectar, Functional beverage, Ginger extract; Physicochemical properties, Sensory evaluation, Storage stability

Abstract

Consumer demand for functional fruit beverages with improved sensory quality and health benefits is increasing; however, limited research has focused on standardizing ginger-flavored apple nectar under local processing and storage conditions in Afghanistan. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate ginger-flavored apple nectar and determine the optimum level of ginger extract for physicochemical stability and consumer acceptability during storage. The experiment was conducted in 2025 at the Horticulture Department Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul University. Apple juice was blended with ginger extract at different concentrations (0–7%) to prepare eight nectar treatments according to Codex standards. The products were pasteurized, bottled, and stored under ambient conditions for 90 days. Physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes were evaluated at monthly intervals using a factorial completely randomized design with three replications. The experiment was arranged in a factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications, and data were analyzed using STAR software. Results revealed that both ginger concentration and storage period significantly affected the nectar's quality attributes. Moderate incorporation of ginger improved sensory and functional properties, while higher concentrations negatively influenced acceptability. Among all treatments, nectar containing 2% ginger extract exhibited the best overall performance in terms of physicochemical stability and sensory attributes throughout storage. The study concludes that ginger-flavored apple nectar standardized with 2% ginger extract has good storage stability, enhanced quality characteristics, and high consumer acceptability, making it

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