Fruits PDF

The Fruit: Overview Definition: Ripened ovaries of plants used for food, containing seeds. Develops from a flower into a fleshy material with seeds. Edible Portion: Mainly the fleshy part of the pericarp, which encloses the seed. Ripening Process Immature/Unripe Fruit:...

The Fruit: Overview Definition: Ripened ovaries of plants used for food, containing seeds. Develops from a flower into a fleshy material with seeds. Edible Portion: Mainly the fleshy part of the pericarp, which encloses the seed. Ripening Process Immature/Unripe Fruit: ○ Green in color. ○ Firm in texture. ○ Low in sugar. ○ High in acid content. As it Ripens: ○ Color changes. ○ Softens (due to pectin turning into pectic acid and breakdown of starches). ○ Flavor changes from sour to sweet. Nutritional Components of Fruit: Water Protein Fat Digestible Carbohydrates: Sugars and starches. Indigestible Carbohydrates: Fiber and cellulose. Vitamins and Minerals Organic Acids Flavor Compounds Parts of a Fruit: 1. Pericarp: The tissue surrounding a seed, developed from the ovary wall of the flower. ○ Exocarp: Peel. ○ Mesocarp: Middle layer (pith). ○ Endocarp: Inner layer surrounding the ovary or containing the seeds. Top Major Fruits in the Philippines: Banana, Pineapple, Calamansi, Mango, Papaya. Fruit as a Vegetable: Used in Salads or Viands: Some fruits that lack sweetness and fruity aroma. Immature Fruits Used as Vegetables: Examples include: ○ Young "langka" (jackfruit). ○ Immature "saba" banana. ○ Green papaya. Fruit Preservation: Need for Preservation: Fruits are perishable, requiring methods to extend shelf-life and availability. Factors Influencing Preservation: Seasonality, perishable nature, and demand. General Classification of Fruits: Fruits can be classified in four ways: 1. As to Composition: ○ Food Fruits: More than 20% solids (e.g., avocado, chico, durian, banana, mangoes). ○ Flavor Fruits: Less than 20% solids (e.g., apples, pears, melon, papaya, citrus, berries). 2. Climactic Requirements: ○ Tropical: Mangoes, papayas, tamarind, pineapples. ○ Sub-tropical: Citrus fruits. ○ Temperate: Apples, peaches, pears, plums. 3. Botanical Structure: ○ Simple Fruits: Derived from a single ovary of a single flower (e.g., citrus, berries, drupes, pepos, pomes). ○ Aggregate Fruits: Developed from several ovaries of one flower (e.g., anonas, soursop, strawberries). ○ Multiple Fruits: Developed from a cluster of multiple flowers (e.g., jackfruit, pineapple, breadfruit). 4. Post-harvest Behavior: ○ Climacteric Fruits: Continue to ripen after harvest (e.g., mangoes, papayas, bananas, avocados, tomatoes). ○ Non-climacteric Fruits: Do not ripen after harvest (e.g., grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits). Detailed Fruit Types: 1. Simple Fruits: ○ Citrus (Hesperidium): Berry-like but with many membranous juice-filled sacs; examples include oranges, mandarins, pomelos, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. ○ Berry: True berries are fleshy with multiple seeds; examples include tomatoes, grapes, guavas, gooseberries, and currants. A banana is a special type of berry. ○ Drupe (Stone Fruits): Contain a hard seed (pit or stone) surrounded by fleshy pulp; examples include peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, olives, mangoes, cherries, avocados, and cashews. ○ Pepo (Melon): Berry with a thick rind, typically from the gourd family; examples include cucumber, squash, pumpkin, watermelon, papaya, and honeydew. ○ Pome: Fruit with combined characteristics of drupe and berry; examples include apples and pears. When you eat an apple, you are primarily biting into the hypanthium tissue. 2. Aggregate Fruits: ○ Developed from several ovaries in one flower; consists of individual fruitlets (e.g., strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, anonas, soursop). 3. Multiple Fruits: ○ Developed from multiple flowers that fuse together (e.g., jackfruit, pineapple, breadfruit). Post-Harvest Behavior: Climacteric Fruits: Continue to ripen after harvesting (e.g., mangoes, papayas, bananas, avocados, tomatoes). Ethylene gas plays a crucial role in the ripening process, increasing respiration. Non-climacteric Fruits: Do not continue to ripen after harvest and must be fully ripe before picking (e.g., grapes, strawberries, citrus). Fruit Ripening and Storage: Ripening and Ethylene: Climacteric fruits produce ethylene, a plant hormone, that coordinates the physiological and biochemical changes during ripening. Factors Affecting Storage: ○ Moisture Loss: Fruits lose water post-harvest, leading to dehydration and spoilage. ○ Temperature and Humidity: Water loss is faster at higher temperatures.  ○ Air Movement: High air movement accelerates moisture loss. ○ Atmospheric Pressure: The rate of water loss is affected by the pressure difference between the environment and the fruit pulp. Pre-Processing of Fruits: 1. Pre-cooling: Removes heat from fruits after harvest to prevent rapid moisture loss and speed up respiration. ○ Methods include room cooling, forced air cooling, pressure cooling, packaging icing, and top icing. 2. Washing and Drying: Facilitates cooling and removes dirt, grime, and insect scale. ○ Air drying helps prepare fruits for further processing. 3. Waxing: Applied to fruits like apples and pears to replace the natural waxy layer and improve shelf-life. ○ Advantages: Reduces moisture loss, imparts glossy appearance, protects against spoilage organisms. 4. Grading and Sizing: Fruits are classified based on quality and size, either manually or mechanically. 5. Disinfection: Fruits may be treated to remove insect infestations, such as fruit flies, using methods like vapor heat treatment, fumigation with ethylene dibromide (EDB), or irradiation. 6. Degreening: Accelerating ripening by using ethylene gas or calcium carbide. 7. Packaging: Fruits are packed using appropriate materials to prevent physical damage and spoilage. Storage Conditions: Controlled Storage: To maintain freshness, the fruit’s characteristics need to be controlled during storage. Chemical Changes: Storage leads to changes in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, acids, and enzymes, which affect color, texture, and flavor. Carbohydrates: Starch is converted to sugars, increasing sweetness and reducing acidity (e.g., Brix to acid ratio). Lipids/Fats: Increase in saturated fatty acids during ripening. Enzymes: Increased activity softens fruit and breaks down pectin into pectic acid. Storage Methods to Extend Shelf Life: 1. Refrigeration: Low temperatures slow down respiration and extend shelf life (optimum temperature for tropical fruits: 15-25°C). 2. Controlled Atmosphere Storage: Adjusting the gas composition (e.g., reducing oxygen, increasing carbon dioxide) to slow respiration and delay ripening. ○ Example: Mangoes (5% oxygen, 5% carbon dioxide, at 12-14°C). 3. Chemical Treatments: Using metabolic inhibitors or fumigants like methyl bromide to slow down ripening. Market Forms of Fruits: 1. Fresh Fruits: Eaten ripe or unripe. 2. Canned Fruits: Packed in airtight containers with syrup, with or without preservatives. 3. Candied Fruits: Fruits soaked in syrup to prevent microbial growth (e.g., papaya, mango, apricots). 4. Glaced Fruits: A variation of candied fruits, dipped and coated with syrup for a glossy finish. 5. Dried Fruits: Moisture is removed to concentrate sweetness (e.g., dried mangoes, apricots). 6. Fruit Juices: Can be ready-to-drink or powdered, sometimes with added sugar and artificial flavors. 7. Jellies: Made by blending fruit juice with sugar and acid, then cooked to form a gel. 8. Jam: Fruit pulp mixed with sugar and concentrated by evaporation. 9. Marmalade: Jelly made with sliced peels suspended in it. 10. Pickled Fruits: Fruits are cured, pickled, and packed in jars. Fruit Processing Technology: Pectin: Key ingredient in jellies and jams, helping them solidify. Sugar and Acids: Essential for preserving flavor and consistency in jams and jellies. Are All Plants Vegetables? Vegetables: Plants or parts of plants that are consumed by humans. ○ Edible parts: Leaves, stems, petioles, roots, tubers, bulbs, flowers, seeds, immature fruits, and shoots. Importance of Vegetables Health Benefits: ○ Nutrient-rich: Vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins (A, C), minerals (calcium, iron), dietary fiber, and protein. ○ Low in calories: Most vegetables are low in calories and fats but high in water content. ○ Promote health: Vegetables contribute to good health, helping fight diseases and promoting overall wellness. Distinctive Color, Texture, and Flavor: ○ Color: Indicates the presence of beneficial nutrients. For example, yellow vegetables are rich in Vitamin A due to beta-carotene. ○ Flavor: Vegetables have distinct tastes due to compounds like aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, organic acids, and sulfur compounds. Economic Importance: ○ Source of income and employment: The vegetable industry provides livelihood and supports local economies. ○ Nutrition and Self-Sufficiency: Essential for addressing hunger and malnutrition, especially in countries like the Philippines. ○ Top Producers: The Philippines, China, India, Vietnam, and Nigeria are major global producers of vegetables. General Classification of Vegetables Vegetables can be classified into the following categories based on the plant part consumed: 1. Roots: Underground parts, including thickened portions of the underground stems (not technically roots). ○ Examples: sweet potato, carrot, cassava, taro, radish, turnips, purple yam. 2. Stems: Edible stalks that support the plant. ○ Examples: celery, asparagus, gabi stalks. 3. Bulbs: Underground buds with short stems covered by leaf layers. ○ Examples: onion, garlic, leek, shallots. 4. Seeds: Immature or mature seeds of a plant, often harvested from pods. ○ Examples: beans, peas, lima beans, mung beans, snow peas.  5. Shoots: New outgrowths from a mature plant. ○ Examples: bamboo shoots, coconut pith, mung bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts. 6. Leaves: Edible foliage of plants. ○ Examples: spinach, mustard, kangkong, cabbage, malunggay. 7. Fruits: Develop from flowers and contain seeds. ○ Examples: tomato, eggplant, cucumber, okra, bitter gourd. 8. Flowers: Edible flowers that precede fruit formation. ○ Examples: broccoli, cauliflower, squash flowers. Detailed Breakdown of Vegetable Types 1. Roots: ○ Examples: Labanos (Radish) Kamote (Sweet Potato) Cassava (Kamoteng kahoy) Ube (Purple Yam) Singkamas (Turnips) 2. Stems: ○ Examples: Kintsay (Celery) Asparagus (Asparagus) Rubarbo (Rhubarb) 3. Bulbs: ○ Examples: Sibuyas (Onion) Bawang (Garlic) Kutsay (Leeks) Sibuyas tagalog (Shallots) 4. Seeds: ○ Examples: Abitsuelas (Snap beans) Sitaw (String beans) Patani (Lima beans) Munggo (Mung beans) Sitsaro (Snow peas) 5. Leaves: ○ Examples: Petsay (Chinese cabbage) Repolyo (Cabbage) Alugbati (Malabar nightshade)  Kangkong (Swamp cabbage) Ispinaka (Spinach) Dahong sili (Pepper leaves) 6. Fruits: ○ Examples: Ampalaya (Bitter Gourd) Pipino (Cucumber) Kalabasa (Squash) Siling labuyo (Cayenne Pepper) Sayote (Chayote) 7. Flowers: ○ Examples: Katuray (Sesban flower) Brokoli (Broccoli) Koliplawer (Cauliflower) Bulaklak ng kalabasa (Squash flowers) 8. Shoots: ○ Examples: Labong (Bamboo shoots) Ubod (Coconut pith) Toge (Mung bean sprouts) Alpalpa (Alfalfa sprouts) Postharvest Handling and Storage Vegetables are highly perishable and need proper handling and storage techniques to maintain quality until they reach the consumer. ○ Key Stages: 1. Harvesting 2. Handling 3. Packaging, Storage, and Distribution Factors Affecting Losses: ○ Maturity index (vegetable readiness for harvest) ○ Methods of harvesting ○ Time and conditions during harvest Maturity Index: ○ Vegetables should be harvested at the right stage for optimal taste and nutrient retention. ○ Example: Tomatoes should be harvested when they show a creamy color at the blossom end and the fruit turns red or pink. Respiration and Transpiration:  ○ Respiration: Biological oxidation of organic molecules (producing CO₂ and H₂O), contributing to perishability. ○ Transpiration: Loss of moisture from plant tissues, leading to dehydration. Methods of Harvesting Improper harvesting can damage vegetables and cause rapid deterioration. ○ Examples: Harvesting squash by cutting off the peduncle (stem) can lead to exposure and water loss. ○ Leafy Vegetables: Delicate and can lose quality rapidly if mishandled. Handling and Grading Grading: ○ Sort by size and quality to avoid damage. ○ Larger vegetables are generally considered better in the market, but smaller ones should not be mixed, as they can get damaged easily. ○ Grading also helps maximize profit and minimize losses. Standardization: ○ Ensures consistency in quality and helps food manufacturers predict yield and processing needs. Treatments for Harvested Vegetables Physical Treatments: ○ Cleaning: Washing, coating, waxing, and heat treatments to preserve freshness. ○ Irradiation: Use of gamma rays to prevent spoilage and sprouting. Chemical Treatments: ○ Disinfestation: Removal of pests. ○ Decay Control: Helps delay ripening and deterioration. ○ Curing: Allowing vegetables to recover and heal bruises. Pre-cooling: ○ The faster vegetables are cooled after harvesting, the longer they will last. This process helps maintain turgor pressure (the rigidity of plant tissues) and prevents wilting. Storage and Distribution  Packaging: Prevents moisture loss and pest infestation. Storage: Different vegetables require different conditions: ○ Leafy vegetables need cool temperatures and high humidity. ○ Root vegetables like onions and potatoes need a cool, dry place. Distribution: Proper transportation ensures that vegetables reach their destination without further quality degradation. ○ Factors like temperature, humidity, and airflow should be considered. Market Forms Vegetables are available in various processed forms: 1. Fresh Vegetables: Sold in markets, either unpacked or packed for convenience. 2. Frozen Vegetables: Stored at very low temperatures (-18°C to -25°C) to extend shelf life, typically for 12 to 18 months. 3. Dried Vegetables: Water is removed through drying (60-80°C for 6-8 hours). 4. Canned Vegetables: Heat processed for sterilization, but this can affect texture and nutrients. 5. Pickled Vegetables: Preserved using acids, such as vinegar or brine. 6. Sugar Concentrates: Some vegetables, such as wintermelon and sayote, are used in sweetened preparations or desserts. This review consolidates the key aspects of vegetables, from classification to postharvest handling, to ensure optimal freshness and quality from field to plate.