Succulent, hydrocolloid-based, texturized grapefruit products

Agar- and alginate-based succulent texturized products were prepared using pasteurized grapefruit vesicles (juice sacs) entrapped within the gel structure. In both matrices, strength decreased as the percent of juice sacs increased. It was not possible to build an agar matrix with more than 350 g/kg cells. With alginate 50 g/kg more cells (up to 400 g/kg) could be added before a very weak, texturally unacceptable product was produced. For agar and alginate matrices, significant differences in strength were found when 150 g/kg and 100 g/kg juice sacs were added, respectively. No significant differences in strength were observed with the addition of higher proportions of juice sacs. The addition of juice sacs also tended to cause a decrease in the deformabilities of the textured products. By entrapping the vesicles within the gel matrix, a succulent product could be produced. The percent weight loss of liquid during compression increased with juice vesicle content of the product. Entrapment of juice cells within a matrix overcomes one of the limitations imposed on traditional texturized fruit products based on pulp, i.e. their inherent ‘dryness’. Thus the liberation of sweetened liquid upon biting into the product results in a texture that more closely resembles that of real fruit.