VALUE ADDED
AONLA PRODUCTS
Introduction
Aonla or amla (Emblica officinalis), popularly known as the Indian gooseberry, is a small sized,
minor subtropical fruit and grows widely along the hillsides and submountainous areas of North
India. The fruit is acrid, cooling, refrigerant, diuretic and laxative, hence used for treating chronic
dysentery, bronchitis, diabetes, fever, diarrhoea, jaundice, dyspepsia, & coughs etc. It is highly
nutritive and one of the richest source of ascorbic acid. It contains 500-1500 mg of ascorbic
acid per 100g of pulp. The gallic acid present in aonla fruit has antioxidant properties. This fruit
is extensively used in the preparation of Ayurvedic and Unani medicines. Owing to its nutritive
and miraculous medicinal properties, this fruit has acquired wide popularity.
The fresh fruits are generally
not consumed due to their high
astringency but it has got great
potential in processed forms.
Hence attention has been
focused on the preparation of
different value added products
from aonla. Aonla preserve is
an extremely popular traditional
product, which is also known as
amla murabba in India. Aonla
preserve has the beneficial
effect of purifying blood. This
also helps in reducing the
cholesterol levels in blood and
in improving eyesight. Lack of
scientific approach in its
preparation and preservation
renders this valuable product
vulnerable to spoilage in a
short period of time after its
preparation.
Figure 1: The aonla
Traditional method and
concerned problems
For the preparation of aonla
preserve the fruit are washed, dipped in brine solution for a couple of days until the colour of the
fruits changes from green to a yellowish or creamish colour, pricked after washing and blanched.
Then the fruit are put in sugar syrup of 45-50 oBrix strength. The following day the syrup is
highly concentrated; fruit are added to it without knowing the final concentration of sugar in the
covering syrup, which determines the shelf life of product.
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