The peculiarities of the formation of technological properties of muscat pumpkin fruits intended for processing

The research objective was studying the features of the formation of technological properties of the fruits of muscat pumpkin (synthetic varieties of Tsukatnaya and Moskovskaya Aromatnaya of the selection of JSC ‘N.N. Timofeev Selection Station’) intended for making the production preserved by sugar, and in particular jam. Biometric observations were made and the indicators characterizing technological properties of fruits and dynamics of their maturing were defined. Jam with addition of fruit raw materials and the replacement of the part of water in sugar syrup apple juice was made and organoleptic assessment of the quality of ready-made product was carried out. The studied varieties of muscat pumpkin during vegetation periods, various in weather conditions, showed high stability in the formation of the crop characterized by the uniformity of fruits on maturity degree. Considerable improvement of technological properties of fruits of studied varieties of muscat pumpkin and approach at stored production of technical degree of a maturity after harvesting required at least 2-3 months of storage. With average mass of the fruit depending on the year of the research at the level of 1.85-3.01 (Moskovskaya Aromatnaya) and 3.7-4.8 kg (Tsukatnaya) the pulp made 58.84-63.64 % respectively. The content of carotene was at the level of 10.13 (Moskovskaya Aromatnaya) and 13.3 mg% (Tsukatnaya), causing bright orange coloring that in total with pronounced sweet taste and pleasant flavor allowed receiving finished goods, and in particular high quality jam, when replacing 25 % of water in sugar syrup with apple juice (from the fruits of the variety Tsukatnaya) or addition of 25 % of apples to the variety Moskovskaya Aromatnaya. The varieties of muscat pumpkin Moskovskaya Aromatnaya and Tsukatnaya at cultivation in the conditions of Moscow Region allowed receiving vegetable raw materials suitable for obtaining high-quality production preserved by sugar, and in particular jam.