Nermina Spaho

The production of plum spirits is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Balkan countries, where it ranks among the most popular types of spirit. Various plum varieties are employed to achieve the most aromatic spirit possible. This study investigated the distribution of major and minor volatile compounds in plum distillates produced by blending two plum varieties, Stanley and Požegača. Two blending approaches were evaluated: (i) blending during fermentation and (ii) maceration of fresh Požegača fruit in raw Stanley distillate followed by redistillation. The varieties were combined in three ratios, 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50, with the aim of enhancing the plum aroma of the resulting spirits. Major volatile compounds were analysed by GC-FID, while minor volatile compounds were characterised using GC × GC-MS. All distillates exhibited typical profiles of major volatile compounds. Blending plum varieties proved to be an effective strategy for improving the flavour profile of plum spirits. The relative abundance of minor volatile compounds varied mainly according to plum variety and its proportion in the blend. Fermentation blending resulted in higher relative abundances of α-terpineol, heptanal, benzaldehyde, and γ-dodecalactone, whereas maceration increased the relative abundance of benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, octanoic acid, and (E)-β-damascenone. Even though maceration blending yielded elevated relative abundances of minor volatile compounds, it did not enhance the sensory qualities of the resulting spirits. Samples containing a higher proportion of Požegača were perceived as having greater aromatic and odour intensity than those containing Stanley. In contrast, the inclusion of Stanley resulted in a more favourable mouthfeel.

This study looked at the distribution of major and minor volatile components in distillates created by combining two plum types, Stanley and Požegača. Two methods of blending were used: (i) during fermentation and (ii) by macerating fresh Požegača in raw Stanley distillate and then redistilling the mixture. Plums were combined in three different ratios: 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50. The blending was done to enhance the plum aroma of the drinks. Major volatile components were measured by GCxFID analysis, while minor components were measured using GCxGCxMS. All produced distillates had the usual values of the main volatile components. Compared to the blending procedure, the distribution of minor volatile components in the samples varied more according to the plum variety and its ratio in the blend. Nevertheless, samples made by fermentation mixing had higher concentrations of α-terpineol, heptanal, benzaldehyde, and γ-dodecalactone. Fresh plum maceration yielded significantly higher concentrations of benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, octanoic acid, and (E)-β-damascenone. The sensory perception of spirits is significantly influenced by terpenes. Stanley spirits are distinguished for myrcene, which gives them a pleasing mouthfeel. Geraniol α-terpeneol and γ-dodecalactone, which are more typical for Požegača spirit, have a positive impact on the plum like odour of spirits. Isopentyl acetate, ethyl octanoate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, ethyl dodecanoate, heptanol, and octanoic acid were other positive aromatic compounds. Blending different plum varieties is a successful way to improve the flavour profile of spirits.

Bread is typically defined as being light and airy, with palatable and mild taste, and is very common in the diet of people, regardless of gender, person’s age, or socioeconomic standing. It is a typical food that supplies the majority of daily energy intake and consists mainly of carbohydrates. When it comes to food, the aroma of freshly baked bread is regarded as one of the most preferred ones. Numerous studies have been conducted on aroma of bread, and over 540 volatile components have been found. Alkaloids, aldehydes, esters, ketones, acids, pyrazines, and pyrrolines are the most significant groups in terms of quantity; furans, hydrocarbons, and lactones are also mentioned. Nevertheless, the final bread aroma is mostly determined by a very small number of these chemicals. Numerous factors, including the flour and its extraction milling rate, additional ingredients in the bread recipe, the method, regimes, and time frame for fermentation process, affect the final aroma of the bread. Since the final bread aroma is created during baking, baking conditions are equally essential to its creation. In this sense, the text states the factors that affect aroma of bread and describes their function.

Fruit spirits must have an aroma of the raw material, which is balanced by ethanol. Since many aroma compounds are more soluble in ethanol than in water, ethanol is the most important carrier of aroma compounds. The alcohol concentration seems to be crucial for the sensory profile of spirits. Alcohol content of 40% vol is the standard alcoholic strength of fruit spirits. Regulations specify a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% vol. However, ethanol reduction can result in change in sensory profile of spirits. The aim of this research is to determine whether lowering the alcohol content of spirits may make them less acceptable to customers. On this occasion, 5 pairs of fruit spirits were sensory tested: pear, plum, apple, raspberry, and grape spirits, each with a commercial and reduced alcohol concentration to 37.5% vol. The results showed that customers can recognize the difference in alcohol content of fruit spirits and dilution to lower alcohol content led to decreasing aroma for all tastes fruit spirits. However, typicality and intensity of fruit odour and the overall note of the spirits, were very similar perceived for Williams, plum and grape spirits whereas apple and raspberry spirits showed better characteristic at higher alcohol content.

Fermentation is a crucial process in the production of alcoholic beverages such as spirits, which produces a number of volatile compounds due to the metabolic activities of yeast. These volatile compounds, together with the volatile components of the raw materials and the volatile compounds produced during the distillation and aging process, play a crucial role in determining the final flavor and aroma of spirits. In this manuscript, we provide a comprehensive overview of yeast fermentation and the volatile compounds produced during alcoholic fermentation. We will establish a link between the microbiome and volatile compounds during alcoholic fermentation and describe the various factors that influence volatile compound production, including yeast strain, temperature, pH, and nutrient availability. We will also discuss the effects of these volatile compounds on the sensory properties of spirits and describe the major aroma compounds in these alcoholic beverages.

The present research was undertaken to investigate polyphenolic profiles of peel, pulp and juices made from two standard commercial and five traditional apple cultivars from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main goal of the study was to monitor the distribution and changes of polyphenolic profiles through different phases of apples’ processing into cloudy and clear juices, with regard to L-ascorbic acid pretreatment. Quantitative determination of phenolic compounds was carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. The obtained results showed that traditional cultivars, namely ‘Paradija’ and ‘Prijedorska zelenika’, displayed significantly higher content of these compounds compared to commercial ones. Flavan 3-ols and flavonol glycosides were mostly found in peels of all cultivars (21.2–44.1 and 5.40–33.3%, respectively), while phenolic acids along with flavan 3-ols were predominant in the pulp (8.20–30.8 and 5.10–13.9%, respectively). Apples’ processing into juices caused decrease (more than 90%) in the content of all polyphenols and the distribution of these compounds from fruits to final products had a negative trend, particularly evident in clear juices. The most drastic loss occurred in the flavonol glycosides and dihydrochalcones content, while chlorogenic acid displayed quite stable distribution from apples to final products due to its good solubility. Apple mash pretreatment with L-ascorbic acid had a positive impact on the preservation and retention of polyphenols.

Traditional pear cultivars are increasingly in demand by consumers because of their excellent taste, the possibility of use in sustainable food production systems, convenience as raw materials for obtaining products of high nutritional quality, and perceived health benefits. In this study, individual sugars, organic acids, and polyphenols in the fruits of nine traditional and one commercial pear cultivar during two growing seasons were determined by HPLC. A significant influence of cultivars, growing years, and their interaction on the content of analyzed primary and secondary metabolites was determined. The commercial pear cultivar ‘Président Drouard’ and traditional cultivars ‘Dolokrahan’, ‘Budaljača’, and ‘Krakača’ had a lower content of all analyzed sugars. Overall, traditional pear cultivars had higher total polyphenols in the peel and pulp than ‘Président Drouard’, with the exception ‘Takiša’ and ‘Ahmetova’. High polyphenol content detected in ‘Budaljača’, ‘Dolokrahan’, and ‘Krakača’ shows the utilization value of traditional pear germplasm. The obtained data can serve as practical supporting data for the use of traditional pears in the neutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

Pomological characteristics and consumer acceptability of four scab-resistant apple cultivars (‘Topaz’, ‘Florina’, ‘Goldstar’ and ‘Golden Orange’) and standard commercial cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’ were investigated. Consumer acceptability consisted of rating fruit samples on Likert scales measuring appearance, flavour, size, sweetness, acidity, crispiness, juiciness, skin texture and general impression. Consumers better evaluated the cultivar ‘Topaz’ sensory characteristics of flavour, juiciness, taste and general impression than other evaluated scab-resistant apple cultivars and the cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’. ‘Golden Delicious’ got good grades for appearance, size and sweetness. ‘Topaz’ also had the best pomological characteristic related to measured fruit firmness, contents of soluble solids and organic acids. It can be concluded that only the cultivar ‘Topaz’ among the scab-resistant apple cultivars achieved a good consumer assessment.