The influence of enzymatic treatment of mash on the analytical composition of apple juice

Five apple juices were produced on a pilot scale by crushing the fruit, treating the mash with pectolytic enzymes, pressing, extracting water from the pomace, pasteurization, treatment of the juice with enzymes, combined gelatin/silica sol fining and final ultrafiltration. The temperature of the mash treatment was either ambient or one of 30, 40, 50 or 60 °C, in order to test whether this led to different compositional changes in the corresponding juices. The main emphasis was put on detection of D -galacturonic acid as the indicator substance for the extent of the enzymatic treatment. In the pasteurized raw juices after pressing we found values from 226 to 398 mg L^?1. A distinct increase of the galacturonic acid levels could be observed during the clarification steps. Enzymatic juice treatment raised the concentrations to 580–720 mg L^?1. After ultrafiltration, final values of 790–1100 mg L^?1 were measured. Generally, the highest values were found in the 50 °C sample, which is the optimum temperature for pectinase activity. This was also true for the colloid concentrations and polyphenols. The influence of the temperature of the enzymatic mash treatment on other characteristic juice parameters like total titratable acidity, density, sugar, and minerals concentrations was low.