# Enhancing the texture and nutritional value of pumpkin dessert/jam through vacuum impregnation pre‐treatment with calcium and vitamin D3

## TL;DR

Vacuum impregnation improves the texture and nutritional value of pumpkin desserts by efficiently adding calcium and vitamin D3 without affecting taste.

## Contribution

Vacuum impregnation is shown to be more effective than immersion for fortifying pumpkin slices with calcium and vitamin D3.

## Key findings

- Vacuum impregnation for 90 minutes achieved the highest calcium and vitamin D3 content in pumpkin slices.
- Desserts made with vacuum-impregnated slices had better texture and sensory qualities.
- Calcium oxide did not alter the taste of the desserts.

## Abstract

This study involved fortifying pumpkin slices with calcium and vitamin D3 using vacuum impregnation (VI) pre‐treatment and assessing the quality characteristics of the resulting desserts/jams. Slices were subjected to immersion or VI pre‐treatments for 30, 60, and 90 min in a solution containing calcium oxide and vitamin D3. Calcium ions contributed to the hardness of desserts, with VI reducing processing time. The highest impregnated calcium (58.17 mg/100 g fw) and vitamin D3 contents (6.02 mg/100 g dm) were determined in slices pre‐treated by VI for 90 min. VI was more effective than immersion in terms of calcium and vitamin D3 transition into pumpkin tissues. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicated that calcium oxide particles were noticeable in slices pre‐treated by VI. Immersing fruit slices for 90 min produced desserts with a textural hardness of 11.04 N, while VI pre‐treatment for the same duration increased their hardness value to 18.92 N. Desserts produced with VI‐pre‐treated slices exhibited superior texture and sensory attributes, with no adverse taste resulting from calcium oxide. In conclusion, VI pre‐treatment shows significant potential for the industrial production of desserts/jams with enhanced structural integrity for fruits.

The infusion of calcium and vitamin D3 into pumpkin slices was more efficient and faster with the use of vacuum impregnation pre‐treatment compared to immersion. The incorporation of calcium and vitamin D3 into fruit slices enhanced the texture and nutritional value of pumpkin dessert, while the use of calcium oxide did not introduce any unpleasant taste. This suggests that this pre‐treatment holds significant promise for industrial applications in the production of traditional pumpkin desserts with enhanced structural integrity.