Quality Analysis of Fruit Candy Preparation from Different Aonla

A laboratory investigation was carried out from February to May at the Post-Harvest and Value Addition Laboratory, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh (Rajasthan), to evaluate the quality attributes of fruit candy prepared from different Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) cultivars. The study aimed to identify the most suitable cultivar and recipe formulation based on key biochemical parameters and storage stability. Three prominent Aonla cultivars—NA-5, Chakaiya, and NA-7—were selected and processed into candy using 70% sugar syrup enriched with 10% natural flavoring agents like rose, ginger, and tulsi. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed with nine treatment combinations replicated thrice. The results revealed that the NA-5 cultivar, particularly the treatment T₁ (NA-5 + 70% Sugar Syrup + Rose 10%), exhibited superior quality in terms of moisture retention, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid, and total sugar across the storage duration of 60 days. T₁ retained the highest ascorbic acid (301.12 mg/100g), TSS (69.60 °Brix), and total sugar (79.04%) at the end of storage, while also maintaining favorable titratable acidity and sensory attributes. In contrast, treatments involving the NA-7 cultivar showed comparatively lower values across these parameters. A general trend of increasing TSS and total sugar with concurrent decreases in ascorbic acid and acidity was observed during storage. These changes are attributed to osmotic concentration and chemical degradation processes. Based on the findings, NA-5 with rose-flavored sugar syrup (T₁) is recommended as the most effective treatment for commercial Aonla candy production due to its superior nutritional retention, storage stability, and sensory appeal.