Characterization of Fruit Sorbet Matrices with Added Value from Zizyphus jujuba and Stevia rebaudiana.

Sorbets are healthy ice cream alternatives and desired frozen desserts by vegetarians and vegans. This study focuses on assessing the effects of sorbet recipe alteration through the addition of different percentages of Zizyphus jujuba powder. Stevia rebaudiana was used as a sugar substituent. A control sample and five variables were developed. Peaches from the "Laskava" (native Bulgarian) variety were used as the main ingredient. The new sorbet matrices were characterized based on their moisture and ash content, overrun, melting behavior, melting rate, water holding capacity, pH, nutritional data, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, vitamin C content, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The microbial load and CIELAB color of the sorbet alternatives was also evaluated. A sensory evaluation revealed the most preferred variant. Panelists evaluated the appearance (n = 6), aroma (n = 5), flavor (n = 5), mouthfeel (n = 7), and aftertaste (n = 5). The soluble solids content varied from 17.50 to 33.03%, the ash content from 0.36 to 5.21%, the moisture content from 63.77 to 80.21%. The studied sorbet matrices have an overrun in the range from 8.11 to 12.32%. Results showed that a potential for the development of peach sorbet matrices with added value and a reasonable consumer acceptability exists. Further research can perfect the recipe and provide a reference for other frozen desserts.