Comparison of some properties on the different types of pestil: a traditional product in Turkey

Pestil is a traditional dried fruit snack, which is consumed in Turkey. Wheat starch is mixed with different clarified fruit juices such as grape, mulberry, apricot or plum and cooked using traditional techniques. In this work the proximate chemical composition (moisture, ash, fat, crude protein and total carbohydrate), energy value and thickness of grape, apricot and mulberry pestils were investigated. The colour properties (Hunter L, a and b) were determined by a Minolta Chroma-Meter and the mineral content (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Cu, Zn, Mn) of each product was determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The carbohydrate value of pestil samples ranged between 73.7 and 82.4% and energy value was between 321.5 and 356.4 kcal 100 g(-1). Mulberry pestil was a better source of energy than grape and apricot pestils. Apricot pestils were rich in calcium, sodium and zinc, and mulberry pestil samples were rich in magnesium.