Articles
Morphological and physico-chemical properties of nopalitos from twenty cactus pear cultivars
Article number
1343_49
Pages
387 – 394
Language
English
Abstract
Nopalitos (young cactus pear cladodes) have been used as a nutritious, sustainable and economical food source by natives in the Americas for thousands of years.
In Mexico, they are enjoyed raw or cooked.
Good-quality raw nopalitos are described as being thin, fresh-looking, turgid and bright-green.
It has minimum sliminess, sourness and fibrousness.
To identify the ideal cactus pear cultivar to develop as crop for nopalito use in South Africa, 20 cultivars (six samples, 12 to 20 cm, repeated over two years) were evaluated for their visual (diameter and colour L*, a*, b*, C* and h°), taste (pH, % titratable acid as citric acid and °Brix), turgidity (moisture content), sliminess (mucilage yield and viscosity) and firmness (resistance to penetration) characteristics.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that cultivar had a significant (p<0.001) effect on nopalito characteristics of diameter, firmness, mucilage yield, % TA as citric acid, °Brix and all colour attributes.
Four (Fresno, Fusicaulis, Nudosa and Robusta) cultivars were significantly (p<0.001) thicker, of which two (Fresno and Fusicaulis) were significantly less green (a*) (p<0.001). Skinners Court had significantly low % TA as citric acid and Turpin (high) and Nudosa (low) had significantly different °Brix (p<0.001). Fusicaulis had higher mucilage yield, Nudosa had tougher nopalitos, while Algerian was softer (statistically significant, p<0.001). The least suited cultivars were Fresno, Fusicaulis, Nudosa and Robusta for visual inadequacies, Turpin and Nudosa for poor taste indicators, Fusicaulis for sliminess and Nudosa for excessive toughness. Skinners Court had the least sliminess (low mucilage yield and viscosity) and the least sourness (low % TA as citric acid). The brightest green cultivar was Gymno-Carpo. Nopalitos of most of the 20 cultivars analysed produced good-quality nopalitos which would be suitable for use as vegetables in South African households.
In Mexico, they are enjoyed raw or cooked.
Good-quality raw nopalitos are described as being thin, fresh-looking, turgid and bright-green.
It has minimum sliminess, sourness and fibrousness.
To identify the ideal cactus pear cultivar to develop as crop for nopalito use in South Africa, 20 cultivars (six samples, 12 to 20 cm, repeated over two years) were evaluated for their visual (diameter and colour L*, a*, b*, C* and h°), taste (pH, % titratable acid as citric acid and °Brix), turgidity (moisture content), sliminess (mucilage yield and viscosity) and firmness (resistance to penetration) characteristics.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that cultivar had a significant (p<0.001) effect on nopalito characteristics of diameter, firmness, mucilage yield, % TA as citric acid, °Brix and all colour attributes.
Four (Fresno, Fusicaulis, Nudosa and Robusta) cultivars were significantly (p<0.001) thicker, of which two (Fresno and Fusicaulis) were significantly less green (a*) (p<0.001). Skinners Court had significantly low % TA as citric acid and Turpin (high) and Nudosa (low) had significantly different °Brix (p<0.001). Fusicaulis had higher mucilage yield, Nudosa had tougher nopalitos, while Algerian was softer (statistically significant, p<0.001). The least suited cultivars were Fresno, Fusicaulis, Nudosa and Robusta for visual inadequacies, Turpin and Nudosa for poor taste indicators, Fusicaulis for sliminess and Nudosa for excessive toughness. Skinners Court had the least sliminess (low mucilage yield and viscosity) and the least sourness (low % TA as citric acid). The brightest green cultivar was Gymno-Carpo. Nopalitos of most of the 20 cultivars analysed produced good-quality nopalitos which would be suitable for use as vegetables in South African households.
Publication
Authors
B.L. Makhalemele, M. de Wit, M.M. Truter, A. Du Toit, H.J. Fouche, A. Hugo, S.L. Venter
Keywords
cultivars, chemical, morphology, mucilage, nopalitos, physical
Groups involved
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