The high levels of ascorbic acid in camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia McVaugh, Myrtaceae) have stimulated interest of extractivists, farmers and consumers. This has led to a need to develop adequate technology for it's production on non-flooded land and the industrial use of this fruit. This study had as its main objective to verify if camu-camu is adequate for the production of fermented alcoholic beverages, measuring the effect of blanching the fruit and the incorporation of the fruit peel with the fruit pulp on the nutritional and sensory characteristics of the drink. The fruits were separated into 4 groups, two being blanched (90 ºC for 7 minutes). After the pulp was removed, the peels of one group from each blanching treatment were incorporated into the respective pulps and their chemical composition evaluated. After sugar correction of the must, pasteurisation, fermentation (25 days), decanting, pasteurisation (70 ºC for 15 minutes), filtering and clarification, the beverages were evaluated as to their chemical composition, sweetened and submitted to sensory analysis. Blanching reduced the concentration of ascorbic acid in the pulps (33 %) and the addition of the peel increased the amount of dry matter (39 % in pulp), ascorbic acid (33 % in pulp, 23 % in must and 50 % in drink) and phenolic compounds (50 % in drink). The sensory profile and acceptability suggest that camu-camu is adequate for the production of fermented alcoholic beverages and that the addition of the peel to the pulp contributes positively to it's acceptability (6.7 with versus 6.2 without, of 9 points possible). The beverage had flavour characteristic of the fruit, a orangish-red color and agreeable taste.
Amazonian fruit; chemical composition; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; fermentation; sensory evaluation
