Production of Dried Fruits

Mature and ripe fruits must be peeled, cut into pieces or halves depending on fruit shape and soaked in clean water. They must be blanched for about 5 minutes. The fruit must be transferred to a sugar solution consisting of 35-40% by weight of sugar dissolved in water. The fruit must be cooked in the sugar solution at low heat with continuous stirring. They must be removed from the heat, cooled and dried in the sun, or in the oven...

Steps to follow:

1. Mature Ripe Fruit
2. Peeling
3. Cutting
4. Soaking
5. Washing
6. Blanching
7. Mixing
8. Cooking in sugar solution
9. Drying        
10. Packing
11. Storage

For ripe fruit such as papayas, lime juice may add to the sugar solution during cooking to enhance taste and flavor
Ripe soft fleshly fruit like mangoes and papayas, should be soaked in a lye solution (1 tablespoon per liter water) for 30 minute and washed with plenty of water. If dried mango slice into pieces, they can mix with small sugar granules.
Whole ripe bananas after peeling must be soaked in 3-4 % salt solution for 30 minutes to prevent browning. There is no need to blanch and cook. Half-way through the drying process, the banana must be flattened to reduce drying time and also reduce packing space.


Production of Fruit Juice

Fruits for use in juice production must be picked when fully ripe. Fruits must be peeled, chopped and pulped with a blender, and manual extractor. The juice must be separated from the peel and pips. Heating can be used to facilitate separation of the fruit from the juice. The juice must be filtered through a fine mesh strainer and mixed with sugar 50 % of its weight. The mixture thus obtained must be heated to boiling in order to destroy any microorganims present. The product must be bottled and capped, while the juice is hot. The bottled product (bottle having 3 inches diameter) must be sterilized by standing them in boiling water for 30 minutes. The bottles must be subsequently cooled, cleaned and labeled before storage.

Steps to follow:

1. Ripe Fruits
2. Washing/sorting
3. Peeling
4. Cutting
5. Extracting
6. Filtration
7. Mixing
8. Heating
9. Filling
10. Capping
11. Sterilization
12. Cooling
13. Cleaning
14. Labeling
15. Storage

For fruit juice with high water content (e.g. pineapple, orange, grape and tomato) the addition of sugar may not be necessary.  Where sugar is not added these can be marketed as 100% fruit juice.
Fruit juices with added sugar, referred to as nectars, contain 25-40 % fruit juice depending on types of fruit especially fruit with high pectin content.

Production of Jam

Jam can be made from a single fruit or from a combination of fruits. Mature and ripe fruits must be washed, peeled, chopped and pulped with a blender. The fruit pulp must be mixed with sugar (1 part by weight fruit pulp, to one part by weight sugar). The sugar must be dissolved and the mixture stirred continuously till it thickens (a measurement of 65 degree Brix on the refractometer). Citric acid can be added if the pH of mixture is higher than 4.5; normally only 10% critic acid added. If no pectin is available, 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice can be added. If pectin is available, 2 % pectin by weight must be added instead of the lime juice. Fill the sterile jars, with jams, seal with lids while the jam is hot, sterilize in boiling water for 30 minutes (for 450 gram bottle size), cooling, wash, and label before storage.

Steps to follow:

1. Fruits i.e. pineapples, mangoes etc.
2. Washing
3. Sorting
4. Cutting and pulping
5. Extracting
6. Gradually adding sugar 
7. Adjust pH with citric acid
8. Mixing
9. Cooking
10. Adding pectin or lime juice
11. Bottling hot
12. Capping
13. Cooling
14. Washing
15. Labeling
16. Storage

For fruit pulp with relatively small quantities of juice, water can be added. The formula is as follows:

                       Fruit pulp (single or combination)     1000 gm
                       Sugar                                              1000 gm
                       Citric acid or Lime juice                      10  gm
                       Pectin                                          2% by weight

To prevent lumping of the pectin, dissolve the mixture of 10 gram of sugar and 2 % pectin by adding hot water and stir continuously.

Production of Chips

Chips can be produced from a range of raw materials, including mature green banana, pumpkin, breadfruit, and root crops such as taro, sweet potatoes and cassava.

Process Flow for the production of Green Banana Chips
The production of chips from green mature bananas involves peeling off the skins, slicing the banana into uniform pieces and keeping the slices in clean water containing citric acid or lime juice. The slices must be separated, blotted dry and fried in hot oil until crispy. They must be set aside to cool and the flavoring added. Chips must be packaged in plastic bags. Bags must be properly sealed to ensure shelf life.

Steps to follow:

1. Mature Green Banana (1 bunch )
2. Peeling
3. Soaking in water with citric acid or lime juice (0.2 %)
4. Slicing (0.25 inch thickness)
5. Drying
6. Frying (2 liters of palm oil )
7. Flavoring
8. Cooling
9. Packaging
10. Storage

Method of processing: Fermented pickles are produced by soaking vegetables in a brine solution for 4 to 6 weeks (natural fermentation process).  During the fermentation process, the vegetables are preserved by lactic acid produced. The color of the vegetables changes from bright green to olive or yellow-green, and the white interior becomes translucent.