Pekmez: A Traditional Concentrated Fruit Product

Abstract

Pekmez is a traditional Turkish food made by using different fruits such as grape, mulberry, fig, apple, and sugar beet. There are two different kinds of pekmez, either liquid pekmez or solid pekmez, produced in Turkey. The stages for processing liquid pekmez for all fruits, except mulberry, include washing, sorting, crushing, pressing, and boiling. By using liquid pekmez, and solidifying and bleaching its agents solid pekmez is produced. Pekmez is a healthful food due to its nutritional content and is used as a main source of energy based on its chemical composition. The carbohydrates in pekmez are generally in the form of natural sugars like glucose and fructose, which is nutritionally important for babies, children, sportsmen, and active workers. Pekmez production and its chemical composition should be adapted to the modern food technology and food safety requirements; at the same time, this adaptation should conserve the authentic properties of the product.

Keywords:

• Pekmez
• fruit concentrates
• traditional Turkish food