Consumer and Descriptive Sensory Analysis of Black Walnut Syrup

• Autores: Ziad Matta, Edgar Chambers, Gary Naughton
• Localización: Journal of food science, ISSN 0022-1147, Vol. 70, Nº 9, 2005
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Black walnut (Juglans nigra) trees are used primarily for their wood and nuts, but foresters are increasingly looking for other ways to add value to this crop. Consumer and descriptive sensory analysis was conducted for syrup made from black walnut sap collected from a research plantation during the winters of 2003 and 2004. In the 1st year, 3 samples of walnut syrup: 50WS (50% walnut syrup [WS] + 50% cane sugar [CS]), 85WS (85% WS + 15% CS), and pure walnut syrup (PWS) were presented to consumers to measure degree of liking. No significant differences between consumers’ liking of the syrups were observed (P < 0.05). The PWS was presented with commercial brands of table syrup and pure maple syrup in a 2nd consumer test. There were no significant differences in liking scores between pure maple syrup and PWS. Overall, table syrup was liked the most. Walnut syrups (50WS and PWS) produced in 2004 were presented in a consumer test along with table syrup and pure maple syrup. Similar to the 2003 consumer test, no significant differences in liking between maple syrup and either of the varieties of walnut syrup were observed. Table syrup again was liked the most. Descriptive sensory analysis showed that the table syrup's profile was clearly different from that of either walnut or maple syrup, whose profiles were relatively similar to each other. The pure walnut syrup samples from both years were characterized by nutty, musty/earthy, and woody attributes. Consumers who choose pure maple syrup may be different from those who seem to prefer the sweeter, less complex profile of table syrup. This study suggests that PWS could have commercial potential as a replacement for pure maple syrup and add value for walnut tree foresters.