Utilization of Edible Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum Sm.) Flowers for Development of Spiced Beverage (Appetizer) and Its Shelf Life Evaluation during Storage

In India, various types of unexplored edible flowers are being utilized traditionally as food and medicine by the rural communities since ancient time only during their flowering time due to short post harvest life. These flowers are rich in phytochemical (e.g. polyphenolics, anthocyanins) which possess numerous health benefits. So, the present investigations were conducted to develop a spiced beverage/appetizer (spiced squash) from rhododendron flower petals and its quality evaluation during storage. Different combinations of petals extract and total soluble solids (TSS) were tried to standardize proper combination for spiced beverage. Appetizer recipe (T3) prepared with 35% extract, 40°B TSS and 1.20% acid was found to be best based on quality characteristics of the product. The best-selected appetizer recipe was packed in glass and PET bottles and stored for 6 months under ambient (15-25°C) and refrigerated temperature conditions (4-7°C). Overall effect of packaging and storage revealed that various quality characteristics like TSS, apparent viscosity, reducing and total sugars of appetizer increased slightly, whereas, other chemical characteristics like acidity, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, total phenols and sensory characteristics scores of colour, body, taste, aroma, overall acceptability score decreased slightly during storage. The quality of beverage was retained better in glass bottles under refrigerated condition as compare to ambient storage condition.