Suitability of apple pomace and oak chips for the production of aged apple liqueur

Using apples as a raw material and its by-products, such as pomace, in the development of innovative products and drinks, contributes to the production chain of this fruit. The objective of this research was to evaluate physicochemical characteristics, phenolic and profile sensory in aged apple liqueur, prepared with different formulations. Liqueurs were produced using depectinized apple juice, integral apple juice, pectinolytic enzyme and dehydrated apple pomace, all with a final sugar concentration of 100 g/L and an alcohol content of 20% v/v. All received chips (1 cm(3)) of untoasted oak wood (5 g/L), for maturation for 120 days. The use of an ultrasonic probe was tested in the pre-treatment of wood chips as well as dehydrated apple pomace. Analyzes of acidity, pH, density, total sugar, individual compound profile, total phenols, antioxidant activity and color parameters were carried out. Sensory analysis was applied using the JAR methodology along with acceptability. The results showed that liqueurs made with depectinized juice presented the highest values of total phenols (191.03 mg EAC/L) and antioxidant activity (1001.32 mu mol TE/L by DPPH, 1376.70 by FRAP and 1857.41 by ABTS). The liqueurs that received pomace, at the end of the maturation period, showed high luminosity (L* = 96.1) and a light-yellow tone (b* = 35.31). The action of the ultrasonic probe under the wood chips was evidenced with a 3% increase in total phenols and a 5% increase in antioxidant activity. The liqueur that used integral juice and pectinolytic enzyme in the formulation had greater color intensity (C* = 42.6) and a more prominent shade of yellow (b*= 42.66). Finally, formulating the liqueurs with depectinized juice contributes to greater color intensity and maturing the liqueurs with wood chips pre-treated with an ultrasonic device contributed to the incorporation of compounds, improving the concentration of total phenols, and increasing antioxidant activity.