Abstract:
Cashew is an important cash crop in Sri Lanka which is being cultivated, especially in
the dry zone of the country. Although cashew nuts have a high demand in both local
and export markets, cashew apple is a highly underutilized fruit due to its extreme
perishability and lack of awareness of processing technologies. This study aimed to
develop an appropriate method to produce cashew apple flour and to determine the
physical and functional properties of the flours resulting from different methods. The
cashew variety WUCC–05 was used, and three methods were applied for the flour
preparation, namely, oven drying of raw cashew apple (Method 1), boiling followed
by oven drying (Method 2) and hydro blanching followed by oven drying (Method 3).
Then, flour density, water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC),
swelling power (SP), water solubility index (WSI), flour colour, pH and proximate
compositions were analysed. Method 2 was the best method for cashew apple flour
preparation, as it resulted in desirable physical and functional properties, such as high
bulk density (0.67), high WAC (274.60%), and high SP (8.95 g). Moreover, the
proximate composition of the flour resulting from Method 2 revealed its ash (2.24%),
crude fiber (4.54%), carbohydrate (72.12%), crude fat (4.31%) and crude protein
(9.08%) contents. The moisture contents of the flours resulting from the three
methods were within the acceptable limits (<10%). Collectively this study revealed
that cashew apple flour has potential applications in bakery industry and can be
promoted for value-added product development due to its desirable qualities
