Determination of Some Properties of a Kombucha Beverage Produced with Bitter Orange Peel and Bergamot

Abstract

In recent years, awareness of the role of diet in maintaining human well-being and health has increased. Consumers expect food products not only to provide essential nutrients but also to serve as sources of biologically active compounds that may benefit health. Kombucha is a fermented beverage produced under aerobic conditions through the addition of a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). In this study, a novel kombucha beverage was developed by fermenting green tea with equal amounts of bitter orange peel and bergamot peel. Green tea was used for kombucha production. Sixty grams of organic brown sugar was added to 1 L of water and boiled. Then, 3.3 g of green tea, 34.3 g of bergamot peel, and 34.3 g of bitter orange peel were added to the boiled water and allowed to steep for 15 min. After cooling to 24–25 °C, 10% kombucha culture was added, and the mixture was allowed to ferment. The pH, titratable acidity (g/L), °Brix, dry matter (%), and color values of the green tea kombucha produced with bitter orange and bergamot peels were 3.27, 0.42 g/L, 6.5, 6.56%, 25.14 (L*), −0.64 (a*), and 0.17 (b*), respectively. In addition, microbiological and antioxidant activity analyses were performed. Sensory evaluation showed that the kombucha containing bitter orange and bergamot peels was generally more highly appreciated in terms of taste than the green tea control group.