Chemical and Storability of Fruit-Flavoured (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Drinks

Roselle-fruit flavoured drinks were prepared from dried calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa and fruits: apple, orange and pineapple. These were stored at three storage conditions: ambient, refrigeration and freezing. pH, titratable acidity and microbial quality of the samples were determined. pH decreased while titratable acidity increased with time for samples at ambient and refrigeration conditions. While microbial load of samples at ambient and refrigeration increased with time, those of samples at freezing condition decreased. Samples at ambient storage had a shelf-life of less of than five days while those at refrigeration condition stored for about a week and the samples at freezing condition could store for more than two weeks.