Fruits
Açaí Pulp (10-14%) in gelato
Açaí pulp is the puréed fruit of the Amazonian palm Euterpe oleracea. Unlike most fruits used in gelato, it is essentially sugar-free and fat-rich, so it contributes body and antioxidant color rather than sweetness or anti-freezing power.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 14% |
| Water | 86% |
| Sugars | 0.5% |
| Fat | 5% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 1% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0.6 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 1 |
Typical use: 20-35% of the recipe for an açaí sorbet or fruit gelato
Balance açaí pulp (10-14%) in a real recipe
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Treat açaí pulp as a low-sugar, moderate-fat fruit base rather than a sweet fruit. Its own sugars (~0.5g/100g) add almost nothing to PAC or POD, so an açaí sorbet must be sweetened and balanced almost entirely by the added sugar blend, exactly as you would for a nearly sugar-free purée. Its ~5% fat gives natural creaminess and a smooth mouthfeel unusual for a sorbet, while anthocyanins provide the deep purple color. Because it freezes hard, lean on dextrose or invert to reach a scoopable serving temperature.
Origin & background
Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) is native to the floodplains of the Amazon estuary in northern Brazil, where the fruit has been a dietary staple for centuries. Brazilian trade standards grade the extracted pulp by total solids content, açaí grosso/especial at 14% or more, médio at 11-14% and popular/fino at 8-11%, which is the origin of the '10-14%' designation. Frozen unsweetened purée was commercialized internationally from the early 2000s.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://www.tbca.net.br/base-dados/int_composicao_alimentos.php?cod_produto=BRC0003C
- https://www.sambazon.com/products/pure-unsweetened-frozen-acai-packets
- http://www.scielo.br/j/cta/a/K7dJxcQmHX5yKsvrQ5RMnJS/?lang=en
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6733922_Phytochemical_and_Nutrient_Composition_of_the_Freeze-Dried_Amazonian_Palm_Berry_Euterpe_oleraceae_Mart_Acai