KARAKTERISTIK FISIKOKIMIA DAN ORGANOLEPTIK FRUIT LEATHER KULIT BUAH MELON (Cucumis melo L.) DENGAN SUBSTITUSI KULIT BUAH NAGA MERAH (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

Fruit leather was a processed food made from dried puree in the form of thin sheets, derived from fruit or peel to reduce waste, increase added value, and become a new innovation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of melon peel formulation with the substitution of red dragon fruit peel on the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of fruit leather. Melon peel was used because it had a fresh and sweet taste. Red dragon fruit peel was substituted because it contained natural pigments that could give an attractive color to the product. This study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with one factor. The factor used was the substitution of red dragon fruit peel in melon peel fruit leather. The formulation of melon peel and red dragon fruit peel was F0 (100:0 g), F1 (90:10 g), F2 (80:20 g), F3 (70:30 g), and F4 (60:40 g). The results showed that the substitution of red dragon fruit peel in melon peel fruit leather had had a significant effect on moisture content, ash content, fat content, pH, color intensity, elongation, and organoleptic test. The best treatment based on elongation test according to JIS and organoleptic test was found in F4 treatment with the addition of 40g red dragon fruit peel puree, which resulted in a sample with a red color and sticky texture.