At the Nairobi International Trade Fair, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) presented a variety of agricultural products, including watermelon wine.
George Mathenge, a food science technologist at the university, stated that JKUAT initiated the production of watermelon wine in 2006 as a means to minimize waste and tackle post-harvest losses.
“If you visit most Kenyan fresh food markets, you will notice discarded fruits, some of which are still in good condition. Watermelons, in particular, are often thrown away,” he said.
Notably, watermelons have a limited shelf life with numerous farmers and traders continue to incur substantial losses due to inadequate storage facilities and limited access to viable markets.
In the absence of buyers, they are compelled to dispose of their produce, exacerbating the issue of post-harvest losses.
To address this issue, JKUAT, in 2007, launched watermelon wine following approval from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
A 750 ml bottle of this watermelon wine is priced at Ksh 1,000 and contains an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 12 percent.
The process of wine production from these fruits spans approximately 21 days.
It starts with the harvesting of the fruits at their optimal ripeness, which can be accomplished either manually or through mechanical means.
The timing of the harvest is essential to ensure an appropriate balance of sugar and acidity.
Subsequently, the fruits are crushed to obtain their juice, a stage referred to as must.
In the case of red wines, the skins remain in contact with the juice to contribute color and tannins.
For white wines, pressing is performed to separate the juice from the skins and seeds prior to fermentation.
The fermentation phase lasts between one to two weeks, during which yeast transforms sugar into alcohol.
Temperature regulation during fermentation is vital for influencing the wine’s flavor characteristics.
Following fermentation, the wines undergo an aging process, which is generally more prolonged for red varieties.
This aging occurs in either stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, with the latter providing complex flavors to the wine.
The next step is clarification, where the wine is racked to eliminate sediment, and further purification is achieved through fining and filtration.
Finally, the wine may be stabilized to avert any chemical reactions before it is bottled.
According to Mathenge, the extraction of juice from 200 kilograms of watermelon results in approximately 80 liters, and following the processing, this quantity yields around 70 liters of wine.
“The difference between the juice and the final wine is due to residues formed during processing,” he explains.
JKUAT also makes wine from bananas and pineapples.
