Mechanical and Sensory Properties of Pulse Gels in the Development of New Plant Based Food

The shift towards healthier and sustainable food consumption requires a greater variety of plant-based products. This study aimed to determine how the mechanical and sensory properties of three different pulse gels (chickpea, lentil, or red lentil flour) vary with the ingredients (flour, oil, lemon, and salt content). All pulse flours were able to form self-standing gels. Mechanical properties varied with the pulse type and with the formulation differently depending on the pulse. For all pulses, the hardness and stiffness increased with the flour content and decreased with salt. They decreased with lemon in chickpea gels and increased with oil content in the red lentil gel. The Flash Profile technique provided distinctive sensory characteristics of each pulse gel. The red lentil gels were homogeneous, creamy, and compact. The chickpea gels were also compact, but harder. Lentil flour resulted in rough and sandy gels. For the three pulses, including oil and lemon reduced pulse flavors and increased sour taste. The results of this study give insights into the suitability of pulse gels to be the basis of new solid plant-based products whose sensory properties can be modulated by varying the concentration of natural ingredients.