THE POTENTIALITY, PROCESS, AND EVALUATION OF SABA

BANANA (Musa acuminata × Musa balbisiana) AS LOCALLY

FERMENTED WINE JUICE

A Laboratory Report presented to Ms. Racquel Marie M. Garcia

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the 2nd Quarter Performance
Task in General Biology 1

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Strand

12 STEM 1 – St. Margaret of Scotland

Chris Gabriel V. Ucol

2022
 Table of Contents

Title page 1
Abstract 2
Table of Contents 3

Introduction 3-5
Methodology 6-11
Result and Discussion 12-13
Conclusion and Recommendation 14
References 14-15

Appendix 15-16

Abstract
Saba banana was utilized as the fruit reference of the wine. During the experiment,
several procedures were employed: peeling, mashing, boiling, mixing, extracting,
fermenting, and bottling. The juiced Saba banana was fermented for 10 days accordingly.
Throughout the assessment, the two evaluators were invited to appraise the wine.
The first taster, the wine connoisseur, affirms the fruit wine's sweetness and probiotic
drink-like flavor. Furthermore, the second of the analysts indicated that the wine is best
served chilled and iced.
In terms of wine’s quantitative characteristic, the Saba wine is classified as
medium-alcoholic, comprising roughly 12% ABV (Alcohol By Volume). As a result, the
ABV of the wine is comparable to that of fruit wines, champagnes, and red wines;
therefore, it has a relatively low alcoholic content and is suitable for frequent consumption.
Keywords: Saba banana, fruit wine, puree, fermentation
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 INTRODUCTION

Different Civilization, Different Fermentation: The Early History of Preserving

Foodstuffs
Fermentation is one of the earliest forms of preservation. Vegetables, fruits, seafoods,
dairy products, pastries, cheese, wine are examples of indigenous fermented foods that
have been shaped, savored, and celebrated for thousands of years, with heritage and
culture deeply associated, particularly in rural homes and village communities. The
manufacturing of alcohol, according to anthropologists and experts, was what spurred
primitive people to settle down and become horticulturists and agrarians.
Historical accounts have been delineated and documented regarding the antiquity of
fermentation as process of preserving foodstuffs. Fermented fruits were most likely the
first fermented foods consumed. Hunter-gatherers would have consumed fresh fruits in
times of abundance, and fermented fruits in times of scarcity. Repeated consumption
would have led to the development of the taste for fermented fruits. Moreover, there is
evidence of fermented drinks being produced over 7000 years ago in Babylon, 5000 years
ago in Egypt, 4000 years ago in Mexico, and 3500 years ago in Sudan. There is also a
piece of evidence that fermented meat products are produced for the Babylonian empire
ruler, Nebuchadnezzar II.[5]
Meanwhile, by conducting chemical analyses on Neolithic Chinese stoneware going back
to 7,000 BCE, archeologists uncovered the world's earliest brewed beverage in 2004.
These experts assert that China is thought to be the “birthplace of fermented vegetables,”
and the use of Aspergillus and Rhizopus fungus to seethe foods. The book called
“Shujing” or Book of Documents inscribed in the Chou dynasty during Ancient China in
1121–256 BC, elaborately discusses to the use of “qū or xiaoqu1,” a fermented small solid
grain.[3]
Different Process, Different Science: Kinds of Fermentation
There are different varieties of fermentation process according to the purpose and
industry: acetic acid, lactic acid, and the most used, alcoholic fermentation. Acetic type
principally uses ethanoic acid2, which is important in manufacturing and creating vinegar
as primary end product. While lactic acid is commonly found in dairy products, probiotic
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1 Pronounced as “chu.” In Mandarin, alphabet “Q” does not sound as /kw/, rather it sounds a very light
tone /ch/ or “choo.”
2 Also called as vinegar acid, with a chemical formula CH COOH.
3
drinks, pastries, and soused stuffs such as yogurt, kefir (fermented milk), sourdough
bread, kimchi, atchara, and buro3.
Among the aforementioned processes above, the alcoholic fermentation is the most
extensively and commonly used in major industries, more particularly in wineries and
distilleries. Fruit juices, as the major essence of most inebriating beverages, are
employed, extracted, and processed to manufacture wines that are traded depending on
size, alcoholic concentration, and ingredients.
Grapes are widely wielded because of its inherent sweetness and aroma. The grape
juice's chemical equilibrium and good acidity assists in its fermentation. However, besides
grape, there are more plenty of fruits that can be experimented, such as apple, pineapple,
oranges, cucumber, and mango. Rum, for example, is made from fermented and
concentrated sugarcane juice and molasses.
Sweets and Boozes: The preparation of fermented local fruits to liquor in the
Philippines
Traditional or indigenous fermented foods are profoundly ingrained in Filipino culture
since they are so tightly coupled to the daily lives of the common folks. Each of the
Philippines' three main island groupings, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, has its
distinctive fermented food items that appeal to the local savory and taste, labeling the
Philippine archipelago as melting pot for inimitable and exquisite food preparation.
Filipino native fruits are indigenous ingredients that are extracted to manufacture five
most mainstreamed liquor in local industries: Basi, Tubâ, Lambanog, Tapuy, and
Bahalina. These indigenous alcoholic beverages are generated by unswerving
transformation of sugar to ethanol. The microflora intertwining during the fermentation
differ significantly based on abstraction process, alcoholic concentration, and
microorganism involved as synthesizer.
The table matrix below distinguishes the common local liquor found in the Philippines.

Table 1. Characterization of 5 Mainstreamed Local Liquor [2]

Local Level of Concentration Main Region/Place of
Liquor (Alchoholic Volume in Ingredients Color Origin
%)
Basi 10-16 Sugarcane Pale red Ilocos Region
4
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3This Filipino appetizer is done through a process of preservation called “pagbuburo,” which means “to
pickle or to ferment in salt.”
 Cordillera
Tapuy 14-16 Rice Dirty white Administrative
Region
Tubâ 2-4 Creamy white Luzon island
Coconut or possibly in Northern
Lambanog 40-45 nipa palm Clear white Philippines)
sap Orangey Visayas and
Bahalina 10-13 brown Mindanao

Hindi Turon, Hindi Banana Cue, kundi Alak: Local plantain to Alcoholic beverage
Banana is one of the greatest global fruit crops in terms of commercial production and
one of the most eaten basic food commodities after major cereals due to its rising desire
and year-round availability. According to the statistical annual report of United Nation’s
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Philippines is one of the largest producers
of banana around the globe, having 6,049, 601 million tons volume4 of banana in the year
2019, ranking 6th out of 10 listed nations. Saba (Musa acuminata × balbisiana), an ABB5
genome group of bananas, is the most commercially and economically important banana
crop in the Philippine archipelago, accounting for more than 25% of the country's banana
cultivation.
On huge banana palms, Saba bananas grow in gigantic bunches at the summit of a long
central stalk. Saba bananas may weigh up to 36 kilograms in a single bunch. With a
blockier form and steeply slanted sides, they are shorter and thicker than a normal
banana. Depending on maturity, they can grow to be anywhere from 7 to 13 cm long.
Moreover, Saba bananas has high starch content. When it is ripe enough, its sweetness
and intangible flavor blooms.
In traditional wineries, banana fruit can be turned to a liquor. Commercially made banana
wine, in general, is translucent in appearance. The sweetness and alcohol content in the
finished product vary depending on the yeast strain and amount of sugar used.
Furthermore, this fruit wine is very popular in Eastern Africa, Indian subcontinent, and
some parts of Southeast Asia, like the Philippines, which the Local Government Unit has
attempted to boost the country's banana wine sector up until today. Meanwhile, the
International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) 6, with the
5
subsidizing support from the Common Fund for Commodities and Rockefeller
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4 Estimated only
5 Saba banana is a triploid hybrid type, meaning there are other banana genus that completely infused
(Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata), resulting to a hybrid offspring.
6 An international initiative for sustainable, safe, and economic-inclusive banana and plantain production.

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Montpellier, France, this network organization’s very core is the
case study in 2005. The project was conducted in nine participating nations — Cameroon, Costa Rica,
India, Malaysia, Malawi, Nicaragua, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Tanzania.
Foundation, continuously attempts to expansively promulgate, trade, and expand banana
wine manufacturing across the globe.

METHODOLOGY

I. Materials and Equipment

• Large jar
• Strainer/Sieve
• Pot/Casserole dish
• Masher/Spoon/Semi-automatic whisk
• Spatula
• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board
• Mixing bowl
• Cheesecloth/Coco cloth
II. Ingredients
• 7 ripe Saba banana
• 1 tablespoon of Baker’s yeast/Wine yeast
• 1 cup of Brown sugar

III. General Procedure

III.I Sanitization and Sterilization of the jar
1. Thoroughly wash the jar, both the exterior and interior.
2. Scald the jar and leave for 5 minutes to cool down. The jar must entirely
submerge into the hot water.
3. Wash again.
4. Assemble the jar upside down and wait to dry.
Figures 1-2. The images below show the sterilization process of jars 6
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(1) (2)
III.II Winemaking proper
1. Do a mise en place, meaning prepare all the tools and paraphernalia needed.
2. Thoroughly wash the Saba and carefully peel off its skin.
3. Finely slice the banana into bite-sized pieces.
4. Once chopped, set the Saba in mixing bowl filled with generous amount of water
(about 2 cups) and meticulously mush it with available masher or whisk.
5. Transfer the mashed banana must in a pot and bring it to a gentle boil or simmer
for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool down for 5 minutes. Once cooled, exhaustively strain the seethed banana
puree.
7. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and dissolve completely.
8. Repeat Step 5 and 6. This time the boiling period is shorter; bring the sugar-added
banana puree to low-heat of about 5 to 10 minutes of simmering. This is to extract
the remaining flavor of the first simmered mixture (2nd extraction).
9. Once fully strained and cooled for the second and final time, add on a 1 tablespoon
of Baker’s yeast or Wine yeast and mix completely.
10. Carefully relay the puree juice into the sanitized dry jar using funnel. If funnel is
unavailable, slowly put the sweetened extract until it is full.
11. Enfold some clean cloth (preferably cheesecloth) into the opening of the jar to
cover. A rubber band or elastics can be used to tight the fabric.
12. Place the jar under the standard room temperature (typically around 20° to 25°C).
Higher temperature may affect yeast’s activeness and life.
13. Ferment the banana juice for 1 week or if possible, for best result, at least 10 days.
Akubor et al. (2003) concluded that 10 days is the recommended fermentation
period for banana wine
14. The longer the fermentation, the more sugar is converted into alcohol. Thus, the
texture and flavor will improve as the time goes by.
15. Once done, the fermented liquid is then diluted with sterilized water and is strained
using cheese cloth. In this particular experiment, the experimenter
16. Bring all the diluted liquid into a bottle. The product is finished and ready for market
production.
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Figures 3-23. The images below illustrate the steps and phases in making Saba banana
as fruit wine.

(3) (4)

(5) (6)

(7) (8) 8
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(9) (10)
(11) (12)

(13) (14)

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(15)
(16) (17)

(18) (19)

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(20)
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(22) (23)
 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Qualitative Observations
I. Quality Evaluation
The banana wine was tested and evaluated by a wine enthusiast and an oenophilia
(lover). According to the connoisseur's experience, the wine tastes and smells like a
sweetened probiotic, such as Yakult or Dutch Mill delight, with a mild alcoholic weight.
The sole complaint raised by the connoisseur is that the wine contains too much water.
For the oenophile, the wine tastes and smells like banana yogurt but with more alcohol
concentration. According to the wine lover, it appears like a coconut wine but is more
yellowish due to the wine's major component, Saba banana. Furthermore, the second
wine taster observes that the banana wine is considerably more flavorsome and refined
when served cold; hence, the wine is best if refrigerated before consumption or added
with ice upon drinking.

II. Qualitative Observations

Table 2. Visual and Odor Observation of the Fermented Saba banana puree
Day Visual Odor

0 Turns into a pale-yellow color with cloudy

appearance; bubbles began to arise as Somewhat tangy and has slight sharp
wine yeast starts to transform the sweet odor.
1 puree into ethanol

The banana residues boil down and turn Becomes more pungent, piquant and
3 opaque or denser than its pre-fermentation strong.
days.

5 The banana residues begin to crumble

The smell becomes stouter; it stays at
least 30 seconds in one’s olfactory; the
6
The puree stays at rest; banana’s color wine-like essence starts to diffuse.
partially incorporates the whole mixture (Until day 8)
12

7 (Until day 8)
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9
The fermentation process slows down;
The wine-like and sweety savor fully
banana’s color completely incorporates
disperses
the puree
10

As shown in table 1, the color of the concocted and obtained banana juice changed to a
dense pale yellowish hue, implying that the fermentation process had already begun. The
sediments accumulate the next day, indicating that the fermentation process is slowing
down. The olfactory aspect of the puree, which was sour-like in the first days (0–1), then
zesty and piquant in the succeeding days of fermentation at room temperature, was
another indicator that the fermentation was synthesizing like a fruit wine.

Quantitative Observations
Table 3. Table Matrix of Fermented Saba banana puree’s Mass, Volume, Density,
Specific Gravity, Alcohol by Volume
Before Fermentation After Fermentation Reductions
Mass (g) 450 g 400 g 50 g
Volume (mL) 335 mL 320 mL 15 mL
Density (p) 1.343 g/mL 1.25 g/mL 0.093 g/mL
Specific Gravity 1.347 1.253 0.094
Alcohol by Volume (ABV) — 12% —
*Refer to the appendix for the complete computation.

Based on the calculated data, the mass, volume, and density of the puree decreased
after fermentation. Hence, when active fermentation finishes and the temperature cools
down, it implies that volume has been depleted and synthesized. Similarly, the specific
gravity also reduced from 1.347 to 1.253, inferring that the puree has become less dense
by decimal. Despite that its specific gravity diminished, the wine’s substance will still sink
into the water since it has greater specific gravity (1.253 > 0.997) than the reference
substance (1.253 > 0.997), which is the water, having a 0.997 g/mL density.
Moreover, banana wine’s alcoholic content can be measured through Alcohol by Volume
(ABV). It is a customary unit of measurement for the amount of alcohol (ethanol) present
in a particular volume of an alcoholic beverage. Banana wine has 12% ABV, indicating
that it is under the category of medium alcohol wines, which includes fruit wines,
13

champagnes, and red wines, ranging from 11.5% to 13.5%.

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 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the results, Saba bananas can be utilized in manufacturing local fruit wines.
During the evaluation, the two assessors commended the fruit wine’s sweetness and
probiotic drink-like flavor. Furthermore, one of the tasters suggested that the wine is at its
best when chilled and iced.

In the quantitative aspect, the Saba wine is categorized under medium-alcoholic

beverages, containing approximately 12% ABV, or Alcohol By Volume. As a result, the
ABV of the pureed wine is equivalent to that of fruit wines, champagnes, and red wines;
thus, it has a relatively low alcoholic content and is recommended for consumption by
regular drinkers.

The only concern that arises is the excessive amount of water in the wine. Because of
this, the experimenter recommends further trials and tests be conducted to come up with
changes and regulations on the concentration and water quantity.

REFERENCES
Website
[1] Puckette, M. (2015, November 23). Wine: From the Lightest to the Strongest. Wine
Folly. https://winefolly.com/tutorial/the-lightest-to-the-strongest-wine/
Books
[2] Berry, C. J. J. (1998). First Steps in Winemaking. Nexus Special Interests. ISBN 978-
1-85486-139-9.
[3] Hornsey SI. Brewing. Cambridge: Royal Society Chemistry; 2012. p. 221-2.
[4] Sanchez, Priscilla C. (2008). Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and
Technology. UP Press. pp. 151–153. ISBN 9789715425544.
Journal Articles
[5] Akubor, P.I., Obio, S.O., Nwadomere, K.A. et al. Production and quality evaluation of
banana wine. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 58, 1–6 (2003).
https://doi.org/10.1023/B:QUAL.0000041138.29467.b6
[6] Cox, P. (1995). The Kirk-Othmer encyclopedia of chemical technology. Talanta,
42(12), 2087. https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-9140(95)90031-4
[7] Reginio, F.C., Qin, W., Ketnawa, S. et al. Bio-properties of Saba banana (Musa ‘saba’,
14

ABB Group): Influence of maturity and changes during simulated in vitro gastrointestinal
Page

digestion. Sci Rep 10, 6701 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63501-x

[8] Saranraj, P., Sivasakthivelan, P., & Naveen, M. (2017). Fermentation of fruit wine and
its quality analysis: A review. Australian Journal of Science and Technology, 1(2), 85-97.

APPENDIX A

I. Timeline
The winemaking process duration starts in January 14, 2021 at 3:00 PM onwards. The
observation intervention is every 3-days, excluding the starting and opening day

Days
Starting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Opening
Day Day

II. On-hand Calculation

(See on next page)

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