The pomace from apple and grape processing is usually treated as waste. Nowadays, pomace has attracted increasing interest due to its potential value as a nutrient source, as a raw ingredient for fermented products, and as a health beneficial product. Hence, from the perspective of a circular economy, this study incorporated different ratios of grape pomace from ‘Frontenac gris’ and apple pomace from ‘McIntosh’ to develop novel fermented beverages. This study provides knowledge of the fundamental characteristics, fermentation dynamics, and final fermented product chemistries. The results indicated different amounts of apple and grape pomace influenced sugar content, tartaric acids, and yeast nutrients in the fermentation must. The dynamic color changes indicated that grape pomace contributed to the wine’s red color, whereas apple pomace mainly contributed to the yellow coloration in the fermented products. Apple and grape pomace also contributed differently to the phenolic compounds, ethanol, and volatile acids. Different pomace contributed different phenolic components in the final wine. This fermentation study indicated the potential application of grape and apple pomace in the wine industry.

The blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) is a small fruit known for its health benefits, but treatment effects on postharvest storage for fresh markets remain understudied compared with other berries, such as blueberries (Vaccinium spp.). This work aimed to identify the effects of postharvest storage conditions including chitosan coating, ultraviolet a (UVA) light, and combined UVA–chitosan treatments on the physicochemical and microbial properties of blackcurrant. Blackcurrants were harvested, stored under the three conditions, and analyzed at every three days of storage throughout this experiment for a total of 15 days. The results indicated that chitosan treatments had positive effects on reducing berry weight loss, maintaining berry firmness, and reducing mold populations. UVA influenced certain bioactive compounds, such as cyanidin-3-galactoside and rutin. The interaction effects from these two treatments were minimal. This study provides important information for blackcurrant postharvest storage and further small fruit storage work, considering both UVA and chitosan had differential beneficial effects on blackcurrant berries’ physical and chemical attributes.

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) cultivation generates a substantial number of byproducts, particularly nutshells, which are often discarded despite being rich in bioactive and structural compounds. These agro-industrial residues, comprising nearly 50% of the total nut mass, contain high levels of phenolics, flavonoids, dietary fiber, and lignocellulosic matter, making them suitable for circular economy applications. This review critically evaluates the potential of pecan shell waste for value-added applications in environmental remediation, food and pharmaceutical formulations, and green materials production. It explores innovative green extraction techniques, such as ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and subcritical water extraction, to recover valuable compounds like ellagic acid and tannins with high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. Moreover, the review highlights the conversion of pecan shells into activated carbon for wastewater treatment and soil remediation. Pecan byproducts have been used as sustainable feedstocks for catalyst support, contributing to energy conversion and biomass catalysis. The bioactive compounds also offer therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects, supporting their inclusion in nutraceutical and cosmetic applications. Through a comprehensive synthesis of recent studies, this work highlights the role of pecan shell valorization in reducing waste, improving public health, and increasing economic resilience within agro-industrial systems. By aligning with sustainable development and circular economies, the utilization of pecan byproducts provides a low-cost, eco-innovative pathway to mitigate environmental pollution and promote sustainable development.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been applied to many fruits and vegetables during postharvest storage, however, their effects on haskap storage remain unknown. This research aims to identify the impact of red and blue LEDs on haskap postharvest storage. By analyzing physical parameters (weight loss and firmness) as well as physicochemical factors (soluble solid content (SSC), pH, and acids), in addition to color parameters, microbial populations, total phenolic quantifications, and antioxidant capacity, the effects of red LED, blue LED, and darkness treatments were compared. The results indicated that red and blue LEDs significantly increased weight loss in haskap compared to the dark treatment. LEDs did not influence (soluble solid content) SSC, pH, or acids on any sampling day; however, pH showed significant changes throughout the storage period. Both red and blue LEDs affected color parameters, resulting in lower green to red parameter (a*) and higher lightness (L*). With similar preservation effects, haskap treated by LEDs exhibited firmer berries during storage. The assessment of secondary metabolism indicated that total phenolics and flavonoids remained unchanged, while anthocyanins significantly increased throughout storage. Haskaps under both LEDs also displayed higher antioxidant capacities, which were highly correlated with phenolic compounds. Along with the mold and yeast populations increasing dramatically, the ascorbic acid content and pH seemed to increase during storage. This study demonstrated that red and blue LEDs had some positive effects, considering the assessment of firmness, color, and antioxidant capacities. However, the weight loss under LEDs needs to be addressed with adjustments of irradiation intensity or duration in the future.

‘King of the North’ (‘KON’), as a cold-hardy grape, has many advantages, such as tolerance to a wide range of soil conditions and harsh winter climate. Due to the adapting demand of North Dakota’s fruit and wine industry, optimized quality of wine from regionally productive grapevines is required. In this study, yeast strain, one of the primary fermentation tactics, was tested on ‘KON’ grapes. Five different commercial yeast strains, including 71B, EC1118, Maurivin B, Rhône 4600, and W15, were added to initiate fermentation. The analysis of grape must characteristics and the fermentation dynamic changes indicated a high correlation between color and acid metrics. Yeast strains have influenced the color dynamic changes and fermentation process. The panelist sensory evaluations confirmed that yeast strains contributed differently to the perceived aromas and flavors within ‘KON’ wines. Rose, apple, grape, and apricot aromas were distinguished in ‘KON’ wines. The lemon taste was the dominant flavor detected in ‘KON’ wines. However, wines were also varied based on the extent of the aroma or taste observed. Therefore, exploring the use of different yeast strains for fermentation provides information for further application to cold-hardy grape cultivars and other high-acid fruit, aiding winemakers in using North American grapes with diverse fruit chemistry.

Blackcurrant is a notable superfruit in Europe, and its vitamin C content surpasses the well-known blueberry superfruit. However, due to its short shelf life during storage, consumption is mainly accounted by frozen berries, extracts, and concentrates. This study applied an intensity of 1.2 W/m² UVC with different durations, including control (non-treated), UVC irradiation for 0.5 h (0.5 h treatment), UVC irradiation for 1 h (1 h treatment), and UVC pretreatment for 2 h (2 h treatment) to blackcurrant berries before storage. Fundamental physical (firmness and weight loss) and physicochemical characteristics (SSC, pH, and acids), microbial population changes, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and specific phenolic compound changes were evaluated every five days over a twenty-day storage period. The results indicated that the longer the UVC pretreatment, the lower the water weight losses during storage. Meanwhile, the UVC pretreatment significantly affected the blackcurrant soluble solid content, resulting in higher soluble solid contents detected in the blackcurrants with the higher doses of UVC. For the mold population control, UVC effects were highly correlated with the pretreatment duration. However, UVC did not have a significant influence on the berry pH and acid contents, but the storage length slightly increased the pH and decreased the acids. At the same time, UVC pretreatment did not affect the berry firmness, polyphenols, ascorbic acid content, or antioxidant capacities, which were primarily influenced by the storage duration. The monophenolic compounds detected before and after storage indicated that more than one hour of UVC radiation influenced most of the phenolic contents largely before storage. The UVC pretreatment has also influenced some phenolic compounds. After storage, half an hour of UVC pretreatment increased cyanidin levels, and two hours of UVC pretreatment increased catechin and epicatechin levels. However, most of the compounds remained at similar amounts during storage in each treatment. Further research is needed to improve the UVC radiation time length or intensity or explore other technology combinations to optimize UVC pretreatments for blackcurrant storage.