RT journal article T1 Sensory Analysis as a Simple and Low-Cost Tool to Evaluate and Valorize a New Product from Local Fruits in Rural Communities: The Case of Highly Aromatic Vinegar from Prickly Pear Fruits A1 Es-sbata, Ikram A1 Castro Mejías, Remedios A1 Rodríguez Dodero, María del Carmen A1 Zouhair, Rachid A1 Durán Guerrero, Enrique A2 Química Analítica K1 Acetobacter malorum K1 free choice profiling K1 methodology K1 new products K1 prickly pear fruit K1 sensory analysis K1 vinegar AB Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L). Mill.) is a plant that belongs to the Cactaceae family and can grow in arid and semi-arid climates. This fruit is considered a good source of nutrients, antioxidant constituents and health-promoting substances, such as betalains and polyphenols. One of the ways in which the communities in the cultivation areas can revalorize this fruit is by diversifying the products that can be made from it. This research proposes the elaboration of prickly pear vinegars and their sensory characterization. Their aromatic profile has been determined using two different methodologies, the traditional Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) and the Free Choice Profiling (FCP). Similar aromatic profiles have been obtained by both techniques, QDA and FCP, although the last one has proven to be a less time- and effort-demanding method. The vinegars with the highest aromatic intensity and the highest fruity and floral notes were those that had been produced through submerged culture at 30 °C and using Acetobacter malorum strains. It was revealed that the Free Choice Profiling sensory technique is a useful and low-cost tool for innovating in products obtained from a local sugary raw material. PB Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) SN 2306-5710 YR 2023 FD 2023-09 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/31696 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/31696 LA eng DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz RD 12-nov-2026