Instructional Recipe Innovation: Reinventing Turmeric Use to Teach Food Preservation in Home Economics

Abstract

Home Economics education plays a critical role in promoting sustainable food practices, nutritional awareness, and cultural appreciation through innovative instructional materials. This study aimed to develop a culturally rooted and nutritionally beneficial functional tea as an instructional recipe. Specifically, it focused on enhancing turmeric-based formulations using locally available ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, lemon, black pepper, and sugar—as natural preservatives. The research adopted a Research and Development (R&D) design guided by the Design Thinking framework, following five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Data collection involved qualitative methods in semi-structured interviews from the Maranao community to gain insights into traditional food practices. Quantitative methods included sensory evaluation, general acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale, and customer satisfaction surveys administered to fifty (50) community participants. Three formulations were created with varying turmeric extract (2L, 3L, and 4L). Among these, the 2L formulation (F1) achieved the highest acceptability rating (7.94). Physico-chemical analysis of F1 revealed a pH of 5.015, moisture content of 4.70 g/100g, ash content of 1.89 g/100g, and an energy value of 374.79 kcal, all within acceptable dietary standards. Turmeric and ginger were key contributors to the tea's favorable sensory attributes, including appearance, taste, odor, and texture. This study highlights the value of integrating design thinking with cultural culinary traditions to produce food innovations that are health-promoting, sustainable, and pedagogically relevant. The resulting turmeric-based tea revealed that it can be a marketable health beverage and an effective instructional recipe for the food preservation course in Home Economics.