Low calorie vegetable jam: An initiative

Abstract

The focus of this study was to standardize the process of making low calorie vegetable jam. The fruit jam has already been in the market and established since many years. An initiative has been carried out to produce low calorie vegetable jam using carrot, Lagernaria siceraria and beetroot in an appropriate combination with replacement of table sugar with stevia (natural sweetener). Three different formulations of jams like control or apple jam, vegetable jam and sugar free vegetable jam have been designed and their characteristics like tannins, flavonoids, vitamin C, titrable acidity and sensory characteristics have been compared. The apple or control jam had vitamin C content (0.21mg/g), titratable acidity (2.7 per cent), flavonoids (0.42mg/g) and tannins (14.3μg/g). The vegetable jam contained vitamin C content (0.145mg/g), titratable acidity (5.96 per cent), flavonoids (0.45mg/g) and tannins (19.4μg/g). The sugar free vegetable jam had vitamin C (0.102mg/g), titratable acidity (12.16 per cent), flavonoids (0.66 mg/g) and tannins (23.7μg/g). This showed that apple jam had highest vitamin C and lowest titratable acidity, flavonoids and tannins among all the three jams. Vegetable jam was observed to have vitamin C, titratable acidity, tannins and flavonoids higher than apple jam and lower than sugar free vegetable jam. Sugar free vegetable jam contained highest titratable acidity, tannins and flavonoids among all the three jams. Sensory analysis was observed for apple or control jam, vegetable and sugar free vegetable jam. The apple jam was very much liked by people with overall acceptability of 8.6. The vegetable jam was also very much liked by people with overall acceptability of 8.0. The sugar free vegetable jam was moderately liked by people with overall acceptability of 7.1. Statistical analysis like ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was also done for all the three jams. By performing ANOVA, F calculated value obtained for pH was 41.78, total soluble solid sugar was 10717.21, moisture content 53.62 while their F critical value obtained was 3.49. F calculated value obtained for titratable acidity was 1537.73, vitamin C 219.49, tannins 2789.62 and flavonoids 2126.76 while their F critical value observed was 4.26. The results proved that F calculated value was greater than F critical value which means results were significant i.e. there was significant difference between mean values of pH, total soluble sugar, moisture content, titratable acidity, tannins and flavonoids of all the three jams. The correlation results were not all found interacted but observed with weak positive correlation between total soluble solids and percent acidity, weak negative correlation between total soluble solids and pH and moderate negative correlation between moisture content and total soluble solids of sugar free vegetable jam.