🍷Processed Horticultural Products — Jam, Jelly, Squash and More

Difference between Jam and Jelly

Jam and Jelly are two of the most common fruit-based preserved products, but they differ in their preparation, texture, and composition. Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit pulp cooked with sugar and pectin, resulting in a thick, spreadable product that retains fruit pieces. Jelly, on the other hand, is made from clear fruit juice (without any pulp or pieces) combined with sugar and pectin, producing a transparent, firm, and smooth product. Understanding these differences is essential for food processing examinations and practical applications.

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Syneresis or Weeping of Jelly

Syneresis (also called weeping) is a common defect in jelly where liquid separates out and collects on the surface. This makes the jelly appear watery and reduces its quality. The main causes of syneresis are:

• Insufficient pectin — Pectin is the gelling agent that gives jelly its firm structure. When pectin levels are too low, the gel network is weak and cannot hold the liquid firmly, causing it to seep out.
• Low sugar concentration — Sugar plays a critical role in gel formation by binding water molecules. When sugar content is below the ideal level (typically 65-68%), excess water remains unbound and separates from the gel.
• Excess of acid — While some acid is necessary for gel formation (it reduces the pH and helps pectin molecules bond), too much acid breaks down the pectin chains and weakens the gel structure, leading to liquid separation.

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Difference between Squash and Cordial

Squash and Cordial are both popular fruit-based beverages, but they differ in their fruit juice content, sugar concentration, and preparation. A squash contains a higher proportion of fruit juice and sugar compared to a cordial, resulting in a thicker, more concentrated product.

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Difference between Squash and Sarbat

Sarbat is another concentrated fruit beverage, but with a significantly higher TSS (Total Soluble Solids) compared to squash. The key distinguishing factor among these beverages is their TSS content, which directly impacts their sweetness and concentration.

TSS: Cordial (25%) < Squash (40%) < Sarbat (70%)

This progression shows that Sarbat is the most concentrated and sweetest of the three, followed by Squash, and then Cordial. The higher the TSS, the more sugar and dissolved solids are present, giving the product a thicker consistency and longer shelf life due to the preservative effect of high sugar concentration.

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Difference between Preserve and Candy

Preserve and Candy are both sugar-based preservation methods for fruits, but they differ in their final moisture content and texture. A preserve retains more moisture and the fruit maintains its shape in heavy sugar syrup, while a candy (also called crystallized fruit or glacé fruit) undergoes more extensive sugar impregnation and drying, resulting in a firmer, drier product with a crystalline sugar coating.

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Jam — FPO Specifications

Jam is a product made by boiling fruit pulp with sufficient quantity of sugar to a reasonably thick consistency, firm enough to hold the fruit tissues in position.

• Fruits commonly used: Apple, sapota, papaya, plums, mango, grapes, jack, pineapple, banana, guava and pears
• Can be prepared from one kind of fruit or from two or more kinds
• 45% of fruit pulp should be used for every 55% of sugar
• FPO specification: 68.5% TSS, 45% fruit pulp, and 0.5-0.6% acid (citric acid) per 100 gm of prepared product
• End point judging: Sheet test or flake test, TSS test by refractometer, Temperature test
• Continue cooking till temperature reaches 105.5°C
• Sticky or gummy jam is due to high TSS
• Crystallization of jam occurs when cane sugar is less than 30%
• To avoid crystallization: add corn syrup or glucose
• Advisable limit of SO₂ in form of KMS in jam: 40 ppm

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Jelly — FPO Specifications

A jelly is a semi-solid product prepared by boiling a clear, strained solution of pectin-containing fruit extract, free from pulp, after the addition of sugar and acid.

• A perfect jelly should be transparent, well set but not too stiff, with the original flavour of the fruit
• It should be firm enough to retain a sharp edge but tender enough when pressed
• Should not be gummy, sticky, syrupy or have crystallized sugar
• Free from dullness with little (or) no syneresis (weeping) — neither tough nor rubbery
• FPO specification: 65% solids, 45% fruit extract, and 0.5-0.75% acid
• High pectin fruits (good for jelly): Guava, sour apple, plum, karonda, wood apple, papaya and jack fruit
• Low pectin fruits (need pectin powder): Pineapple, strawberry, grapes etc.
• Final pH of Jelly: 3.8
• Red colour of Jelly: Due to charring of sugar
• Pectin test: Alcohol test and Jelmeter test
• Pectin content: 0.5-0.1%
• Sugar: 65%

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Marmalade — FPO Specifications

Marmalade is a fruit jelly in which slices of the fruit (or) its peel are suspended. Generally used for products made from citrus fruits like oranges and lemons in which shredded peel is the suspended material.

• Citrus marmalades are classified into: (1) Jelly marmalade (2) Jam marmalade
• FPO specifications: TSS — 65% and fruit juice — 45% of the prepared product
• Browning is a common problem in marmalade, prevented by addition of KMS

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Unfermented Beverages — FPO Standards

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Miscellaneous Fermented Products

• Feni is a fermented wine made from cashew apple in Goa
• Cider is mostly prepared from fermentation of special grades of apples
• Acid content in grapes for wine: 0.6 to 0.8%
• Aging or maturation time for wine: 6-8 months
• Common yeast used in wine: Saccharomyces cerevisiasae var. ellipsoideus
• Wine made from pears is known as Perry
• Nira is prepared from Palmyrah Juice

Summary Cheat Sheet