Studies on preparation of tamarind jelly and its quality and sensory evaluation

An experiment was conducted at the Post Harvest Technology Laboratory, Horticulture Section, College of Agriculture, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The aim was to investigate various levels of sugar and pectin in the preparation of tamarind jelly and to identify the best combination of these ingredients. The study utilized a factorial completely randomized design (FCRD) with two factors: Factor A included four sugar levels (65%, 70%, 75%, and 80%), while Factor B comprised three pectin levels (1.5%, 2.0%, and 2.5%), with three replicates for each combination. Chemical analyses and sensory evaluations were performed at regular intervals. The results indicated a steady increase in total soluble solids (TSS), pH, acidity, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, and total sugars in the tamarind jelly across different recipes, regardless of the storage duration. However, the ascorbic acid content diminished as the storage time increased. The least variation in TSS, pH, acidity, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total sugars, and ascorbic acid levels over 120 days of storage occurred in jelly made with 80% sugar and 2.0% pectin. Additionally, the tamarind jelly made with 70% sugar and 2.0% pectin received the highest ratings for color, flavor, taste, and overall acceptability compared to other formulations.