Sensory evaluation of guava jelly prepared by replacing sugar with jaggery as sweetener

This study evaluated the sensory and organoleptic quality of guava jelly formulated with varying combinations of jaggery, refined sugar, citric acid, and lemon zest. Five formulations were prepared, including 100% jaggery, partial jaggery substitution, and sugar-only controls. Sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale revealed that the jelly prepared with 100% jaggery achieved the highest overall acceptability, attributed to its enhanced flavor, natural sweetness, and improved mouth feel. The addition of lemon zest significantly improved aroma intensity due to volatile citrus compounds. In contrast, the sugar-only formulation scored lowest across most sensory attributes. These findings demonstrate that jaggery and lemon zest can effectively enhance the sensory quality of guava jelly, supporting their use as natural, clean-label ingredients in fruit-based confectionery products.