Which fruit is most commonly used for making jelly due to its high pectin content? (MCAER 2012)

✔Explanation: Guava is an excellent source of pectin, a natural polysaccharide that acts as a gelling agent. This high pectin content makes guava ideal for jelly making, as it allows the jelly to set properly without the need for additional pectin.

🔑 Key Points:

• Guava:
-Guava (Psidium guajava)  is a native of tropical America but has long been naturalized in India.
-Guavas are mostly eaten as fresh fruits.
-They are also canned to some extent, preserved spiced, or made into jam and marmalades.
-Guavas are notable for their high content of vitamin C which, in many varieties, is 4 to 10 times greater than in citrus fruits.
-They also contain a considerable amount of pectin, hence, making them ideal for jam preparation.
-The pectic substances present in fruit are protopectin, pectin, and pectic acid.
-The protopectin present in underripe fruits inhibits gel formation.
-The pectin present in properly matured fruits forms a solution with water.
-In the presence of sugars and acids present in fruit, the pectin sets into a jelly.

🛑Additional Information:

• Preparation of jam:
-Ripe fruits are selected and thoroughly washed to remove dust.
-Fruits are chopped, mashed, or diced.
-If the fruit has little to no juice of its own, a small quantity of water is added.
-Sugar is added in proper quantity.
-The finished product should contain 30-50% invert sugar to avoid the crystallization of cane sugar in the jam during storage.
-If the fruit is deficient in acid and pectin, commercial preparations are added before the addition of sugar.
-The mixture is immediately heated with constant stirring.
-After that, packed in jars and are pasteurized for about 30 minutes.