Carrots, especially the purple ones, can be considered a healthy food due to their high content of phytochemical compounds. However, for some pigmented carrots with interesting sensory characteristics, the higher respiratory activity than common orange carrots reduces shelf-life.
Therefore, the seasonality and the perishability of the vegetable, suggest the application of a food technology in order to obtain a more stable product over time. Among the possible processing methods, the jam making is a good alternative. In fact, according to the EC Directive 113/2001, the carrots are considered fruits, so they can be processed and marketed as "jam".
Note how the color of jams obtained by the mild method is more similar to the color of raw carrots than jams from common method. This aspect is particularly evident for the purple carrots: the "mild" method preserves the bright color of the raw material, while the common method causes jam browning due to the long cooking time.
Researchers from the Institute of Sciences of Food Production - National Research Council of Bari (Italy) and the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science - University of Bari "Aldo Moro" (Italy) have developed a method to obtain jams from the colored carrots, preserving the sensorial and nutritional characteristics of the raw samples.
In the experiment, two different jam making methods, which differed essentially for cooking times, were compared. In one case (common method) the carrot is subjected to a preliminary pre-cooking for obtaining the puree, before the final cooking. Alternatively, the innovative method ("mild") developed by the researchers consists essentially of the preparation of an uncooked puree, followed by 5 minutes of total cooking.
The research showed that, jams obtained by the mild method were better appreciated, especially the purple type, from the sensory point of view. In addition, this "mild" method preserved the color, antioxidant activity and total phenols content of jams at values similar to the raw material.
Source: Renna M., Pace B., Cefola M., Santamaria P., Serio F., Gonnella M., 2013. "Comparison of two jam making methods to preserve the quality of colored carrots". LWT – Food Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2013.03.018
Contacts:
Dr. Massimiliano Renna Ph.D.
National Research Cuncil (CNR)
Institute of Science of Food Production (ISPA)
Via G. Amendola, 122/O
70126 Bari (ITALY)
Ph.: (+39) 080 5929306
Fax: (+39) 080 5929374
Email: [email protected]
