Characteristic Evalution of Parijoto Fruit Jam Using Low Calorie Natural Sweeteners Based on Coconut Sugar and Cassava Sugar

Abstract

Parijoto (Medinilla speciosa) is a local Indonesian fruit that remains underutilized due to its sour, astringent taste and its highly perishable nature, making it difficult to distribute and commercialize fresh. One potential way to increase its utilization is to process the fruit into jam. This study aims to evaluate the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of parijoto jam formulated with two natural sweeteners: cassava sugar and coconut sugar. The analyses conducted included determination of water content, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy value, dietary fiber, total sugar, viscosity, and pH. A sensory evaluation was also conducted using a five-point hedonic scale with 35 untrained panelists to assess appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. The results demonstrated noticeable differences between the two formulations. Jam made with cassava sugar exhibited higher carbohydrate levels (23.70%), energy content (115.96 kcal/100 g), total sugar (21.76%), and viscosity (26.746 mPas), indicating a sweeter taste and thicker consistency. Meanwhile, jam formulated with coconut sugar contained higher dietary fiber (0.93%), which may offer added nutritional benefits. Despite these differences, neither formulation fully complied with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 3746:2008), mainly due to excessive water content (72–75%) and insufficient soluble solids. Sensory evaluation revealed that both formulations had comparable consumer acceptability. These findings suggest that both sweeteners are viable for parijoto jam development, provided that further optimization is carried out to improve consistency and meet regulatory standards.