Functional Jam Production from Blends of Banana, Pineapple and Watermelon Pulp

Functional jam from blends of banana, pineapple and watermelon pulp was produced and evaluated. The aim was to develop a locally but nutritionally rich, functional jam. Various blends of the fruit pulp were considered in order to select the best. The percentage compositions of the blends were 50:25:25; 25:50:25; 25:25:50 and 33.33:33.33:33.33 of banana, pineapple and watermelon pulps respectively. In addition to the pulp blends, 2.9% pectin produced from citrus peel was added together with citric acid, sodium benzoate and sugar. The entire mixture was heated at 110°C for 55 to enhance the viscosity of the blends. Proximate analyses, mineral analyses, brix, pH and Vitamin constituents of the sample were determined. The blend with the best result from the analyses was selected for rheological and sensory evaluations. The best blend was 25:25:50. The result of the proximate analyses of this best blend were 8.58% protein, 1.41% fibre, 0.38% ash, 3.92% fat, 2.52% moisture and 83.20% carbohydrate. The vitamin compositions were; 1.32 mg/100 g vitamin A, 8.22 mg/100 g vitamin C and 0.015 mg/100 g vitamin E. The pH was 4.16, viscosity 58.77 cp while the specific gravity was 1.016. The mineral compositions of the best blend were 0.34 ppm iron, 28.90 ppm sodium, 80.90 ppm potassium, 1.50 ppm calcium and 0.60 ppm magnesium