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Description
Development of jam hibiscus flower with melon
Sathiyadevan madhushalini¹ Thanuja Sivanathan¹
Department of food technology, University college of Jaffna,
University of vocational technology, Jaffna 40000 Sri Lanka.
Corresponding author: devanmadhushalini@gmail.com
Abstract
Jam is a semi-solid product obtained by cooking fruit with sugar to enhance flavor, texture, and
shelf life. This study developed a nutritionally enriched jam using hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower
extract and silver melon (benincasa hispida) pulp, through optimized formulations: Control
(0:40:60 hibiscus: melon: water), T1 (60:40), T2 (40:60), T3 (20:80), and T4 (80:20), each with
45% sugar and 5% citric acid. Jam was prepared by extracting hibiscus petals, processing melon
pulp, and boiling the mixture. Samples were analyzed using AOAC methods, sensory evaluation
(5-point hedonic scale with 35 panelists), and statistical analysis via SPSS v25 (Friedman test,
p<0.05). T1 scored highest in sensory attributes including color, taste, aroma, texture, and
spreadability. It also showed favorable physicochemical properties: pH 3.7, Titratable acidity
1.185±0.15%, moisture 1.24±0.15%, and yeast/mold count <1×10² CFU/g. Nutritional analysis
revealed an overall improvement in the mineral and nutrient profile from the control to T1 ,with a
reduction in salt ( (0.09 to 0.06), and reducing sugar (4.727 to 3.954%) while sodium (18.26 to
19.63), potassium (53.3 to 54.69), calcium (24.6 to 25.01) and protein (0.05 to 0.518%) showed
increases . Magnesium content varied between samples (69.01 to 65.12) and fat content remained
unchanged at zero. This study highlights hibiscus flowers potential in producing functional jam
with significant nutritional attributes.
Keywords: Functional jam, hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Silver melon, Jam formulation, Sensory
evaluation
