Production
Jaggery is made from sugar cane or date palm, less often coconut. It is produced using traditional methods of pressing, purifying and thickening the juice. First, the juice is extracted from the cane or flowers of palm trees by pressing. The juice is then set aside in large containers for the sediment to settle to their bottom. The final step is to concentrate the juice by evaporating the water by boiling it. In this way, a thick, sticky ‘paste’ is obtained, which is then put into containers to cool down. The ready-to-use piloncillo can range in color from golden to light brown. It can be sold in liquid, solid or granular form.
Nutritional value
In India, the most valued is pale gur, which typically contains up to 70 percent sucrose, less than 10 percent glucose and fructose, and up to 5 percent minerals. It contains more nutrients than both refined white and brown sugar due to its relatively high molasses content. Of course, the nutritional value of the final product also depends on the raw material used, but overall 100 g of jaggery provides:
383 kcal, 65-85 g of sucrose, 10-15 g of fructose, 0,4 g of protein, 0,1 g of fat, 11 mg of iron, 70-90 mg of magnesium, 1050 mg of potassium.
This product also contains a certain content of B vitamins, zinc, calcium and copper. Additionally, it has a low glycemic index (GI). Remember, however, that it is still sugar, although it has a slightly higher nutritional value than the traditional one, it should not be consumed in large quantities. Usually eaten portion is about a spoon (10 g) or a teaspoon (5 g). So there are many products that are better sources of iron, magnesium, potassium or vitamins, because the portion you eat traditionally has more of them. Let us take, for example pistachios, 100 g of which provides 1090 mg of potassium, or 200 g of kale, which provides 1060 mg of potassium.
Usage and properties
Jaggers can be used like regular sugar for desserts or sweets. In India, it is often combined with condensed milk, coconut or nuts to create traditional sweets. It can also replace sugar in drinks or cakes, it is also used to produce alcohol. Due to the presence of minerals, it might seem that it also brings health benefits. Some people believe it can help you deal with constipation. Gur, however, contains a lot of sucrose and virtually zero fiber and water, so its help in combating constipation is questionable. The high iron content shows promise in preventing anemia. The problem, however, is that the portion you take is small and 2 tablespoons (20 g) of jaggery is just 2,2 mg of iron. Therefore, you should not assume that it will be another great product in your diet. Yes, if you use white sugar, switching to gur will slightly increase the proportion of minerals in your diet. However, you should still be careful about how much you eat, as you do with refined sugar. Remember that too much sugar consumption, from whatever source, is associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
The photo comes from flickr.com