Marmalade

Delicious, beautiful and healthy. All this can be said about the favorite delicacy of children and adults – marmalade. This sweetness is one of the few that doctors recommend eating. However, only the right, that is, a natural product, can bring benefits. What is its use, and what harm it can cause to a person, we will understand in more detail.

The story of

It is believed that the birthplace of marmalade is Asia Minor, from where it was brought by Europeans after the Crusades. In those days, to preserve the harvest in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, the harvested fruit was boiled down to a dense gel-like state.

The name “marmalade” in French means “quince marshmallow”. The English call this word jam made from oranges or other citrus fruits, and the Germans – any jam or jam ^[1]. In Russia, this sweet has acquired the name “fruit jelly”.

Product Varieties

There are several official classifications of marmalade. According to the method of formation, molded, layered and cut products are distinguished. Depending on the technological process and the characteristics of the recipe, marmalade is divided into unglazed, glazed, partially glazed, sprinkled (sugar, cocoa powder, coconut flakes), stuffed, with inclusions, glossy, multi-layered.

Marmalade, depending on the gelling component on the basis of which it is made, is divided into fruit (based on a natural gelling factor), jelly-fruit (based on a combined natural gelling component and gelling agent) and jelly or chewy (based on a gelling agent). Agar-agar, pectin or gelatin can act as a gelling factor.

Gummy marmalade

The chewing type of delicacy in our country appeared relatively recently, in the 90s. ^[2]. It immediately gained immense popularity among children and adults, as it has many advantages over other types of marmalade. The first of them is that it does not melt and does not stick to hands, therefore it is convenient for a sweet snack. The second advantage of chewing (jelly) marmalade is its relatively low calorie content, and the third is its “long life”. There are many varieties of this chewy treat today. This idea is successfully used even by manufacturers of vitamin and mineral complexes for children.

In the production of jelly sweets, in addition to fruit ingredients, gelatin, pectin, molasses and a wax-and-fat mixture are used. These components provide the marmalade with a glossy surface and elasticity. Wax prevents sticking of individual figures, cleans teeth and oral mucosa well, and disinfects them. It can be used instead of chewing gum.

Composition of the product

Marmalade contains many different ingredients. ^[3]:

• gelling agent: agar-agar (0,8-1%), gelatin, pectin (1-1,5%), carrageenan, agaroid, furcellaran or others) ^[4];
• sugar (50-60%), molasses (20-25%), sugar-molasses syrup, fructose;
• fruit and/or vegetable juices or purees;
• food additives (acidifiers, flavors, stabilizers, emulsifiers, dyes) ^[5].

Thanks to these components, marmalade contains various chemical compounds and substances: carbohydrates, organic acids, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium), vitamins (ascorbic and nicotinic acids, B vitamins).

fruit pectin

Pectin is a polysaccharide, that is, a complex carbohydrate that belongs to water-soluble plant fiber. It has the property of thickening the liquid, turning into a gel in the aquatic environment. Thus, pectin retains moisture, and with it other substances dissolved in water. Pectin is the basis (base) of high-quality marmalade.

Agar-agar

Agar-agar is a gelling agent isolated from brown and red algae. It has the ability to adsorb water, significantly increasing in volume. At the same time, agar does not contain fat, so confectionery products based on it can be consumed even by those who are on a diet. ^[6].

Gelatin

Gelatin is used as a popular and inexpensive gelling component for the manufacture of marmalade. Gelatin is a gelling agent of animal origin. It is made from connective tissue (cartilage, ligaments, tendons) and skin of slaughter animals. Gelatin contains carbohydrates and amino acids, so it has a higher calorie content than other gelling agents. ^[7].

Nutritional Supplements

Natural marmalade in its composition does not contain any food additives – neither flavors nor dyes. The color and aroma of the product is due to its natural fruit or berry composition. “Artificial” marmalade consists of chemicals, including various food E-additives – stabilizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, antioxidants, dyes, flavors. Bright color, rich aroma and long shelf life are the first signs that marmalade is “artificial”. The more “E” in the product, the less benefit it brings to the body.

Marmalade is a fairly high-calorie confectionery product. Its calorie content depends on the amount of sugar and the type of gelling component in its composition and can vary widely – from 275 to 360 kcal per 100 g ^[8].

Production technology

To make sure that marmalade is a useful product, you should familiarize yourself with the features of its manufacture. The technological process for the production of natural sweets depends on its type and recipe. ^[9]. A simplified technological scheme for the manufacture of a fruit or fruit-jelly delicacy can be represented as several successive stages:

1. Preparation of fruit and berry raw materials.
2. Soaking gelling components.
3. Preparation of a sweet base (from sugar, fructose, molasses and other sugars).
4. Boiling the fruit (berry) mass with a soaked jelly-forming component and a sugar base.
5. Cooling the jelly mass and pouring it into molds.
6. Drying, cutting, sprinkling products.
7. Packing and packaging of products ^[10].

Chewing marmalade is prepared according to a slightly modified technology. The jelly product is poured into shaped molds filled with corn starch. After pouring the marmalade into molds, they are cooled for one day, and then removed from the molds and destarched. After cleaning from starch, figured products are sent to the drum, where they are treated with natural oils to give them shine.

The process of making “artificial” marmalade differs slightly from the technology typical for making sweets from natural products, with the exception of the first stage. Natural fruits and berries in such a product are replaced by nutritional supplements.

Useful Properties

Only natural marmalade can show beneficial properties for the human body. Its natural components affect the body individually, and also potentiate each other’s actions.

High-quality marmalade from natural ingredients:

• activates intestinal motility, which relieves constipation;
• absorbs toxins, radionuclides, salts of heavy metals, fats and removes them from the body ^[6];
• prevents the absorption of cholesterol, preventing the development of atherosclerosis;
• improves the functioning of the liver and pancreas;
• restores the structure of the skin, hair, nails ^[7];
• saturates the body with vitamins PP and C;
• reduces appetite, so it can be used for a snack;
• improves brain activity;
• has a slight antidepressant effect;
• relieves signs of a mild hangover.

If marmalade is prepared on the basis of agar-agar, it can also serve as a source of iodine for the body, and if it is based on fructose instead of sugar, it can be a diabetic product ^[11]. Regular consumption of high-quality natural marmalade in limited quantities helps to empty the intestines, and also normalizes the metabolism in the body.

In limited quantities, natural marmalade can even be included in the diet of people on a diet (except for a carbohydrate-free one). It is especially good to use it for a snack when the feeling of hunger becomes unbearable. When using marmalade during a diet, it must be remembered that the maximum amount of goodies that can be eaten during the day should not exceed 50 g.

Possible harm

Despite the wide range of useful properties, marmalade can still be harmful. First of all, it concerns the amount of sugar in it. The high carbohydrate content of marmalade is bad for diabetics. Often and in large quantities it can not be consumed even by healthy people and children: glucose destroys tooth enamel and increases the load on the pancreas.

The situation is different with “artificial” marmalade. It contains food additives that are harmful for everyone, and even more so for children, allergy sufferers and asthmatics. It is impossible to predict how this or that additive affects the body, so it is better to refuse the “artificial” treat. Chemical food additives that can be added to marmalade affect the human body in different ways. ^[5]:

• provoke the appearance of hyperergic reactions (rash, itching, swelling, asthma attacks);
• cause a violation of the digestive process (nausea, vomiting, heaviness in the abdomen, diarrhea);
• worsen urination;
• disrupt cardiac activity;
• complicate the work of the brain;
• contribute to mutations in germ cells;
• have a carcinogenic effect.

In order not to get harm from a delicious treat, you should be careful when buying this product. The best option is to make natural marmalade on your own.

How to choose

When choosing marmalade in a store, you need to pay attention to the condition of the packaging, the label and the appearance of the products. ^[12]. It is better to give preference to marmalade in individual transparent packaging: it is easier to get acquainted with the composition of the product, the manufacturer, the expiration date, and also evaluate its appearance. The packaging must be clean, intact, sealed.

The package must have a label with full information about the product (composition, conditions and shelf life) and its manufacturer.

It is also necessary to pay attention to some organoleptic characteristics of the delicacy:

1. The form. Products must be of the same shape, without traces of caking, deformation or melting. In multilayer views, all layers should be clearly visible.
2. Color. It is better to buy a moderately colored or even palely colored product.
3. Surface. The appearance of the surface of the product must correspond to their appearance. If it is gummies, the surface should be glossy. If this is a product with sprinkling, the sprinkling should stick to its surface.
4. Consistency. If the packaging allows, you can touch the marmalade through it: it should be soft, but elastic, after pressing it should restore its shape.

You should also pay attention to the storage conditions of sweets. Its storage temperature should not exceed 18°C, and the relative humidity of the air should not exceed 80%. Boxes of marmalade should not be exposed to direct sunlight. It is not allowed to place a treat next to wet or strong-smelling foods (fish, spices).

Before buying, you need to check the expiration dates. Marmalade layered and made on the basis of pectin and agar-agar is stored for no more than 3 months. If marmalade contains agaroid and furcellaran, its shelf life does not exceed 1,5 months. In case of violation of storage conditions, the shelf life is significantly reduced.

How to cook

To make the delicacy fresh and healthy, you can cook it yourself at home. It is not difficult to cook it, while each housewife can make changes to any recipe to her taste.

lemon marmalade

To prepare it, you will need water (2 l), 4 lemons and sugar (4 cups). Lemons should be cut into slices and seeds removed from them. In this case, the seeds need to be wrapped in gauze: they will come in handy. The lemon is laid out in a saucepan, covered with sugar, the seeds are placed in gauze and poured with water. Leave it for a day at room temperature.

A day later, the pan is put on fire and boiled after boiling over low heat for 50 minutes. Foam that appears on the surface must be removed regularly. Marmalade is considered ready when a drop of the mixture solidifies on a cold plate. Pour into moulds, cool.

raspberry treat

For this marmalade, we take 1,5 kg of sugar and raspberries. Soak a tablespoon of gelatin in water. Raspberries must first be killed with a blender and rubbed through a fine sieve to get rid of the seeds. Raspberry puree is transferred to a saucepan, gelatin is added, brought to a boil, then mixed with sugar and boiled, stirring constantly, until thickened. The finished product is poured into a container. After cooling, cut and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Today, marmalade is sold in every pastry shop. When buying it, you should give preference not to price or bright appearance, but to the most natural version of the product. This healthy and delicious treat is easy to make at home. Then it will be guaranteed natural. Buy or cook – it’s up to the sweet tooth to decide. The main thing is not to abuse its quantity: instead of benefit, marmalade can be harmful.

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