Effect of sugar replacement with date syrup on physicochemical and sensory properties of quince jam

Date syrup is healthy food for consumers especially people with diabetes because of its minerals, high amount of natural sugars such as fructose and glucose, and low percentage of sucrose. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sugar replacement with date syrup on the physicochemical and sensory properties of quince jam. Date syrup at concentrations of 0 (control), 25, 50, 75, and 100% w/w was used in place of sucrose in the formulation of quince jam. As the concentration of date syrup increased, pH, Brix, viscosity, and calories decreased and acidity increased. With increasing concentration of date syrup, L* index decreased significantly (p≤0.05). The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the replacement of sugar with 50% of date syrup resulted in improved sensory properties as compared to control, however at higher concentrations it caused dark color and sour taste in the product. The sample containing 100% date syrup had the lowest calorie and the highest protein content as compared to other treatments, so it could be desirable in terms of nutritional and health properties. The addition of date syrup in place of sugar up to 50% improved the sensory properties of quince jam when compared to control, therefore it was selected as the superior treatment for sensory and health properties.