Taste and palatability of strawberry jam as affected by organic acid content

The aim of this research was to clarify the effects of organic acid content on the taste and palatability of strawberry jam. Prepared jam samples with different organic acid contents (0.8–2.0%) were assessed for color and texture, and then subjected to sensory evaluation of sweetness, sourness and preference attributes. For the sensory evaluation, assessors evaluated the sweetness intensity of the jam as decreasing with increasing organic acid content. In contrast, the sourness intensity increased as the organic acid content increased. Palatability did not change with the content of organic acids when the jam was evaluated alone. However, a difference was observed when eating jam in combination with yogurt or bread; moderately sour jam was preferred over those at either extreme of the sourness scale. Assessors who commonly consume jam with yogurt showed a preference when evaluating jam with yogurt, but no differences were observed when evaluating jam with bread. By contrast, assessors who commonly consume jam with bread did not show a preference when evaluating jam with yogurt, but showed a preference when evaluating jam with bread. Assessors who typically consume jam with yogurt or bread did not show any differences in preference when evaluating jam alone. These results indicate the importance of considering the eating habits of assessors when investigating the palatability of foods, such as jam, that are not eaten alone. Because the preference of them may change depending on their eating habits.