Cherries jam is a food product made primarily of cherries, sugar, and optionally pectin.
Description of raw materials used in production:
- Cherries. Fresh fruit that is washed, pitted, and prepared.
- Sugar. Added to sweeten and preserve the jam.
- Pectin (optional). A gelling agent that may be used to help the jam set.
Step-by-step summary of industrial production process.
- Selection. Cherries are selected, washed, and pitted.
- Preparation. Cherries are chopped or crushed as per preferences.
- Cooking. The fruit is cooked with sugar, and if utilized, with pectin.
- Cooling. After cooking, the jam is allowed to cool and set.
Form and color.
Cherry jam has a spreadable consistency, with a color ranging from red to dark red, depending on the cherries used and the production process.
Commercial applications.
Cherry jam can be used in pastry-making, as a topping for bread, desserts, and also as an ingredient in sauces and other culinary preparations.
Diet and Cooking. Cherry jam is used in various ways: as a spread for bread and sweets, in baking to fill cakes and tarts, and in cooking to create sweet-and-sour sauces.
Industrial Production. Cherry jam is industrially produced by combining cherries, sugar, and pectin and, sometimes, other ingredients like citric acid or spices to enhance flavor and preservation.
Diet and Health. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, cherry jam can be part of a balanced diet when consumed in moderation due to its sugar content.
Cherry comes from the tree Prunus avium L., which blooms in spring with small white flowers and belongs to the family Rosaceae. It is also called sweet cherry.
Many varieties of cherries: Sour, ferrovia, canada giant, lapins, germersdorfer etc.
Studies
Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) among the cherries is the fruit that has the most attention for its content (1): anthocyanins, phenolic acids (hydrocinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid), flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, gallocatechin, ursolic acis, oleanoic acid). All phenolic compounds have demonstrated antioxidant activity and curative effects on gastrointestinal tract, cancer, cardiovascular disease (1).
In a study on the possibility of Prunus avium extract to counteract the progression of cancer cells in prostate cancer, researchers found that the extract decreased the viability of neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells, while it increased apoptosis in neoplastic cells of the human prostate. These results broadened our knowledge of the mechanisms by which this extract modulates cell physiology, demonstrating a broad action on the characteristics of cancer (2).
Accumulation of uric acid (hyperuricemia) can cause inflammatory arthritis and gout especially in overweight or obese people. The daily intake of 240ml of tart cherry juice for 4 weeks has significantly reduced the accumulation of uric acid and may eliminate pro-inflammatory markers in individuals at risk (3). Fennel can therefore be attributed to the tart cherry, with anti-inflammatory, antiperuricemic and antiarthritic potential (3).
In a study of 22 participants, tart cherries intake significantly reduced post-prandial triglyceride levels (4).
The ability of tart cherry juice to reduce systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in elderly people has also been confirmed. This may be partly due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (5).
