As the country is experiencing a bone-chilling winter, it’s time to make the most out of the season. It is the season that shows the abundance of gur (jaggery). There is no denying that jaggery is considered a quintessential part of Indian cuisine. Jaggery and its extracts are extensively used in making winter desserts in place of refined sugar.
Read More: 6 Benefits Of Consuming Jaggery Everyday
Jaggery is made from unrefined sugar and is obtained by boiling raw, concentrated sugarcane juice till it solidifies. Jaggery is also made from the sap of coconut or date palm but sugarcane is most widely used. According to WebMD, jaggery contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous. It is also rich in iron. It is a natural source of antioxidants that combats oxidative stress in the body.
Interestingly, jaggery is usually prepared non-commercially which often becomes home for insects, pathogens, and adulterants to impact the quality of the jaggery. This article will provide some of the tips and tricks to check the purity of jaggery.
Take a look:
- Sugars
The process of adulteration with sugarcane is a common phenomenon. Real jaggery has a distinct taste. If it tastes unusually sweet or lacks the characteristic molasses flavour, it might be adulterated.
- Starch
Mixing jaggery with starch is another common practice. To check whether the jaggery has starch or not, dissolve a small amount of jaggery in water, if it leaves behind a residue, then it may contain an added starch.
- Mineral Oil
The addition of oil gives the jaggery a smooth texture and adds shine. However, this degrades the quality of the jaggery. To easiest way to check the oil is by rubbing a small quantity of jaggery between the two fingers. If it feels oily or leaves a greasy residue then the chances of adulteration with mineral oil is high.
- Artificial Colours
Jaggery is usually brown in colour. If the colour seems to be unusually vibrant or different then it might have an artificial colour involved in it.
- Chemical Additives
Real jaggery has a sweet, earthy aroma. If there is a change in the smell, something like pungent or unnatural or any chemical smell, then this could indicate adulteration.
- Presence of Impurities
There is the presence of fibrous matter or small particles in the sugarcane jaggery. If there is a presence of excessive impurities, then it can be that adulteration took place.
- Consistency
The jaggery has a consistent texture. If the jaggery feels excessively hard or soft, then it might be adulterated with substances like rock salt or gypsum.
- Dissolvability
Real jaggery often dissolves in water, leaving minimal residue. If it leaves behind gritty or sandy residue then it might contain impurities.
- Smell
Jaggery has a distinct, sweet, and earthy aroma. It should not have an unpleasant or chemical smell. If it smells different or pungent, it might be impure.
- Taste
Authentic jaggery has a unique, rich, and molasses-like flavour. It should not taste overly sweet or have a metallic aftertaste. Lacking the characteristic smell signifies that it is impure.