Jam processing
After sorting, the dried fruits were corticated manually to get rid of the inside hard seeds, the obtained dried pulp (flesh) was washed and air dried over four hours before grinding. The obtained dried grinded flesh was boiled in water (1:1; w/w) for 15 min. About 540 g of sucrose and 50 g of pectin (as stabilizer) were added to 1 kg of dried flesh. Samples were cooked to about 65 Brix in an open kettle, with manual stirring. Soluble solids content (Brix) was determined using an Abbe refractometer (Bellinghan and Stanley Ltd., Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom) at 25ºC (AOAC, 1990). The pH was adjusted at the end of cooking to 4.0 ± 0.1 with a citric acid solution (10%; w/v). Then, the jam (after reaching 65 Brix) was poured into glass jars (250 g) with screw caps and sterilized using steam at 90ºC for 15 min. The procedure and formula used are similar to that used in commercial product. Samples were immediately cooled to room temperature and stored at 4ºC prior to physico-chemical and sensory analysis and at ambient temperature for color stability.