Fruit fillings

There are 3 main groups of fruit fillings for confectionery applications: Jam, marmalade and fruit paste.

Jams
To make jam fresh or pre-cooked fruit is boiled with a sweetening ingredient until sufficient water has evaporated to give a mixture, which gels on cooling and which contains 32-34% water. Gel formation dependents on the presence in the fruit of the carbohydrate pectin, which at a pH of 3.2 - 3.4 and a high concentration of sugar, has the property of forming a viscous semi-solid.

Marmalade
This sugar preserve is defined as a “semi-solid or gel-like product” prepared from fruit ingredients and one or more sweetening ingredients. Suitable food acids and food pectins may also be added. The ingredients are concentrated by cooking to the point where TSS - Total Soluble Solids - of the finished marmalade is not below 65%".

Fruit paste
Fruit paste is a product obtained in the same way as “special non-jellified fruit marmalade” but to lower water content - about 25% TSS. Lowering water content can be achieved by continuing boiling of the product or by drying it by natural or artificial drying. An example of paste without sugar is the sun-dried apricot or prune paste.

The above 3 types of fruit preservation are traditionally made with sugar, but they can also be made no-sugar-added or sugar-reduced using polyols and fibres.