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62. Potentialities of Palm Jaggery

Chemical Analysis

Ingredient Kind of Jaggeries sucrose or (1) Sugar-cane 71 p.c.

(2) Date 57.57 p.c.

Cane sugar (3) Cocoanut 85 p.c.

(4) Palmyra 83.8 p.c.

This shows that the jaggery made from the palm juices is akin to sugarcane jaggery.

Comparison of Date-Palm and Cane Jaggery

Ingredients Jaggery

		Cane	Date Palm
		P.C.	P.C.
1.	Moisture	6.86	4.59
2.	Cane sugar	71.0	57.57
3.	Glucose	15.72	16.0
4.	Ash at 550° C	0.858	2.443
5.	(Non-saccharine)	5.542	19.397
	Organic Matter
6.	Calciun	0.329	0.1707
7.	Potassium	0.3032	1.104
8.	Sodium	0.1	0.24
9.	Magnesium	0.058	0.098

Sjt. I. S. Amin, Chief Chemist of the Alembic Chemical Works of Baroda, says the following in his criticism of the foregoing comparative analysis made by him:

"The date palm gur compares favourably with the best known Kolhapur sugarcane gur. The percentage of Ash, i.e. minerals in case of date palm gur is greater than that of sugarcane gur. In spite of high percentage of minerals in date palm gur, it will not be felt too saltish in food preparations. Some sugarcane gur prepared in Charotar (Baroda State) is found to contain a very high percentage of minerals on account of the high contents of salts in irrigation water from wells. Higher mineral contents in gur should not be a cause of prejudice against it. Potassium in the gur is fairly good. Potassium intake by human beings is important as it functions actively in the metabolisms of cell control and cell growth. Toddy (sweet) gur is superior to sugarcane gur on account of its containing vitamins B and B₁, as these vitamins are associated with the yeast cells and which are sufficiently present in toddy (sweet). It is possible to maintain the activity of Vitamin B and B,, at a higher degree if rapid concentration in suitable shallow pans by skilful hand stirring is carried out at low heat."

GAJANAN NAIK
Harijan, 21-8-1937