Chemical and Organoleptic Characteristics of Seaweed Jelly Candy (Eucheuma cottonii) with the Addition of Red Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Extract

Eucheuma cottonii is one of seaweed species that has beneficial economic value and widely cultivated in Indonesia. Diversifying product into seaweed jelly candy could be carried out to utilize the source. The seaweed distinctive aroma is one of problem in producing jelly candy. Ingredient with strong aroma such as red ginger is needed to covered the smell. This research was aimed to determine the optimum concentration of red ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) extract and seaweed (Eucheuma cottonii) to produce high quality jelly candy based on chemical and organoleptic characteristics. This research used an experimental method consisting of 4 different concentration of red ginger extract (0%, 40%, 50% and 60%) with 20 panelists as evaluators. Chemical composition (water content, protein content, fat content, carbohydrate content, crude fiber content) and organoleptic characteristics (appearance, aroma, texture, taste) of jelly candy were observed as parameters in this research. The results showed that the addition of 50% red ginger extract to jelly candy produced the best organoleptic characteristics and most preferred by panelists. The chemical analysis showed the jelly candy contained 6,22% water, 0,88% protein, 0,19% fat, 96,82% carbohydrate, and 1,54% crude fiber. Addition 50% of red ginger extract is recommended to produce seaweed jelly candy that has the best and most preferred characteristics.