A study was conducted on selected physicochemical properties of blackberry jelly-like
desserts (kissel) prepared from physically modified starches (with various degrees of inhibition) and
chemically modified starches (with various degrees of cross-linking). The desserts were conven-
tionally sweetened with saccharose (S) or, as a dietary alternative, xylitol (X). The characteristics of
changes in the viscosity of the kissels as a function of temperature and time were determined. It was
noted that regardless of the sweetener used, the viscosity of the kissels increased with the decreasing
degree of inhibition (high < medium < low). Regardless of the kind of modification of the starch used
for the preparation of the kissels and of the kind of sweetener, thixotropy was observed. Desserts
prepared from inhibited starch with xylitol (CL + X) were characterised by the biggest range of their
hysteresis loop. Progressing retrogradation was noted with the decrease in the temperature of the
experiment (+20 ◦C and +4 ◦C). After 7 days of storage, kissels sweetened with saccharose were
characterised by a low transparency, which may indicate retarded retrogradation; however, on day 28,
the transparency significantly increased, exceeding the values of transmittance for samples sweetened
with xylitol. The tendency towards syneresis was tested at +4 ◦C and −22 ◦C. The substitution of
saccharose with xylitol only caused a slight modification of viscosity. Regardless of the sweetener
used and of the level of starch inhibition, lower ranges of the hysteresis loop were noted (apart from
CL + X) than in the case of kissels obtained from chemically modified starches. Distinctly lower
values of kissel “aging” indices were noted in the case of samples obtained from inhibited starches,
and their colour did not significantly differ in relation to the dessert prepared from native starch.