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Coconut Inflorescence Sap and its Value Addition as Sugar - Collection Techniques, Yield, Properties and Market Perspective


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1 ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
 

Fresh coconut sap (neera), if kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, undergoes fermentation. Fresh sap is golden in colour, with pH > 7 and has no foul odour. The traditional way of tapping, i.e. collecting the sap in a mud pot kept at the top of the palm under atmospheric temperature for 8-12 h, ferments the sap before collection itself. The colour turns whitish, pH drops to below 6 and odour of toddy (fermented smell) slowly develops. Hence the only way to avoid fermentation of sap is either keeping collection boxes at low temperature or to collect the sap every hour and store chilled. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute has developed 'coco-sap chiller' with ice cubes inside, which maintains the temperature at 2-3°C for 10-12 h, and also keeps the sap fresh and unfermented. The sap collected is sweet, non-alcoholic and also free from contaminants like ants, other insects, pollen, dust, etc. The fresh, hygienic and unfermented sap is called Kalparasa. It can be sold as a ready-to-serve health drink under refrigerated condition or can be processed into value-added natural products like sugar, jaggery, honey, syrup, etc. without the addition of chemicals.

Keywords

Coconut Sap, Health Drink, Market Prospects, Sugar Content, Tapping.
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  • Coconut Inflorescence Sap and its Value Addition as Sugar - Collection Techniques, Yield, Properties and Market Perspective

Abstract Views: 617  |  PDF Views: 254

Authors

K. B. Hebbar
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
M. Arivalagan
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
M. R. Manikantan
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
A. C. Mathew
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
C. Thamban
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
George V. Thomas
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India
P. Chowdappa
ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, 671 124, India

Abstract


Fresh coconut sap (neera), if kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, undergoes fermentation. Fresh sap is golden in colour, with pH > 7 and has no foul odour. The traditional way of tapping, i.e. collecting the sap in a mud pot kept at the top of the palm under atmospheric temperature for 8-12 h, ferments the sap before collection itself. The colour turns whitish, pH drops to below 6 and odour of toddy (fermented smell) slowly develops. Hence the only way to avoid fermentation of sap is either keeping collection boxes at low temperature or to collect the sap every hour and store chilled. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute has developed 'coco-sap chiller' with ice cubes inside, which maintains the temperature at 2-3°C for 10-12 h, and also keeps the sap fresh and unfermented. The sap collected is sweet, non-alcoholic and also free from contaminants like ants, other insects, pollen, dust, etc. The fresh, hygienic and unfermented sap is called Kalparasa. It can be sold as a ready-to-serve health drink under refrigerated condition or can be processed into value-added natural products like sugar, jaggery, honey, syrup, etc. without the addition of chemicals.

Keywords


Coconut Sap, Health Drink, Market Prospects, Sugar Content, Tapping.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv109%2Fi8%2F1411-1417