Coconut Products

Food Products

• The coconut palm has a variety of uses. Every part of the palm is useful to mankind in one way or the other.
• It supplies food, drink and shelter and also raw materials for a number of industries.

The wet meat or kernel

• The kernel or endosperm of the ripe coconut is an important article of food in all the coconut growing countries. It is used for culinary purposes in various forms.
• The gratings of the kernel are essential ingredients of the common house hold dishes.
• The milk or cream obtained by squeezing the grated kernel diluted with water goes into many preparations.
• It also serves as a base for the preparation of various delicacies of commercial importance.

Top

Commercial Products

Copra

• The copra is the important product from coconut. In India, copra could be broadly classified into two categories, namely one for edible purposes and the second for milling purposes. The former group comprises of high class copra fit for edible purposes, while the later group finds an outlet mainly for the production of coconut oil, both for edible and non-edible purposes. The conventional method of expelling copra to produce coconut oil and oil cake is cumbersome, costly, and liable to spoilage due to rancidity and microbial infection.

Copra Drying and Drying System

• Fresh coconut meat contains between 50 to 55% moisture most of which is removed during the drying process to yield a product containing less than 7% moisture. Drying must be carried out within 4 hours of splitting since coconut meat deteriorates very rapidly due to growth of moulds and bacteria.
• The methods generally used for drying of copra are (1) solar drying (2) smoke drying or kiln drying and (3) indirect hot air drying.

Solar Drying

Open Sun Drying

• The conventional system of copra drying is by spreading the cups on any open surface for sundrying. This operation is laborious and time consuming requiring more than 7 days. The loss is also caused by birds and rodents and quality deterioration due to deposition of dirt and dust on wet meat is nearly unavoidable.
• The recommended drying practice during sundrying requires reduction of moisture from 55% to 35% within the first 24 hours, during subsequent 24 hours it should be reduced to about 20% and in next 24 hours to 5-6% that means, due to quicker drying the exposure to atmosphere is minimised which improves the quality of copra.
• To reduce open sundrying time a low cost improvement in existing sundrying practice consisting of cup spreading surface/floor of black painted palmyra mat lowers the drying time by 20% compared to concrete floor. As it is known that of black surface to absorb more light energy and to convert the same into heat energy.

Kiln drying

• It is a direct type copra dryer made from locally available raw material. The flue used is mainly husk and shell, although for good quality copra dry coconut shells are necessary as they burn with a smokeless flame. Kiln processing requires continuous attention and supervision as oil contained in copra is highly inflammable and fires can cause serious damage.
• The main components of the kiln are drying chamber, roofing, grill, heat spreader, fire container and fuel tunnel and temperature could be maintained at 54 to 60 degree C.

Indirect drying

• In these dryers the coconut meat does not come in contact with fuel gases and smoke. The copra obtained is usually of very high quality.
• Due to considerable capital investment and high rate of fuel used, indirect dryers are economical only on relatively large scale.
• The components of the dryer are drying chamber, plenum chamber, burning-cum-heat exchanging unit and butterfly valves to control the rate of combustion and also the drying air temperature.

Chemical Treatment to Wet Kernel of Copara

• Preservation of fresh kernel becomes essential when drying is delayed due to uncertainty of weather condition. Many chemicals have been tested for this purpose and their suitability was assessed. Copra treated with solution of H2SO4 (combined glacial acetic acid and H2SO4) and with soda ash of 1.250 specific gravity yields increased copra and about 10 to 20% more oil recovery and prevented microbial growth during open sundrying.
• A chemical treatment of dipping fresh kernels in 1000 ppm propeonic acid for 60 min to preserve it up to 49days without further drying has been found to be useful and simple method to overcome the spoilage of kernel due to sudden onset of inclement weather.

Copra Grading

• The copra is graded in order of its market value. As drying system is a very important factor which dictates the quality of the final product the standards are also evolved based on the drying system. Since moisture is a principal agent of deterioration it is clear that grading by quality should take into account the percentage of moisture also.
• The Indian Central Coconut Committee had prepared standards for grading copra. The grading is mainly based on moisture content, the foreign matter and black copra.
• The maximum limits for them are 10%, 2% and 5% respectively.
• However, the good quality copra lot should have following requirements i.e., moisture 6%, oil content 71%, acid value 2.5%, foreign matter 0.5%, moldy cups 5%, wrinkledcup 5% (free), chips 5% (free) and black copra 1% (free)

Copra Storage

• Due to its hygroscopic nature, the safe moisture level cannot be maintained in copra if stored under the conditions of high relative humidity and wide fluctuating temperature.
• The wet copra should not be mixed with dry copra and storage structure should be such that there is minimum fluctuation in temperature compared to ambient to avoid moisture migration effects in the structure.
• Painting of upper surface of roof with mat white reflective paint reduces temperature fluctuations within 10 degree C, thus preventing serious condensation effect. The walls also should be shaded from direct sunlight and should be provided with sufficient number of adjustable ventilators.
• The floor of the structure should be water proof, smooth and easy for cleaning. The cracks and crevices in the structure must be regularly cleaned out and filled in with mortar so as to eliminate residual population of insects.
• If the commodity is bagged, it should never be stored directly against the wall and should be provided with proper dunnage. Wooden bins for storage of bulk copra may be avoided. Copra can be safely stored in plastic lined gunny bags even during season.

Extraction of Oil from Copra

• In the rural areas and villages, copra is crushed in the primtive 'chakku' driven by bullocks. The power driven chakkus or rotaries are used in large establishments and are driven by steam, diesel or electricity. In the organised sector, copra is crushed by expellers.
• A double crushing unit gives better extraction; hence, series of expellers are preferred. The clean copra is passed to disintegrator where it is converted into a coarse meal. The meal is heated in the cooker by stem upto 88 degree C. The pulped copra is fed continuously to the expeller from which the oil and the cake are forced from different streams.
• The first expeller gives 50% extraction and the second extracts the remaining leaving about 10% oil in the cake compared to 70% in copra. The oil can further be extracted from cake with hydraulic pressing but these presses have gone out of business due to higher cost of maintenance. For removing this oil the solvent extraction method with hexane is followed or the cake as such is used as cattle feed.

Coconut cake

• The cake or poonac left after the extraction of oil from copra, forms about 32 to 40% of the copra crushed. It is mainly used as a ruminant feed

Uses of coconut cake

• It is a valuable cattle feed. The high percentage of oil renders the chekku cake unsuitable for feeding in large quantities.
• Coconut cake is also useful for feeding poultry. The combination of 20% fishmeal and 5% cake is best with the greatest growth rate and lowest mortality.
• It is moderately rich in protein, very rich in fat, very poor in calcium and is on par with other common cakes in the mineral content. Coconut cake is sometimes used as a manure for field crops. But the cake has a high carbon nitrogen ratio hence it is not suitable for manuring seasonal crops.

Top

Desiccated coconut

• It is the dried-out disintegrated coconut meat.

Removal of the kernel and paring

• Desiccated coconut is made out of fully matured nuts, which have been stored for about a month before dehusking. The dehusked nuts are carefully chipped by a special type of small axe and the shells removed.
• The whole kernel, when removed from the shell, will be covered with a surface layer of brown testa, which is removed by a special type of paring knife. The brown testa is pared off in a thick rind from the surface.
• The parings which amount to 12 to 15% of the kernel are usually sun-dried, but sometimes oven dried and pressed for oil, the yield being 60 to 62%. Pairing oil is of inferior quality and finds use in soap manufacture.

Washing

• The pared kernels are placed in tanks and sliced into two to release the coconut water. The sliced kernel pieces are then passed into other tanks through a two stage washing. The kernels should be kept immersed in water in order to prevent discolouration but not long enough to develop surface sliminess.
• The rate of flow of water into the tanks is regulated to the input rate at which the parked kernels are let in. the coconut water is led into settling tanks and the surface scums, when formed, are removed and boiled to get an oil of inferior quality.
• The resulting press cake has a high fertilizer value. This oil is not derived from the coconut water but from the oil, which has been away from the pared surface of the kernels.

Sterilising

• The kernel pieces after thorough washing are sterilised by passing through large tanks containing boiling water. The oil layer that may form on the surface of the boiling water is removed at frequent intervals.

Disintegrating and desiccating

• After sterilisation the kernel pieces are transferred from wire baskets straight to the disintegrator, which shreds the kernel pieces into a fine wet meal.
• The product that comes out of the disintegrator will have about double the weight of the final product. This is to be subsequently desiccated or dried to final moisture content of 2 to 2.5%. For drying, the wet meal is spread on trays of fine metal mesh supported by a wooden frame.
• The trays are then mounted in tiers in a hot air drier and the product dried at about 77 to 82 degree C. within this temperature range, the drying time is usually 40 to 45 minutes. During this process the trays are moved twice and the content raked over in order to ensure uniform drying and to break up any lumps that might have formed.

Cooling and sifting

• The dried product is allowed to cool on galvanised tables, sifted into coarse, medium and fine grades. For export, each grade is packed in plywood cases containing 50 kg.
• The product is available in other forms also such as extra fine shreds and threads and hips.
• In fully mechanised plants, the cooling system is integrated into the drying system

Yield of desiccated coconut

• The yield differs from state to state and the range is from 8000 to 9000 nuts to produce 1 tonne of desiccated coconut.

Coir or coconut fibre

• It is an important commercial product obtained from the husk. The husk usually forms 35 to 45% of the weight of the whole nut, when ripe.
• The percentage decreases with the ripening of the nut. For 9 to 10 months old nuts, the percentage is very high, being about 70 for 11 month old 50 to 55% and for 12 months old around 35 to 45 %. When the nuts mature, the quantity of the fiber in the husk does not decrease but it is the moisture in the fibrous mass of the husk which disappears.
• Broadly, there are two major types of coir fiber. They are white fiber also called yarn or mat fiber and brown fiber. The white fiber is the longest and finest and is suitable for spinning into coir yarn for making ropes and mats.
• The brown fiber is further divided into two varieties bristle and curled or matress. The bristle fiber is a thick and long variety and is used for brush making. The mattress fiber, which is a shorter staple fiber, finds use in the upholstery, mattressess, etc., for stuffing purpose. The white fiber is extracted from green husks by the bacteriological process of retting, while the brown fiber is extracted from ripe dry husks by the mechanical defibering process.
• Husks from fully ripe nuts are not suitable for the manufacture of white fiber because the fiber extracted is of dull colour and least attractive. Husks from 10 to 11 months old nuts have been found to give superior quality fiber, possessing a golden yellow colour.
• The output and quality of copra processed from 10-month old nuts being inferior, 11-month old nuts are harvested which would serve both the purposes of copra production and white fiber manufacture.

Extraction of Fibre

Natural retting

• Retting involves soaking the husks in water preferably saline water, for a certain period until the fiber become loose and soft. The soaking is done either in the pits dug near lagoons or by the sides of backwaters where water flows in and out, with the rise and fall of the tide, or in coir nets immersed in the water. After the husks are filled in the soaking pits, nets or enclosures, they are covered with coconut leaves and mud and weighted down to prevent flotation when immersed in water.
• During the retting process, the husk becomes soft and a number of substances like carbohydrates, glucosides, tannins and nitrogen compounds are brought in solution. The average retting period is about eight to ten months in saline water and four to six months in fresh water.
• Though for retting only a short period is necessary in fresh water, saline water is considered to be the best for natural retting. The salts in the saline water prevent over-fermentation without discolouring the fiber. Soaking crushed husks reduces the retting period.

Mechanical and chemical methods of retting

• Either dry or green husks are soaked in cement tanks for a period varying from a few hours to three weeks and the fiber extracted manually or mechanically.
• Various chemical methods have also been developed for the retting of husk. The advantages claimed are of a higher yield of uniform quality fiber and a considerable saving of time, the green or dry husks are partially crushed and treated under steam pressure of 5.6 to 7.0 kg./cm2 with sodium sulphate or sodium carbonate containing a trace of aluminium sulphate for one to two hours. During this process, the pith is loosened from the fibre and removed by washing.
• The husks are first split into pieces. The pieces are then boiled with a weak solution of caustic soda and squeezed. The compressed fibres are reopened, softened and cleaned. It is claimed that good quality fiber could be produced using this technique in less than two hours.

Extraction of white fiber

• After natural retting, the husks are taken out of water and washed to get rid of the mud and dirt. The outer skin is then peeled off and the husks placed on wooden blocks and beaten with a wooden mallet for separating the fiber from the pith. After the fiber is separated from the pith, it is cleaned and then spread in shade for drying.
• For making superior type of fiber, especially for spinning, the fiber so obtained is combed in a specially designed combining or willowing machine. The fiber from the retted husks is also extracted mechanically. The beaten husks are torn or rolling cylinders with nails on the cylinder casting.
• The raw coir fiber, thus obtained is further cleared by means of blowing fans. The machine helps to soften and remove the last traces of pith on the fiber and the processed fibers are clean and more or less parallel. The fibers are then rolled into slivers which are used for spinning.

Extraction of brown fiber

• The partially retted husks are removed from retting tanks and fed into revolving drums provided with upright spike of high carbon steel which tear out the outer skin and some of the pith, leaving the long coarse fibers.
• The accumulated mixed fibers that get piled up by the side of the machine are further processed in the willowing machine and separated into different grades.
• The mixture of fiber and pith that get collected at the bottom of the drums are fed on to a sifter for separation of the fiber from the pith and dust.
• The fibers obtained are short and thin, and are known as mattress fibers or curled fiber. The long stiff fibers that are obtained after the second combing are washed in warm water, dried and treated further on specially constructed combs for the final removal of the short fibers which are termed as 'O mat' fiber.
• The long fibers obtained after final combing are known as bristle fiber. In another method, the fiber is extracted from unretted husks using the husk-bursting machine. Only mattress fiber could be produced in this method, but the fiber obtained is considered eminently suitable in the manufacture of rubberised coir.

Yield of fiber from husk

• The average yield of white fiber from 1000 full husks is estimated at 81 kg with a range of variation from 80 to 100 kg. 1000 full husks yield an average of about 50 kg of bristle fiber and 100 kg of mattress fiber.

Utilization of coir fiber and yarn

• Coir fiber of superior quality is mainly used for spinning yarn. Fiber of inferior quality and the matters fiber obtained by partial retting of husks and the subsequent mechanical decortication are used for stuffing mattresses, cushions, upholstery etc.The mattress fiber is also used in the production of rubberised coir products and it is considered to be the best fiber for curling prior to the impregnation with rubber latex. The bristle fiber goes in the manufacture of brushes and brooms.
• The coir yarn finds use in various fields such as building roofs of thatched houses, construction of fences round homesteads, fishing nets, tying bundles and packages, agricultural purposes, etc. For commercial purposes the yarn is used in the making of ropes, mats, mattings, nets, bags, etc. The ability of coir yarn and ropes to withstand the prolonged action of sea water makes them especially suitable for use on boats and ships.
• Coir fiber has also been used successfully in the manufacture of shockproof packing material and hardboards suitable for table tops, doors, panels and battery containers. Hardboards have been prepared by processing immature coconuts. The boards obtained possess an attractive glaze, high tensile strength and high density and are suitable for internal paneling of railway coaches and ceilings.

Coir pith or coir dust

• The coir pith or dust which is now a waste product in the coir industry, constitutes as much as 70% of the husk. One of the suggested uses of coir dust is as a manure or soil conditioner. But the actual manurial value of the dust is very low.
• The coir is dust is an excellent surface much in all kinds of soil. It absorbs over eight times its weight of water and parts with it comparatively slowly.
• The coir dust is processed into charcoal briquette with a simultaneous production of tar and liquor condensates and a gas rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The gas can serves as a domestic fuel for it burns without any soot. The tar and liquor can find use as wood preservatives and as possible sources of some useful chemicals.
• The charcoal is converted into briquette, which has a heating value of 10,260 BTU/lb. The coir dust charcoal, being mostly carbon, can be of use in the manufacture of many chemicals such as calcium carbide, carbon disulphide, silicon carbide etc.,The briquette can be of use in pig iron manufacture, tobacco flue curing and as gas absorbent carbon.
• The pith in combination with cement has been found to be an excellent thermal insulating material. Coir dust has been tried in the preparation of building slabs or hardboards.

Top

Coconut milk and related products

• Coconut milk is an emulsion of coconut oil in water into which some of the soluble components of the meat have already passed. It a milk-like liquid obtained from the gratings of the meat after they are mixed with some water, kneaded and pressed out. It approximates in nutritive properties the composition of rich, natural cream. Pleasant and sweet, it is endowed with an agreeable flavour.
• Coconut milk diluted with water is used as an adulterant for cow's milk in certain places.
• Coconut mil is also used for various commercial purposes. Round, mature coconuts are selected and de-shelled. The meat is disintegrated, mixed with one and half times to twice its weight of water and passed through a screw press or expeller to extract the milk. The extracted milk is centrifuged to separate the cream from the watery and solid portions of the extract.
• The cream is then mixed with one and a half times to twice its weight of water an pasteurised for about 15 to 30 minutes. The pasteurised cream is thoroughly mixed with a dairy stabilizer and then homogenised. The homogenised mixture is then heated almost to boiling point and filled in cans or bottles.
• Another product of commercial utility is the bottled coconut milk to be used as a substitute for cow's milk. After meat is scooped out of the shell, it is pared to remove the adhering brown testa and then comminuted in a disintegrator. The product after disintegration is put to a hydraulic press under a pressure of 1500 kg after the addition of some coconut water or passed into a roller mill to extract the milk. The milk is further diluted with coconut water, then pasteurised at 65.5 degree C, passed through a milk cooler and bottled.
• A commercial product known as coconut syrup has been developed from coconut milk. First coconut milk is extracted from the freshly grated pared coconut meat. The milk extract is then homogenised. To this an equal quantity of sugar and 0.05 percent citric acid are added and then steam cooked to a total soluble solids content of 65 to 68%. The boiling hot syrup is poured into lacquered tin cans, sealed completely and allowed to cool under running water.
• Coconut syrup can find various uses in the confectionery. It gives a delicious instant drink, which is milk-white in colour when mixed with water and is also an excellent bread-spread.
• Another useful product prepared from the coconut milk is coconut honey. The milk is extracted from the gratings of unpared meat after adding an equal quantity of water. To this extracted milk, 60% by weight of brown sugar and 30% by weight of glucose are added and then boiled in steam-heated containers until a thick consistency is reached.
• The product is then hot filled in lacquered tin containers or bottles and sealed. The coconut honey is a golden coloured thick paste with a nut flavour. It can be used as a substitute for real honey for making various confectionery items, as a bread-spread and as an excellent base for soft drinks.

Top

Coconut protein and edible oil

• When coconuts are processed into copra and oil in traditional way, the major portion of protein goes into the cake. The cake, however, is not suitable as a protein supplement because in the process of oil extraction the original protein gets discoloured and denatured due to the generation of a very high temperature. In view of this disadvantage and also of the high fiber content of the cake, it is generally used in ruminant feeding.
• Extraction of edible quality protein, oil and flour from the fresh kernel has been technically feasible. Though several processes could successfully isolate coconut protein and extract good quality oil directly from the wet kernel without passing through the copra stage, none has proved economically viable.

C.F.T.R.I. process

• In this process, the husked nuts are first steamed in an autoclave at a pressure of 3 kg/cm2 for 10 minutes. The nuts are then cut, kernel scooped out and passed into a cutter and further comminuted by passing through a roller mill. The kernel mass is then fed into a screw press to extract the milk. The milk is subjected to centrifugation for separating the oil and water phases. The oil phase is heated to 92 degree C, centrifuged and filtered to get good quality oil. The water phase is heated to 98 degree C in a flow heater to coagulate the protein, which is separated by centrifugation and dried. The leftover whey is then concentrated under vacuum to a syrupy product called coconut honey. The fluffy mass obtained after the extraction of milk is dried in a drier and powdered to get an edible quality coconut meal.
• The water phase concentrate or the coconut honey can be utilised for the preparation of infant food, protein food, and cereal flakes.

Coconut oil

• Coconut oil is premium priced on account of its wide use for both edible and non-edible purposes. The characteristic flavour and light colour of coconut oil make it a favorable salad oil, as also used for frying purposes. The refined and deodorised oil finds a place in hair oils, shampoos and liquid soaps.
• The hydrogenated coconut oil is preferred as coating for cookies, candies and as confectionery butter due to its resistance to the development of rancidity. Coconut oil has maximum glycerin content compared to other vegetable oils and as such one can recover maximum glycerin by high-pressure splitting of coconut oil or by converting the oil into methyl esters, which can be fractionated at lower temperature and transported easily compared to fatty acids which are corrosive.
• The short chain fatty acids can be converted into value-added products like artificial fruit flavours perfumes, chemical intermediates and plasticizers. The major component of coconut oil is the lauric acid, which can be hydrogenated under high pressure using suitable catalyst to obtain lauryl alcohol, which is the basic raw material for synthetic detergents and cosmetics.
• Coconut oil being a rich source of myristic acid, one can esterify this into iso-propyl myristate, a good binder and emollient for cosmetics.
• The major industrial application of coconut oil is in soaps due to its high foaming power. The high cost of coconut oil has compelled the soap manufactures to reduce its percentage to minimum to reduce its percentage to minimum and have even switched over to substitutes like alpha olefin sulphonate which is cheaper due to its manufacture from petroleum sources. The synthetic surfactant foams in hard water with lime-soap dispersing action, which is lacking with coconut oil soap.

Top

Toddy and toddy products

• A sugar containing juice, known as toddy, is obtained by taping the unopened spadix of the coconut palm.

Tapping

• The spadix is considered ready for tapping when the previous one is burst or just about to do so. The female flowers within the unopened spathe cause a swelling at the base and its appearance is an indication of the appropriate stage for tapping. In the process of the tapping, the spathe is trained for a period of about three weeks.
• The training involves uniform beating all over the surface of the spathe with a tapping rod every day in order to rupture the cells and to induce the flow of the sap. During the process, the spathe gradually bends and it is prevented from opening by tightly binding it with fiber.
• When the spadix is ready to yield the sap, about 4 or 5 cm is cut from the tip of the spathe and an earthen receptacle placed for the collection of sap, The interval between the beginning of tapping process and the commencement of sap flow is about 15 days extending to 21 days in summer months.
• The yield of the sap gradually increases and when it reaches the maximum, the collection is made twice a day. The shaving of a thin slice from the tip of the spathe and uniform beating all over is continued for maintaining the continuity of the sap flow.
• The flow of the sap from one inflorescence continues for about one month or even more and during this period the second spadix is also brought into production. The tapping is usually continued for a period of six months and there may be three spathes on the same tree being tapped at the same time.

The yield of toddy

• The yield of toddy is highly variable. It varies considerably from day to day, season to season, spadix to spadix and tree to tree. On an average, the toddy yield/palm/day is about 1.5 litres.

Tapping and subsequently yield of nuts

• Tapping has been found to improve the yield of medium and poor bearing palms after it is discontinued, with the beneficial effects lasting for about four years. Studies on tapping have indicated those tapping increases the yield, but only of poor bearers.
• The fresh toddy is an excellent beverage and a rich source of sugar. It is also a good source of baker's yeast. The fresh toddy, unless collected under sterile conditions, rapidly ferments and the sugar is replaced by about 5 to 8% alcohol which on distillation yields a strong liquor known as arrack. If the fermented toddy is further kept, it undergoes a process of acetic fermentation yielding the coconut vinegar containing about 4 to 7% acetic acid.

Jaggery

• By preventing fermentation either at the time of collection or immediately after the fresh toddy is obtained, sugar or jaggery is prepared by evaporating the liquid through careful boiling in open vessels. At the time of collection, fermentation can be prevented by applying a coating of lime at the cut-end of the spathe through which the sap flows out. A thin layer of lime is also smeared on the inside surface of the collection pots.

Refined sugar

• The sugar content in sweet toddy tallies with that of cane sugar juice and beet sugar juice.

Treacle

• This is the concentrated syrup of sweet toddy obtained by boiling down the toddy. While boiling, superheating is avoided and the syrup is progressively strained. The final product is golden coloured syrup and the recovery is about 16% of the toddy used.

Fermented toddy

• Sweet toddy under normal conditions of collection undergoes fermentation and gives rise to the common alcoholic drink 'fermented toddy'.

Arrack

• Arrack is the product obtained by the distillation of fermented toddy. The range of recovery is from 17.5 to 25% of the original toddy.
• The fermented toddy begins to boil between 93 and 96 degree C. A pleasant distillate is obtained up to a temeprature of 98 degree C and after that the distillate gradually loses the pleasant characteristics of the earlier fractions but still remains rich in alcohol.
• The distillation is stopped when the hydrometer reading of the distillate records 3%. At this point, the boiling point would be in the region of 99 degree C and the recovery about 25%.
• The strength of distillate is then reduced to 35% alcohol by the addition of water and distilled again. The middle running obtained from the second distillation will, after maturation, constitute the double distilled arrack or the coconut feni.
• The first fraction or the foreshoots and the last fraction or the trailings are collected separately and later mixed together and added to the subsequent batches of stock for distillation.

Top

Minor products of food value

• When the nuts are stored for a long period, the spongy ball like haustorium develops inside the nut. This is utilised for the preparation of various products like jam, marmalade, etc.,. It is sometimes sliced and preserved in sugar syrup for use as a desert or as a constituent of fruit salad.
• The terminal bud or cabbage is a delicacy. It is used raw or in salads and is sometimes pickled. It can also be canned or bottled as a preserve. Since removal of the cabbage kills the palm, the only opportunity for getting this product is when senile palms are cut.

Toasted coconut

• It is mainly a desiccated coconut which is mixed in sucrose, dextrose and salt, then toasted in a continuous conveyor oven to a moisture content of 0.5%. It is used as a topping and a nutment in boughs. The ball copra can also be processed after cutting into chips and can be consumed as snack.

Sweetened coconut

• It is prepared by mixing desiccated coconut, powdered sucrose, salt, a trace of calcium phosphate and water in a tumbling type mixer. Sweetened coconut is usually used in the confectionery and baking industries.

Coconut flour

• Partially defatted edible coconut gratings is an excellent product which can find use in bakery and confectionery preparation and also in nutrition feeding programs in schools.
• The wet kernel is first separated from the shell by crushing the coconut cups in a hand-operated gadget.
• The residual shell pieces are removed by hand, kernel pieces washed free of dirt, passed through a pin type disintegrator and gratings sieved.
• The gratings are then dried in less than 30 minutes to less than 3% moisture. The dried gratings are subjected to hydraulic pressing for partial extraction of oil in 10kg batches.

Coconut water

• The liquid endosperm of tender coconut (7-8 months) makes a refreshing and agreeable drink.

Food uses of coconut water

• The variety of products from the coconut water are prepared and one of the products called, 'Nata De Coco', is a delicious food article. In India the product has been introduced into the local market under the name 'Coconut Salad' and consumer acceptability for the product appears to be bright.
• The product is prepared from coconut water by mixing sugar, acetic acid and a culture liquor made from pineapple at a stipulated proportion and by allowing the mixture to remain undisturbed for about 15 to 20 days.
• After this period, the white jelly-like thick surface growth which is produced by the action of the organism Acetobacter xylinium is harvested, sliced, acid washed out, boiled in sugar syrup and preserved in either tin containers or bottles. This delicious product is an excellent dessert and, when mixed with other sweet preparations such as fruit salad, it enhances the flavour and taste of the recipe.
• Coconut water is an excellent medium for the production of protein foods.

Coconut Cream

• Coconut cream is the processed milk extracted from fresh mature kernels. Kernel is separated washed, blanched in hot water at 80 degree C for 10 min. and milk is extracted by pressing the grated kernels.
• Food additives such as emulsifiers and stabilizers are added to milk to obtain stable consistency and texture. The coconut cream is then pasteurized at 95 degree C for 10 min. and canned hot.

Specifications

• Appearance White smooth creamy consistency.

FlavourCoconut

• Fat23%
• Protein4%
• Sugars5%
• Others1%
• Water67%


• This is an instant product used either directly or diluted to make preparations like curry, sweets, desserts, puddings, bakery products and flavouring food stuffs. Packed cream can be stored for six months and once opened should be stored in refrigerators for subsequent use.

Coconut vinegar

• The toddy is allowed to ferment in acetifying vats of 200 to 300 gallon capacity. the vats are lightly covered to permit free access of air. During acetification, a thick scum may form on the surface of the toddy, but after about 10 to 14 weeks, the usual time required for acetification, the surface growth sinks to the bottom and clear liquid remains.
• This liquid or vinegar is then matured by aging in closed casks. The period of aging varies, sometimes extending to 6 months, the flavour improving with time.
• At the acetifying stage, the product is sometimes flavored by adding pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Before bottling, the vinegar is usually coloured with burnt sugar or caramel.

Top

Coconut Shell and Miscellaneous Products

• The endocarp of the coconut commonly known as coconut shell, is another important product. In the producing countries the shell is used mainly for fuel and to a lesser extent for the manufacture of hookah shells, various domestic utensils, curios, fancy items, souvenirs, etc., and for the collection of rubber latex in estates. The commercial utilization of coconut shell for the production of shell charcoal, activated carbon, shell flour, etc., is now gaining importance in the producing areas with an expanding market demand.

coconut shell charcoal

• The shell charcoal is manufactured by burning shells of fully matured nuts in a limited supply of air sufficient only for carbonisation, but not for complete destruction. The output of charcoal in the ordinary processes is just under 30% of the weight of the original shells.

Uses

• The charcoal has a high adsorption capacity for gases and colouring matter and can, therefore, be used as a refining agent both as a deodoriser and as a decolouriser. The shell charcoal also finds way to laundries, smitheries, etc., Well powdered shell charcoal finds limited use as a dentifrice. The charcoal is used by goldsmith in melting gold and silver and for other metal works. The commercial value of shell charcoal lies in its use as the primary raw material for the production of activated carbon.

Distillation of coconut shells

• In the ordinary methods of charcoal making, about 70% of the weight of shells is lost in the smoke. If the burning is done in retorts heated from outside and the vapours given off condensed apart from the recovery of good quality charcoal various chemical products of immense industrial value are also obtained. In this process, popularly known as destructive distillation of shells, the products include shell charcoal which remains in the carbonising retort or apparatus, pyroligenous liquor and settled tar that distil over and uncondesable gases.

Activated carbon

• Activated carbons are extensively used as agents for purifying refining and bleaching of volatile oils and chemical solutions. They are also in demand as an adsorbent of gases. The common raw materials used for the manufacture of activated carbons are carbonaceous substances such as coal, lignite, wood and charcoal. Superfine coconut charcoal is one of the useful raw materials for activation.
• The process consists of the treatment of crushed coconut shells with surface active chemicals followed by drying and subjecting the material to carbonisation. The carbonised materials is activated with steam at about 900 degree C followed by air to facilitate oxidation. The activated material is subjected to steam quenching to reduce the bed temeprature and is then discharged in a receptacle. The material is subsequently subjected to acid treatment to adjust the pH value. The acid treated activated material is then washed with water, dried and stored.
• Activated carbon from coconut shell charcoal is considered to be superior to other amorphous carbon. It is specifically superior to other amorphous carbon. It is specifically superior for gas adsorption due to its small macropore structure. It has also more resistance to abrasion, higher capability for adsorption and higher purity in ash.

Coconut shell flour

• Coconut shell flour is extensively used as a compound filler for synthetic resin glues and as a filler and extender for phenolic moulding powders. This is also used successfully with specialised surface finishes, liquid products (as an absorbent), mastic adhesives, resin casting, mild abrasive products, hand cleaners and bituminous products. Coconut shell flour is reckoned to give a smooth and lustrous finish to moulded articles and also improves their resistance to moisture and heat.
• In the process of shell flour manufacture, the shells of fully matured nuts are first cleared of the adhering pithy matter and broken down into pieces of about 2.5 cm square. These pieces are subjected to repeated grinding in grinding mills and the ground mass, after passing through cyclones and vibratory sieves fitted with phospho-bronze mesh, are finally drawn out in different sizes.

Miscellaneous products

• The stem of the palm is a popular timber for cheap constructions, the durability of which increases if immersed in saline water before use. It is also found useful in the manufacture of particleboards. Manufacture of pulp and paper coconut stem is also a possibility.
• The coconut leaf is another product of importance for domestic use. The plaited leaves are used for thatching houses, fencing, and for making baskets. Unplaited coconut leaves are also used for fencing, mulching and for shading nursery. The midribs of the leaves are used for making stiff brooms, bird cages and lobster and fishing traps. Coconut leaves also yield a useful fiber. These threads are excellent for making hats, bonnets, mats, bags and slippers.
• The petioles bunch stalks, spathes, stipules, etc., are used as fuel. Medicinal values have been ascribed to the roots of the palm. The decoction of the roots is astringent and used as mouthwash and gargle. The roots are also roasted, ground and used as dentifrice. In effect, there is no part which is not useful to mankind, and so much so that the palm has been aptly described as the Kalpavriksha, the tree of heaven, on earth.

Top

Harvesting and Yield

• Coconut palms start yielding from 7-8 years after planting. Dwarf varieties and hybrids start bearing in about 4-5 years. Coconuts may be harvested throughout the year as and when they mature.

Harvesting methods

• Climbing
• Power tiller operated ladder
• Climbing cycle / equipment
• Trained monkeys

Yield

• Average yield : 80 -100 nuts/palm/year depending on the variety.
• Dwarf varieties-70 -80
• Tall varieties -80 -100
• Hybrids -100 -130

Top