Coconut trees are plants that are very abundant in almost all regions in Indonesia, not only growing on the coast, these plants grow until mountainous areas, starting from areas that have hot and cold weather, coconut trees have become an important part of life for the people in Indonesia.
Almost all parts of coconut plants can be used by the people, from fruit, stems, leaves, and parts of coconut shoots that are still soft and can be consumed.
Benefits of coconut palm
The part that is used every day by Indonesian people is coconut, the young coconut fruit has been used as a refreshing drink, young coconut water has many benefits that are very good for our health.
Old coconut fruit is used as a mixture of the menu by taking fruit and squeezing it for coconut milk. it can be process as coconut oil to.
Coconut milk then processed with various other food ingredients, in various regions, the menu of dishes that use coconut milk is very much, and the pleasure felt by the tongue can’t be deceived when eating it.
Some very popular foods made from coconut milk include
Rendang, Gudeg, Nasi Uduk, Soto, and many more.
Overview about Coconut Sugar
Besides the benefits of coconuts, there is one more popular benefit that we can get from coconut trees, namely sugar.
Yes, coconut can indeed produce sugar, since ancient times, before sugar cane existed, Indonesian people have used coconut sugar for consumption, because it has a distinctive shape and flavour, coconut sugar or often referred to here as Brown sugar
(Gula Merah), besides being used as a sweetener in various types of traditional drinks, such as
Wedang Jahe, Jamu, coconut sugar has long been used as a cooking spice because of it’s distinctive taste.
Health Benefit from Coconut Sugar
Benefits of coconut sugar that can be obtained by the body because coconut sugar contains, among others: iron, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and phosphorus.
The benefits of coconut sugar that can be obtained by the body because coconut sugar provides a small amount of phytonutrients, such as polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanin, and antioxidants. The substances of phytonutrients can make the body more powerful, fight cancer cells and increase immunity.
Coconut sugar has a relatively low
glycemic index, which is around 54. While the high glycemic index will be at number 70.
Besides having a low glycemic index value, coconut sugar also contains a number of nutrients that are not found in white sugar. Coconut sugar contains a number of vitamins and amino acids, so coconut sugar is more useful and safe if compared with white sugar.
Here are some of the benefits of coconut sugar or the benefits of Javanese sugar that are useful for your body, including:
1. Launch menstruation
2. Prevent anemia
3. Overcoming flu and coughing
4. Lose weight
5. Fight free radicals
6. Overcoming fatigue
7. Increase the amount of hemoglobin
8. Prevent nervous system disorders
9. Improve digestive function
10. Prevent respiratory problems
11. Become an energy source
There are at least 11 benefits of coconut sugar if we want to consume it, and of course the 11 benefits are already known through the research process.
After we know what benefits of coconut sugar for our health, let's look at how the process starts from how to make coconut sugar from the beginning until we can consume it.
The Process of making coconut sugar – Taking a Coconut Sap
The first stage of the construction begins with collecting sap from the coconut tree, at my place, the sap is called "
Nira".
The equipment needed to collect coconut sap includes a machete and a container, usually from bamboo that has been cut, or it can also use jerry cans that have been drilled rather large, according to the size of the coconut flower stems.
Then, Someone has to climb on a coconut tree to get coconut sap.
Coconut sap is obtained by cutting the stem of the coconut flower, and the cut flower stems should not have blossomed.
The process of taking coconut sap should not take long time, because, coconut sap is very fast fermented and cannot be made into coconut sugar.
This coconut sap extraction process is carried out by people who already have skill in that field, because not everyone can climb coconut trees and skills in cutting coconut flower stems is also needed.
This process also contains a high risk, because the average coconut tree that is taken from the sap is a coconut tree that is old and has a high stem.
The Process of making coconut sugar – Collecting Coconut Sap
After the process of taking coconut sap from the tree, then, next process is collecting sap.
The coconut trees that will be taken from the sap are usually more than one tree, around 10-15 coconuts tree will be taken together with the sap for one production of coconut sugar.
Nira or sap, has a sweet taste, and has good benefits if consumed in reasonable amounts. Has a white that is not thick, and tends to sticky. next article i will write about benefit of sap or Nira.
As I have discussed above, that coconut sap must be quickly processed because it quickly undergoes fermentation, if it has been fermented, the coconut sap cannot be used to make sugar.
In the process of collecting sap, people will climb the coconut tree again, then lower the bamboo container or jerry can, which already contains the sap in it.
The Process of making coconut sugar – Cooking Coconut Sap
The next process after the coconut sap is collected is by heating it to the sap, or more easily said that is cooked.
The coconut sap to be cooked should have good quality, in order to produce coconut sugar which has good quality too.
In my place, coconut sap usually be cooked using a stove which is made of soil, and using wood fuel, then the coconut sap will be filtered first so it does not mix with dirt, then coconut sap pour in a large pan and the cooking process begins.
The cooking process is done by stirring coconut sap regularly, to prevent it to burn, if it happens then the coconut sugar will taste bitter. Therefore the cooking process is done on low heat. When the cooking process will arise foam and dirt that passes during screening, and it must be discarded.
There is no standard time applied when cooking coconut sap, the benchmark is if the coconut sap has reduced 8-10% of the initial volume when cooked.
When coconut sap has reached 8-10% when heated, then the coconut sap will thicken, at this stage the coconut sap has changed shape to liquid sugar or thick syrup.
The next step is to lift a pan containing liquid sugar or thick syrup from the cooking stove.
In my place, coconut sugar will usually be printed into a round shape, for that mold is needed which usually using pieces of bamboo with a height of about 5-6 cm.
This molding process is done when liquid sugar is still hot, liquid sugar will be taken from the pan and put into pieces of bamboo that have been neatly arranged on the table.
Another form of coconut sugar is powder, the way is to pound the freshly cooked coconut sugar until it is in powder form, and then it will be sifted.
Conclusion
The process of making coconut sugar is still done in the traditional way, with a high risk when taking coconut sap, it does not make people afraid to make coconut sugar, because it has high economic value and has many benefits, both as drinks, spices and good for health.
This is the process of making coconut sugar from the beginning to the end, hopefully what I have written gives you a new knowledge, and is useful, to provide a visual picture for you, please see the video below, thank you.
