PRODUCTION OF NATURAL AND NUTRITIOUS SUGAR, HONEY, JUICE AND VINEGAR FROM COCONUT SAP

摘要

The coconut as a "TREE OF LIFE" is characteristically a food supplier as this tree provides fruit throughout the year. Its fruit is edible and is the main source of many food products (coco milk, oil, chip, copra, nata de coco, etc.). Its water is a healthy drink while its unopened inflorescence can produce coconut sap which can be processed into natural and nutritious food products. Coconut sap (toddy), the sweet exudate from the tapped unopened spathe or inflorescence of coconut, is one of the bestfood products to consider because of its many uses. It could be marketed as an alcoholic drink (4-6 % alcohol) locally known as 'tuba', as vinegar (under further natural fermentation) or as 'lambanog' or distilled wine (24-45% alcohol). The sap can also be processed into sap juice/drink, syrup or honey, crude sugar or granulated brown sugar (Secretaria et.al. 2003). Figure 1 shows the various coconut products from coconut sap.