The effect of sodium metabisulfite concentration and drying time on the quality of coconut sugar

Abstract

A study on the effect of sodium metabisulfite and drying time on the quality of coconut sugar has been conducted. The objectives of this research were to determinate the effect of metabisulfite dan drying time to obtain optimum characteristic of coconut sugar. The research method includes the preparation of tapping coconut sap, processing crystal, and drying using modified oven method. The study used a randomized block design of two factors. The first factor is addition of sodium metabisulfite in several concentration (0,1%, 0,2%, 0,3%) and the second factor is drying time (air drying, 15 minutes, 30 minutes) in 3 repetitions. Parameteres being analyzed were moisture, ash content, reduced sugar content, and yield. Sensory analysis measured color, taste, aroma, texture. The best results are addition of sodium metabisulfite 0,2% and drying time in 15 minutes. The best treatment showed that the contains 2,41% moisture, 1, 77% total ash, 3,34% sugar reduction, yield 82%. Sensory analysis showed that had likely score for color, taste, and aroma. Keywords: coconut sugar, drying time, sodium metabisulfite.