CHARACTERISTICS OF SWEET DRY FRUIT TALOK (Muntingia calabura) WITH BLANCHING VARIATIONS AND TIME SOAKING IN CaCL2

Abstract

ABSTRACTOne type of plant that can be used as a medicinal plant is talok or kersen (Muntingia calabura). Talok fruit is round and red when ripe. Ripe fruit for jaundice, to treat gout. Talok fruit is easily damaged, so it is not durable to store. Storage in fresh form, fruit quickly decays. The nutritional content of talok (kersen) is quite large but has not been utilized properly. This study aims to determine the characteristics of dried candied talok (kersen) with a variety of blanching and soaking time in lime water, in order to obtain good quality sweets and preferred by consumers. Candied fruit is expected to be used as filler for bakery products or other food products. This research was conducted at the Laboratory of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, State Polytechnich of Jember. This study used a complete factorial randomized complete block design, with blanching variation factors (without blanching, water blanching, and steam blanching) and soaking time in betel lime water (1, 2, 3 and 4 hours). The analysis carried out included Water Content, Ash Content, Vitamin C, Total Sugar Levels, Antioxidant Levels, and Organoleptic Tests (color, sweet taste, talak fruit taste, overall preference). The results showed that dried candied talok fruit was favored by having a water content of 10.95%, ash content of 3.53%, vitamin C levels of 40.665 mg / 100 g, and anti-oxidant levels of 84.91%. The results were obtained from the long immersion treatment in betel lime water for 4 hours and with deep blanching treatment. In this treatment the panelists as a whole liked and still met the quality standards for dried sweetsKey words: dried candied kersen, blanching, time soaking