Optimization study of palm jaggery and palm candy - production and process

Abstract

An effort was made to study and optimize the processes involved in producing palmyrah palm jaggery and candy by tapping into the inflorescence of the palm tree using lime-laced collection pots and neera (containing palm sap, cane sugar, and water), respectively. In the case of palm candy, lime was added during the boiling process. The process parameters, namely, lime concentration, temperature, and heating time, were investigated based on the samples' sensory qualities (9-point hedonic scale). The optimized solid palm jaggery required 2% lime, a processing temperature of 120 °C, and a processing time of 170 min. Similarly, upon carrying out identical analysis for palm candy, it was determined that the best combination suited for its preparation was using 0.4% lime, a processing temperature of 110 °C, and 150 min. The relationship between the three variables and the final product's sensory appeal was also investigated.The change in the mineral and total phenolic content of the samples with changes in the lime concentration, temperature, and heating time was also analyzed. The mineral and total phenolic content decreased progressively with increasing temperature and heating time. The palm jaggery produced after optimization has an energy value of 351.68 Kcal/100 g of sample. It has calcium, potassium, and magnesium content of 978.1 mg, 0.994 mg, and 0.078 mg per 100 g sample. The palm jaggery and palm candy were found to comply with the FSSAI standards.