Abstract
This research aims to examine the effects of fermentation time on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of green coconut water kefir in order to determine the optimal fermentation time based on the resulting sensory attributes. There were four fermentation time treatments (12, 24, 36, and 48 hours), each with five replications. The materials used were green coconut water and 5% kefir grains. Physical analyses included pH and viscosity, while the chemical analyses included total dissolved solids (TDS), alcohol content, water content, protein content and fat content. Sensory attributes included sourness, soda sensation, sour aroma, viscosity and turbidity. The results showed that fermentation time had significant effects on pH, TDS, alcohol content, water content, protein content and the sensory attributes of green coconut water kefir. Viscosity and fat content were not affected by fermentation time. The ideal fermentation time was 12 hours resulting in a pH level of 4.6, viscosity of 0.09, TDS of 3.8° Brix, alcohol content of 1.16%, water content of 97.14 %, protein content of 6.64 % and fat content of 1.17%. Sensory evaluation found a low level of sourness, low soda sensation, high sour aroma, high viscosity and low turbidity.
Highlights
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is one of the palm tree species which is widely cultivated in tropical regions, especially in areas near beaches (Chidambaram, Singaraja, Prasanna, Ganesan & Sundararajan, 2013)
The decrease in pH that occurred in kefir green coconut water after 24 hours of fermentation was due to the growth of bacteria that will convert sugar into lactic acid and acetic acid, thereby decreasing the pH of the product
This was consistent with the findings of Delgado-Fernandez, Corzo, Olano, Hernandez-Hernandez and Javier Moreno (2019) which stated that the longer the fermentation time, the more active the bacteria and the greater the accumulation of organic acids resulting in increased sourness
Summary
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is one of the palm tree species which is widely cultivated in tropical regions, especially in areas near beaches (Chidambaram, Singaraja, Prasanna, Ganesan & Sundararajan, 2013). There are many varieties of coconut such as green dwarf, yellow dwarf and red dwarf. Indonesia is the largest producer of green coconut in the world, with the highest diversity (Kailaku, Syah, Risfaheri, Setiawan & Sulaeman, 2015; Pandin, 2015). The green coconut water market has grown rapidly in the functional beverages category due to its hydration qualities (Marsh, Hill, Ross & Cotter, 2014). Green coconut water contains micronutrients such as inorganic ions and vitamins that are beneficial in promoting the human body’s antioxidant system (Evans & Halliwell, 2001; Yong et al, 2009), antimicrobial peptides (Mandal et al, 2009), catechins and epicatechins (Chang & Wu, 2011).
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