Studies on Development of Coconut Chips

Abstract

A study on development and packaging of coconut chips was conducted in Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology for developing value added product of coconut for prolonging their shelf life and increasing its market value. The study consisted of development of coconut chips from the coconut kernel, standardization of the hypertonic solution for osmotic dehydration, studying the effect of time and concentration of the solution on osmotic dehydration, the drying characteristics of osmotically dehydrated products and the quality analysis and packaging of the coconut chips were done. The coconut chips can be made by osmotically dehydrating the kernel slices of 1mm thickness in a media of 53o Brix for 1 hour and then drying it for six hours in a tray dryer at a temperature of 60o Celsius. Jaggery, was selected as hypertonic solutions on the basis that, the jaggery syrup is much less harmful than the conventional osmotic media sugar syrups for consumption of diabetic patients The quality was quantified objectively and subjectively by sensory evaluation and textural analyser to analyse the colour and textural characteristics respectively of the coconut chips. The coconut chips were packed in aluminium coated plastic foils. The product obtained from jaggery was of superior quality and jaggery solution can be substituted for sugar as hypertonic solution.