The effect of blanching and food additives on the shelf life of kopyor coconut flesh preserved in chiller

Abstract

Kopyor coconut is a unique coconut native to Indonesia characterized by crumbly flesh and a savory taste. Unlike common coconuts, kopyor coconut undergoes natural mutation, lacking the ability to produce the enzyme α-galactosidase, which results in its distinctive flesh compared to normal coconuts. In nature, kopyor coconuts are rarely found, making them expensive. Kopyor coconuts are distributed as whole fruits, peeled fruits, or repackaged flesh. Kopyor coconut has a shorter shelf life than normal coconut, therefore efforts to extend the shelf life of kopyor coconut flesh are necessary. This study investigated the efficacy of blanching and food additives (potassium sorbate and sugar) in extending the shelf life of kopyor coconut flesh stored under chiller conditions in aluminum pouches. The results showed that the appearance of all treatments remained acceptable until the 6th week. The TSC (Total solid content) results indicated that the blanching-sugar treatment had the lowest values among all treatments. The pH of each treatment did not differ significantly, except for the sugar without blanching treatment, where the pH tended to be lower than other treatments and the control. Based on TPC (Total plate count) result, blanching treatment effectively inhibited microbial growth in kopyor coconut flesh until the 6th week, especially in treatments without food additives. Organoleptic tests on appearance, aroma, taste, and texture showed the highest overall preference for the blanching-sugar treatment.