HANDLING OF COCONUT WATER AND CLARIFICATION OF COCO-VINEGAR FOR SMALL-SCALE PRODUCTION

Abstract

The study aimed to develop an appropriate small-scale technique of producing sparkling clear vinegar from coconut water. Results indicate that (1) at least 8% w/v alcohol solution is required to produce the standard vinegar with 4% w/v acetic acid by the traditional method, and (2) the alcohol solution can be stored for 6 weeks prior to acetification without affecting the product quality.
In the clarification process, well-beaten egg albumin (preferably 7-9 g egg white/liter vinegar or two egg whites per 10 liters vinegar) was added to raw vinegar. The solution was then stirred and heated to coagulate the albumin. It was allowed to stand for a day, decanted and filtered. The clarified vinegar was aged for 3-4 weeks for further sedimentation before bottling and pasteurization. The samples remained stable even after one year of storage and were accepted in various food preparations.