Optimization of instant Pliek u (fermented coconut meat) production using Kinetic Dryer

Abstract

Pliek u is a traditional food of Aceh, Indonesia, obtained traditionally by coconut meat fermentation and added into food or cuisines to enhance the food taste and flavour. This product commonly contains high water and fat causing rancidity and declining of quality over storage time. Therefore, further processes were required to preserve quality and to extend shelf life of pliek u. Moreover, in order to provide ready-to-eat product, instantpliek u was produced. This research aimed to optimize the production of instant pleik u through drying process using kinetic dryer. Pliek u contained 18.8% of water, 32.34% of fat and 4.63% of ash. In this research, pliek u then was dried at 30, 40, 50 and 55 °C for 10 hours. The results showed that weight loss of pliek u increased over drying temperature and duration. In contrast, moisture content of pliek u decreased over drying temperature and duration. Moisture content of pliek u reached below 12% after kinetic drying at 30 °C for 5 hours, similarly after drying at 40 °C for 4 hours, 50 and 55 °C for 3 hours. In addition, drying rate of pliek u firstly rose over drying time and then remained constant.

The influence of coconut endosperm composition based on the maturity levels against the quality of pliek-u

“…After fermentation, drying, and pressing step, the fat content of pliek-u was about 4.94% [21]. However the fat content of pliek-u was also reported about 32.34% [14]. It can be learnt from this study that the maturity levels of coconut endosperm would influence the fat content of pliek-u.…”

“…This lower moisture could be achieved as the use of solar tunnel dryer type Hohenheim Aceh. While, high moisture above 14% should be obtained in conventional sun-drying method, for example 18.8% [14]. Lower moisture content of pliek-u could be achieved by prolonging the drying time more than 2 days when the weather was not good for drying.…”

“…There was also an effort to improve the quality of CCO by using active charcoal from coconut shell in filtering process [13]. A study had shown that pliek-u produced by processors in Tanoh Anoe Village, Jangka Sub District, Bireun District, Province of Aceh had contained 18.8% of water, 32.34% of fat and 4.63% of ash; after the optimization under the variation of drying temperature, the moisture of pliek-u reduce to 0.23% at temperature of 55°C for 7h [14]. The use of proper drying tool such as solar tunnel dryer type Hohenheim could dry pliek-u at moisture lower than 10% [1].…”

The quality of pliek-u processed by using adaptive technologies

“…The use of adaptive technologies in its processing are expected to faster the processing, to reduce the work fatigue, and to maintain its quality. The use of kinetic dryer had optimized the quality of pliek-u [12], and the use of solar tunnel dryer type Hohenheim Aceh can faster the drying process of pliek-u at small scale entrepreneurs (SMEs) [3]. The shelf life of pliek-u dried by using solar tunnel dryer type Hohenheim Aceh was up to 2 years [13].…”

Sensory Evaluation of Pliek-U Quality Using Fuzzy-Topsis Method

“…The next stage includes drying and pressing with hydraulic pressure (Agustina and Munawar, 2019). Pliek-U produced by conventional fermentation processes has a slightly acidic taste, smells rancid, is moldy, and of dark color (Rohaya et al, 2019). The improvement of Pliek-U fermentation method by several alternative fermentation techniques is expected to increase the quality and quantity of Pliek-U (Mustaqimah et al, 2019).…”