Limbangan District is one of 20 districts in Kendal Regency, Central Java Province, where this district consists of 16 villages/sub-districts, namely Kedungboto Village, Peron Village, Gondang Village, Pakis Village, Sumberrahayu Village, Tambahsari Village, Limbangan Village, Pgertoyo Village, Sriwulan Village, Tabet Village, Ngesrepbalong Village, Gonoharjo Village, Jawisari Village, Margosari Village, Tamanrejo Village, and Pagerwojo Village. Limbangan District is astronomically located between 7 ° 06’46 “LS – 7 ° 11’58” LS and 110 ° 13’11 “BT – 110 ° 20’33” BT (Akbar & Hayati, 2021). The area of Limbangan District reaches 71.71 km2 with a land height of ± 426 m above sea level. Most of the area is used as agricultural land, not rice fields, in the form of dry fields/plantations. Agriculture is a business sector for the majority of the population in Limbangan District. One of the processing industries that uses raw materials from the agricultural sector is the traditional palm sugar manufacturing industry.
What is palm sugar?
Palm sugar is a natural sweetener produced from the processing of sap from the bunches or stalks of male flowers of the sugar palm tree (Arenga pinnata Merr). This sap is a sweet liquid that contains natural sugar. The sweet taste of palm sap is influenced by several components such as sucrose, glucose, fructose and carbohydrates (Hutami et al., 2023). The sap tapping process is carried out twice a day, namely in the morning and evening with different amounts of sap income each day. Usually, the palm sap obtained in the morning is more than the results of tapping in the afternoon (Pramastiwi et al., 2022). The tools commonly used in tapping are machetes to cut the male flower bunches, and tubes or jerry cans to collect the sap from the tapped tree. Tapping and storage equipment must first be cleaned to prevent contamination that can cause the growth of destructive microorganisms (Hutami et al., 2023).
Palm sugar products have unique and distinctive characteristics compared to other products. Palm sugar has a sweeter taste, distinctive aroma and is reddish brown or yellow brown in color compared to similar sugars such as cane sugar, coconut sugar, or palm sugar. Its high mineral content, such as potassium and iron, makes it more nutritious than granulated sugar. Palm sugar is often used as a substitute for granulated sugar in various dishes and drinks. Its unique texture and caramel flavor give a richer taste to food. In addition, palm sugar is also used in making various processed products, such as syrup, dodol, and sweets.
How is palm sugar made?
The production process in the palm sugar industry takes a relatively long time. The process of making molded palm sugar in Limbangan District generally begins with tapping the sap. Tapping of sap is done twice a day, namely in the morning and evening. To prevent fermentation, craftsmen add laru to the sap tube or jerrycan. Natural laru is made from betel lime soaked in water mixed with mangosteen shells or skins and jackfruit chips (Alifah & Widodo, 2021). The sap harvested in the afternoon is heated first for approximately one hour so that it does not get damaged or turn sour. Furthermore, this sap is added to the sap harvested in the morning (the next day) and then cooked. The sap cooking process takes between five and six hours depending on the amount of sap cooked. The sap will be cooked using a frying pan and heated on a stove with firewood. However, before cooking, the foam must first be removed using a sieve because the foam can darken the color of the sugar and make the sugar dirty. During cooking, the sap must be stirred occasionally using a stirring rod. Cooking is done until the sap thickens. When the sap begins to thicken, stirring is done more often so that the sugar does not burn. When the sap thickens, craftsmen in the Limbangan area usually add cooking oil so that the foam does not overflow. When the sugar begins to thicken, the sugar is then shaped using a mold from a coconut shell. After the sugar solidifies, the sugar is packaged using clear plastic.
What problems often arise in palm sugar processing?
Microbial growth is one of the main challenges in the process of making palm sugar. Fresh sap has a sweet taste, a distinctive smell of fresh sap and acidity with a pH ranging from 5-6. Lack of handling at the sap tapping stage can cause fermentation. Fermentation of sugar in the sap into alcohol is caused by the growth of Saccharomyces cereviceae yeast which can come from the air, the tapping tube or from other contaminants that contaminate the palm sap during tapping.
Damage to the sap is characterized by a decrease in pH value caused by the breakdown of sugar into organic acids by microbes such as yeast (Saccharomyces sp.) and bacteria (Acetobacter sp.). The type of yeast species Saccharomyeces cereviceae is known as a microorganism that can ferment glucose into ethanol (Tanra et al., 2019). Meanwhile, bacteria from the genus Acetobacter can oxidize ethanol into acetic acid. The presence of these fermentation microbes can cause the taste of the palm sap to become sour so that it is not good for processing into palm sugar. In addition, the sugar content is reduced due to fermentation before the sugar is processed.
Palm sap is very easily damaged, one of the damages is the sucrose content in the sap is inverted into reducing sugar. The reducing sugar content in palm sugar is related to the quality of palm sugar, because high reducing sugar content in palm sugar indicates poor quality because it is less durable when stored. The color produced is influenced by the reducing sugar content produced, namely the higher the reducing sugar content, the more brownish the palm sugar produced. In contrast to the color produced by palm sugar with a low reducing sugar content, which has a more reddish brown color.
How to overcome the problem of microbial growth in palm sugar?
To overcome this problem, several efforts or strategies are needed from the initial stage to the end of the production process. To reduce initial contamination, palm sap is handled by providing a filtering treatment, which aims to separate dirt in the form of twigs, leaves, insects and others. The filtering carried out must not result in the loss of nutritional components contained, especially sugar, so it is necessary to pay attention to the size of the pores or holes of the filter used. In addition, microbial growth can also be inhibited by adding a solution to the tube that will be filled with sap. Natural solution is made from lime soaked in water mixed with mangosteen leaves and jackfruit chips. Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 added to the sap can be ionized into Ca++ and OH. The addition of Ca(OH)2 (lime) to the sap will cause an increase in the pH of the sap due to OH- ions so that the pH of the sap becomes alkaline (Nursafuan et al., 2016). Mangosteen leaves contain active substances in the form of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, saponins, and anthraquinones which can act as antimicrobials and antioxidants in counteracting free radicals (Fitriyani et al., 2014). These antimicrobial compounds play a role in damaging the permeable membranes of microorganism cells so that they can inhibit the growth of microorganisms or even cause microorganisms to die. The chemical content of jackfruit wood includes alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins which can preserve sap because they have antimicrobial properties (Tanra et al., 2019). These microbial properties can extend the shelf life of sap.
By adding a natural solution, it can be one of the formulas in maintaining the quality of palm sugar. To maintain the durability of processed palm sugar products, it can be done by packaging them with airtight packaging to prevent contamination from the environment.
Reference
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Author Biodata
Klareta Dwi Faradina Mahdawati is the name of the author of this article, Born in Pagerwojo Village, Limbangan District, Kendal Regency, Central Java on October 7, 2004. The second child of two siblings. The author studied from SD N 2 PAGERWOJO (graduated in 2017) continued to SMP N1 BOJA (graduated in 2020) and SMA N 1 BOJA (graduated in 2023), now studying at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Biology Education Study Program, Biology Cluster, Semarang State University (UNNES) Semarang City. Since childhood, the author has loved dancing. This is one of the author’s hobbies to explore emotions and imagination. The author often finds inspiration to write from body movements in dance. Since kindergarten, the author has been actively participating in dance competitions at the school and sub-district levels. When in elementary school, the author often became a school representative to participate in dance competitions at the Elementary School level throughout Limbangan District, Kendal Regency. During junior high school, the author was very active in participating in dance extracurricular activities held by his school.
