What you need to know about coconuts Pt 3 | Copra Processing

AFTER the coconut is de-husked, the hard but brittle shell is exposed and can be split open into two halves using a machete. The coconut water is drained off and the meat attached to the shell is dried. During the drying process, the meat is easily detached or scooped out from the shell. Copra is produced from the dried coconut meat.

The copra quality is influenced by the method and the manner of drying the meat. Improper drying may result in contamination of the meat with certain harmful aflatoxin-producing moulds, including the dangerous yellow-green mould, Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin is harmful to both humans and animals. It is therefore extremely important the coconut meat be properly dried.

The three common methods of drying are sun drying, kiln drying, and hot-air drying. Small-holders typically use sun drying or kiln drying methods, whereas larger producers may use hot air dryers. During drying, the moisture content of the coconut meat is reduced from about 50% down to 6Vo.

For producers using kiln dryers and hot-air dryers, a temperature of 35oc to 50oc (95’F to 122″F) should be maintained for the first 16 hours of drying followed by 50″C (122″ F) during the next phase until a final moisture content of 6%o is reached. It is important that drying begins within four hours after the coconuts are split in order to prevent mould contamination. In drying copra using kiln dryers, it is important to use a clean source of fuel and minimize the amount of smoke that passes through the drying coconut meat. The colour of the dried copra will depend on the source of fuel and cleanliness of the smoke. Since smoke does not come in contact with the meat, the copra produced from hot-air dryers is clean and white.

The moisture content of the dried meat can be estimated by pressing it between the thumb and forefinger. If the dried meat does not stick to the thumb and readily drops when released, a moisture content of approximately 60/o has been obtained.

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