I want work on the coconut water so i'm thinking to improve its shelf life to at least a month. We have pasteurizer and retort sterilizer to work with. Any ideas..? Please suggest
Hi,
I´d try to make a treatment with high hydrostatic pressure and keep coconut water under refrigeration. The same effect would be with ultrasounds. I´m not an expert on coconut water, but you have to try to preserve the sensorial properties with a non termal treatment, pasteurizing it.
Be lucky!
Hi, I think if you would like to try on non-thermal treatment, you can also try on pulsed electric fields or ultraviolet treatment. Or are you just looking for ideas using pasteurizer and retort sterilizer?
Good luck!
If you want an sterile product with non thermal treatment, you have to use Ionizing Radiations, with 1,5-2,5 KGy is enough. About ultraviolet treatment, I think it will not so strong, maybe in a thin layer, but im not sure that works. Pulsed electric fields, I have not much experience in that technology, I only tasted pulsed wine and it was disgusting. I have tasted juices treated with high hydrostatic pressure and were very nice, like fruit, the only problem is the browning colour (enzymatic reactions), but I think it won´t your case.
Hi Bandaru,
Since you have a pasteurizer and a retort. My first option would be to lower pH to about 4.2 and then pasteurize or Hot Fill. Alternatively thermally process in the retort at 212 F until the internal product temperature is higher that 185 for about 5 minutes.
Thank you all but I'm looking at the thermal treatments without any quality change. I tried retorting with time temp combinations of 105 deg C for 7 min and it gave a very jaggey noted taste. Please help me.
Bandaru,
From the practical standpoint if you are an entrepreneur with limited funds or limited access to high end equipment for the processing of foods I see only two options, for your project:
(1) Preservatives or
(2) Fine tuning a thermal process. The fact that you already got unsatisfactory results from retorting does not mean you can not find a better combination of time temperature conditions that will produce a satisfactory product.
I am a process authority and I am willing to guide you to exhaust the thermal process option.
Email me the following information that will give me an idea about your conditions:
pH of product, container size, plastic or glass, can, percent sugar, is it total liquid or contains particles in suspension or settled, if so, size of particles and approximate proportion in relationship to liquid; would you fill manually or what type of filler you have, could the product be heated before filling? simple list of other utensils or equipment you have available for the operation. Did you add any ingredient or additive during your retorting tests? which and concentrations.
Again, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Regards
Hi
First try to optimize the condition such ad pH temp or any other factors relative to pasteurization and then optimize the storag condition With packing materials. If possible then try with preseravative also.
The product is available in market in can. It is product of Thailand. Definitely, the quality will degrade with thermal processing. You should work on combination of two process (thermal and non-thermal like microwave which is the cheapest among non-thermal). pH alteration affects the sensory tremendously. Good luck.
You can preservative coconut water by freezing but after thermal processing 60c at 3.5 min.for inactive enzymes.
It could also be interesting - regarding the election of a conservation process - to check the microbial status of the untreated coconut milk. Just to know what microorganism are in your raw material (bactaria, yeasts, molds).
To achieve a fresh-like taste after pasteurisation I also recommend high pressure processing. Thats already done commercially for juices or vegetable spreads.
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