Plantation Crops

Composition and uses of coconut

1) Nut
1. Diuretic
2. Kernel
3. Shell
4. Husk
2) Coconut water
1. Diuretic
2. Increases blood circulation in kidneys
3. Eliminates mineral poisoning
4. Good substitute for saline glucose under conditions of gastroenteritis.

• Nata De cocoa: A product from coconut water developed from National Institute of Science and Technology, Phillippines. It is a delicious food article of Phillippines and introduced into local market or Kerala i.e., “Coconut salad” with better consumer acceptibilty. It is prepared from coconut water by mixing sugar, acitic acid and a culture liquor. Nata de cocoa is a product of coconut – after hardening and making block like.

3) Kernel/ meat
1. Fresh form is used in
   • Culinary preparations.
   • Composition of fresh coconut
     • Water = 45 per cent
     • Protein = 04 per cent
     • Fat = 37 per cent
     • Minerals = 4 per cent
     • Carbohydrate = 10 per cent

4) Copra
• Dried kernel. Richest source of vegetable fat containing 60 to 67 per cent oil
• In Kerala 60 to 65 per cent of the total coconut produced is converted in to milling copra.
• There are two types of copra i.e.,

  1) Ball copra =Whole = It is prepared by storing fully mature nuts ( unhusked) for 8 to 12 months.

  2) Cup copra= split into two halves = Cup copra is used for house hold purpose in North India, since fresh nuts are not available for edible purpose.
• Coconuts are chief source of vegetable fats. Vegetable fats are solid or semi solid at ordinary temperature.
• Oil = 60 to 67 per cent
• Lauric oil : Coconut oil is referred as lauric oil in world market due to high proportion of lauric acid in it which is not present in other vegetable oils.
• Oil cake = 30 to 40 per cent which is used as cattle feed and poultry feed.

Virgin coconut oil
• It is also made from the milk extracted from raw kernel. This is done on a small scale by the traditional method which is now partially mechanised or on a large scale by adopting wet processing technology. Coconut milk is fermented and then by mechanical process, water is separated from oil. No heating or application of sunlight or dryer is done for the process.
• Desiccated coconut (DC), Coconut Cream, Coconut Milk, Virgin Coconut Oil and Spray Dried Coconut Milk Powder are the convenience coconut products manufactured in the country. Desiccated coconut is used as a substitute to grated raw coconut in various food preparations. Desiccated coconut is marketed in bulk as well as in small packs. Defatted desiccated coconut is also available in the country.

Oil cake
• Coconut cake is the residue left after the extraction of oil from copra which is mainly used as a cattle feed. Coconut cake contains 4-5 per cent oil which is extracted by solvent extraction process. This oil is generally used for industrial purpose and de-oiled cake is used to make mixed cattle feed

Coir Pith
• Coir pith a waste product obtained during the extraction of coir fibre from husk is very light, highly compressible and highly hygroscopic. It is used as a soil conditioner, surface mulch/ rooting medium and desiccant. Composted coir pith is an excellent organic manure for indoor plants as well as for horticulture crops. Several firms are manufacturing composted coir pith in the country. Compressed coir pith in the form of briquettes for easy transportation is also manufactured in the country.

Coconut Shell based Products
• Shell charcoal, shell based activated carbon, shell powder, shell handicrafts, shell ice cream cups and bear glasses, ladles, forks, show pieces, shell buttons, etc. are the shell based products available in the country.

5) Husk
• Husk, forms the basic raw material for coir industry. It employs over half a million people and earns foreign exchange.
• Stage of nut maturity for best quality coir = 10th month stage
• Husk in coconut is about 30 to 45 per cent of nut weight on ripening.
• In the husk about 30 per is fibre and 70 per cent is coir dust.
• World coir production = 0.30 million tones of which 50 per cent is from India alone.
• Rubberized coir industry
  Mattresses (Gadi)
  Pillows
  Cushions
  Folding car seats etc

6) Toddy
• Sugar containing juice, called toddy is collected on tapping un opened spadix i.e., before the flowers fully develop (Sap of the coconut palm). Sweet toddy is the unfermented fresh juice obtained by tapping. Toddy on fermentation becomes an alcoholic drink.
• Coconut leaves are plaited and used for thatching houses and sheds in rural areas.
• It is also used for thatching 'honeymoon huts' and such huts in town and cities. Plaiting of coconut leaves is a cottage industry in traditional coconut growing states. Midribs of leaves are used to make brooms of different types which are used for cleaning rough grounds and floors.
• Brooms of midribs of coconut leaves are manufactured on a commercial scale in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.