Journey of Palm Sugar from Tree to Table

Hi Healthy People!

Do you know what kind of sweetener that has a brown colour? It's Gula Aren or Palm Sugar from Indonesia. Palm sugar is one of the healthier sweetener options. So, how do we produce palm sugar??

Step 1: Harvesting or tapping the sap

The farmer created a small incision in the flower stalk when the tree was five years old. Each tree can produce 15-20 litres of sap daily (morning and afternoon). When tapping the tree, only cut the male flower stalk. The sap would accumulate inside bumbung/lodong (bamboo trunk with a length of 1-1.5 meters).

Step 2: Processing and evaporating the sap

After the farmer collects the sap, the sap will be boiled and evaporated at low heat. In this process, stir the syrup continuously until it thickens. The purpose of boiling and evaporating is to reduce the water content inside the palm sap syrup. This crucial process is essential in concentrating the flavours and retaining the natural minerals in the sap.

Step 3: Crystalizing the sugar

Well-cooked syrup indicated thickened viscosity and reached a targeted consistency. Then, stir the syrup continuously until it crystallizes. After that, sift the crystalized sugar to ensure the grains are uniform in size.

Conclusion

That's how the palm sugar is made, from the tree to the table. This product could be the healthier alternative for many people in the world. So, do you want to try this more healthy sweetener?

Reference: Radam, R. R., & Rezekiah, A. A. (2015). Pengolahan gula aren (Arrenga Pinnata Merr) di desa banua hanyar kabupaten hulu sungai tengah. Jurnal Hutan Tropis, 3(3), 267-276.