coconut sugar

How to make coconut sugar Harvesting the sweet syrup from coconut flowers is done using a traditional technique. The process starts with the farmer climbing up to the top of a coconut tree and finding a suitable coconut flower. The farmer then cuts off the top 10-15cm of the flower using a sharp knife. Next, the remaining part of the coconut flower is pulled downwards so that its tip points towards the ground and fastened into place with string.

Ten days later, the green outer layer of the flower is peeled off, and the flower is tied together with five loops of string along its length to ensure that it holds together. A tiny section at the end of the flower (about 3mm) is then cut off, which allows the syrup inside the flower to flow downwards. Below the flower, ready to receive this syrup, a bamboo container is fastened in place with a twig of the phayom tree put inside it for its anti-microbial qualities. This container can be changed three times a day so as to continue to harvest the syrup; each time it is changed, another 3mm cut is made to the end of the coconut flower.

Using the syrup to make coconut sugar To make coconut sugar, the coconut syrup is strained through a cloth to remove the phayom-tree twig and any other solids. It is then boiled in a large pan over a charcoal fire until foam starts to form on top. The foam is removed with a ladle and the boiling continues for around 60-70 minutes until the syrup becomes sticky but before it starts to change colour. After the syrup has cooled for around 10-15 minutes, it is stirred until it becomes sticky. The sugar is then put into a mould for 20 minutes to shape it.