Influence of Evaporation Temperature on Palm Sugar Production via Atmospheric Evaporation Methods
Abstract
Palm sap (Arenga pinnata) represents an important raw material for Indonesia’s agro‑industrial sector, particularly for palm sugar production. However, conventional processing often relies on refined sugar and additives, resulting in inconsistent product quality. This study investigates direct palm‑sap crystallization under atmospheric evaporation to evaluate the influence of temperature (80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 °C) on product yield and physicochemical properties. The results show that increasing temperature enhances yield, reaching 16.11% at 120 °C, while moisture content decreases to 3.57%. Higher temperatures also lead to darker coloration and harder crystal texture. Ash content remains stable at approximately 1.5%. Reducing sugar levels increase with temperature, peaking at 13.91% at 110 °C, whereas sucrose content decreases significantly, with a minimum of 56.48% at 110 °C. Crystal size shows slight growth (1.28–1.33 mm), remaining within the SNI 3743:2021 limit. Overall, thermal conditions strongly influence sucrose inversion, sugar degradation pathways, and crystal formation behavior, highlighting the importance of temperature control in producing high‑quality palm sugar.
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