Numerous people are still puzzled by the question “what is desiccated coconut?”. In response, Desiccated Coconut (DC) is a dried coconut product that is made by grating and drying fresh coconut meat. Moreover, it retains the original oil and protein of a fresh mature coconut because it is made directly from coconut meat. Sometimes, it is also known as High-fat Desiccated Coconut. Besides, it is a common ingredient in the confectionery industry for many baked foods, chocolates, candies, and even ice cream due to its high oil and flavor content. Undoubtedly, It is one of the most important commercial products derived from coconut.
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How to make Desiccated Coconut
Fresh mature coconut kernels are first pared down to remove the brown skin and any infected meat before being desiccated. After that, the white kernel is rinsed and sterilized to remove bacteria, such as Salmonella, which causes food poisoning. We can directly bake it for 5 to 10 minutes to make homemade version.
More advanced machinery is required to mass produce on a large scale. To sterilize the meat, place it in a 2% sodium metabisulphite solution at 80-90°C for 20 minutes. It can also be passed through a large tank of boiling water or exposed to live steam in stainless steel blanchers at 80°C for five minutes. The pasteurized kernel is then transferred to disintegrators or cutters, where it is cut and shredded into a fine, wet meal. The cutters have adjustable provisions to produce shredded coconut meat of various sizes.
The wet meal is then dried by spreading it out on trays that are then tier-mounted in a hot-air drier. It can also be dried in a two-stage continuous dryer where the material is turned over from the first to the second stage. This is done until the moisture content is between 2.5 and 3.5%. Different particle sizes of this product are then mixed and conveyed to a sieving machine, where they are separated and bagged into 50kg bags.
Alternative to The High-fat
It can also be made as a byproduct of coconut milk production. The wet meal that remains after extracting coconut milk from the wet kernel is still a good source of fiber, protein, and oil. It can be shredded further or dried directly in the dryer until it has a low moisture content. As a result, such products contain less fat and are known as Low-fat Desiccated Coconut. The high-fat version includes roughly 62-66% fat, whereas the low-fat version contains approximately 42-48% fat.
Despite the lower fat content, low-fat DC is still essential for healthy digestion, heart health, and immunological function. It is still a useful component for baking or cooking. Furthermore, it is frequently less expensive than the high-fat DC from the supermarket. As a result, it is critical to analyze what you want to gain out of desiccated coconut before selecting the ideal goods for your needs.
Calories and Nutrition
Desiccated coconut is beneficial when consumed as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle. It not only adds taste to your meals and beverages, but it also provides a good source of critical nutrients. It has a high-fat content, yet there are a lot of benefits in coconut meat. You wouldn’t want to eat a full coconut every day, but adding desiccated coconut as a topping or texture to an already nutritionally balanced diet makes sense. A sprinkling of desiccated coconut is preferable to artificial sweeteners or bad eats. In this manner, you may have something sweet yet nutritional rather than empty calories and harmful extra sugar.
This food ingredient is a natural source of nutrition and minerals. It contains the following every 100g:
- 670 calories,
- 15.0 grams of dietary fiber,
- 8.8 grams of carbohydrates
- 7.3 grams of protein,
- 61.5 grams of saturated fat,
- 60% of the adult RDI (recommended daily intake) of manganese
- 44% of the adult RDI of copper
- 15% of the adult RDI of selenium
- 13% of the adult RDI of phosphorous
- 11% of the adult RDI of iron
- 10% of the adult RDI of zinc
- 6% of the adult RDI of potassium.
The latter components are potent and essential minerals for the body. It contains a lot of manganese and copper. Because a tiny quantity provides a large dosage, you may easily meet your recommended daily intake of these minerals with a well-balanced meal without having to seek out too many other sources of it.
Health Benefits of Desiccated Coconut
When you consume this food, you will reap some health benefits. Among them are:
- Its High Iron Content can Aid in The Prevention of Anemia.
- It is a Good Source of Several Minerals that aren’t always Easy to Consume.
- It’s High in Dietary Fiber for Weight Loss.
- It’s a Fantastic Osteoporosis and Arthritis Prevention Supplement.
Desiccated Coconut vs Shredded Coconut
Desiccated coconut is finely ground coconut, as opposed to larger strips. This is also typically less moist than shredded coconut. However, unlike coconut flour, it retains its fat content, so the two cannot be used interchangeably.
Shredded coconut is “grated” bits of coconut, usually in long thin strips/strands. They are then dried out, but still, retain more moisture than desiccated coconut.
Desiccated coconut is often used in baking, rather than as a topping. shredded coconut is commonly used as a garnish on ice cream, cakes, or even salads and eaten plain or with other foods.
When using either type of shredded or desiccated one in recipes, remember the size of the shreds impacts the overall texture of whatever you are making (cookies in this instance). So if it calls for one type of shredded coconut and all you can find is another kind then make sure that you adjust accordingly. For example, larger shreds will make something slightly chewy, whereas smaller shreds will yield a more tender crumbly texture.
DC is easy to add to baked goods because it is usually finely ground and blends easily with dry ingredients. Shredded coconut comes in different shapes, including long strands and bits. long strands are more difficult to work into batters and doughts without creating clumps.
DC can be found in grocery stores’ baking aisles, near chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruits. Shredded coconut is considered a specialty item and can be difficult to find at your local grocery store. But sometimes it can be found along with other fresh fruits, like apples and bananas.
Desiccated coconut works best for baking while shredded coconut works better as a garnish or snack.
Where to Buy Desiccated Coconut
You may get desiccated coconut at your local grocery shop or online. As you may expect, desiccated coconut pricing will vary based on where you live. The price is substantially lower in Indonesia, the world’s largest coconut manufacturer, than in Europe or America. In either Europe or America, 1 kg of DC might cost between $60 and $65.
However, if you are on an industrial scale, such as chocolate, chocolates, coconut cream or milk, or even ice cream, you cannot buy it in a grocery shop. First, they don’t have enough stock to meet your demand. Second, the price is, of course, incredibly expensive. The solution to this dilemma is to import high-quality desiccated coconut goods at reasonable prices from Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of this product.
Helpfulcoco Export produces high-quality desiccated coconut that is ready for export around the world. Moreover, we always take care of our service and select high-quality coconut as the main ingredients. Furthermore, ours is produced utilizing innovative machinery to ensure that our goods meet the requirement for quality and consistency.
We supply the best quality of High Fat Desiccated Coconut in different grade sizes. Our products are available in Medium Grade, Fine Grade, and Super Fine Grade. Our factory is located in Jakarta and East Java.
