How to Make Nata de Coco from Coconut Water

Nata de coco is a white to creamy yellow, translucent, jelly-like substance formed by acetobacter aceti subspecies Xylinium, on the surface of sugar enriched coconut water. It is popularly used as a dessert. It is also used as an ingredient in other food products, such as ice cream, halo-halo, fruit cocktails, etc.

Materials:

Coconut water
Refined sugar
Ammonium phosphate
Acetic acid
Nata starter

Equipments:

Weighing scale
Wide-mouthed glass jars or basins
Strainers
Kettles

Procedure:

1. The collected coconut water is filtered through a cheesecloth. One hundred (100 gms) refined sugar and 5 grams monobasic ammonium phosphate is mixed for every liter of coconut water in a container. The container is covered and the mixture allowed to boil. It is then allowed to cool after boiling and 6 9 ml of glacial acetic acid is added.

2. 110-150 ml of starter (available at ITDI) is added to the mixture. It is subsequently transferred to big mouthed clean jars leaving ample space atop mixture and covered with clean cheese cloth. The culture is allowed to grow at room temperature for 15 days or more. Note: Do not move jars during growth period.

3. Harvest is ready after 15 days or more, making sure that all conditions are aseptic so as to enable one to reuse the remaining liquid which serves as starter for succeeding preparations.

4. Dessert Making. The “nata” is cut into cubes and is subjected to a series of boiling with fresh water until acidity is totally removed. One kilo of refined sugar is added for every kilo of nata and are mixed. It is brought to boiling until the “nata” cubes become transparent.

Sources: ITDI (DOST), coconutboard.nic.in/nata.htm