Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Gula aren cair memiliki potensi ekonomi tinggi sebagai produk pangan lokal bernilai tambah, namun kualitasnya sangat dipengaruhi oleh proses pengolahan, terutama waktu pemasakan dan penambahan sirup gula pasir. Proses yang tidak terkontrol dapat menurunkan mutu dan stabilitas produk. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan mengkaji pengaruh waktu pemasakan dan konsentrasi sirup gula pasir serta interaksi keduanya terhadap kualitas fisikokimia gula aren cair. Penelitian ini menggunakan nira aren segar yang diperoleh dari petani di Kecamatan Montasik, Aceh Besar, dengan penambahan sirup gula pasir sebagai bahan perlakuan. Metode penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) faktorial dengan dua faktor, yaitu konsentrasi sirup gula pasir (0% dan 2%) dan waktu pemasakan (65, 80, dan 95 menit) pada suhu konstan 80–90°C. Parameter yang diamati meliputi kadar air, total padatan terlarut (TPT), aktivitas antioksidan, gula reduksi, viskositas, dan rendemen. Data dianalisis menggunakan Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) untuk mengetahui pengaruh masing-masing faktor serta interaksinya.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa konsentrasi sirup gula pasir, waktu pemasakan, serta interaksi keduanya memberikan pengaruh terhadap karakteristik fisikokimia gula aren cair. peningkatan waktu pemasakan dan penambahan sirup gula pasir cenderung menurunkan kadar air serta meningkatkan nilai TPT dan viskositas, sehingga menghasilkan produk yang lebih kental dan stabil. Konsentrasi terbaik diperoleh pada penambahan sirup gula pasir 2%, sedangkan waktu pemasakan terbaik adalah 95 menit. Namun demikian, interaksi perlakuan terbaik ditunjukkan pada P0T3 (konsentrasi 0% dan waktu pemasakan 95 menit), yang secara deskriptif menghasilkan kadar air sebesar 22,9%, TPT 76,2°Brix, aktivitas antioksidan 127,12 ppm, gula reduksi 4,2%, dan viskositas 706,4 cP, sehingga memberikan keseimbangan optimal antar parameter fisikokimia serta kestabilan produk tanpa penambahan bahan. Dengan demikian, pengendalian konsentrasi sirup gula pasir dan waktu pemasakan secara tepat terbukti efektif dalam meningkatkan kualitas gula aren cair.

Liquid palm sugar has high economic potential as a local value-added food product, but its quality is significantly influenced by the processing process, particularly cooking time and the addition of granulated sugar syrup. Uncontrolled processing can reduce product quality and stability. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of cooking time and granulated sugar syrup concentration, as well as their interaction, on the physicochemical quality of liquid palm sugar. This study used fresh palm sap obtained from farmers in Montasik District, Aceh Besar, with the addition of granulated sugar syrup as a treatment ingredient. The research method used a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two factors: granulated sugar syrup concentration (0% and 2%) and cooking time (65, 80, and 95 minutes) at a constant temperature of 80–90°C. Parameters observed included water content, total soluble solids (TPT), antioxidant activity, reducing sugars, viscosity, and yield. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to determine the effect of each factor and their interaction. The results showed that the concentration of granulated sugar syrup, cooking time, and the interaction of the two influenced the physicochemical characteristics of liquid palm sugar. Increasing cooking time and the addition of granulated sugar syrup tended to reduce the water content and increase the TPT and viscosity values, resulting in a thicker and more stable product. The best concentration was obtained with the addition of 2% granulated sugar syrup, while the best cooking time was 95 minutes. However, the best treatment interaction was shown in P0T3 (0% concentration and 95 minutes cooking time), which descriptively produced a water content of 22.9%, TPT 76.2°Brix, antioxidant activity 127.12 ppm, reducing sugar 4.2%, and viscosity 706.4 cP, thus providing an optimal balance between physicochemical parameters and product stability without additional ingredients. Thus, controlling the concentration of granulated sugar syrup and cooking time appropriately has proven effective in improving the quality of liquid palm sugar.