The effect of legen treatment on fermentation process in production of nata de legen

Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) is one of the most widely cultivated plants in Indonesia, especially in Gresik, East Java. The number of Palmyra palm trees in that area is estimated to be approximately 5,000,000. The Palmyra palm tree produces a large amount of legen obtained by tapping the palm flower and its use now is only limited as a beverage. By processing the legen into the nata, it would increase its selling price and the local people’s income. In this research, the method used to produce the nata de legen was by fermenting the legen using the microbial Acetobacter xylinum. This method was the same as for producing the nata de coco from coconut water. There were various methods of pre-treatment of the legen before the fermentation process. The legen was stored at room temperature 30°C, cooled in a refrigerator for 2 hours, or heated at 100°C for 10 minutes, with incubation time was 10 days respectively. The results showed that the quality of the nata de legen was affected by the pre-treatment of the legen. The best quality of the nata obtained was its thickness of the 4 mm and the cellulose content of 23.25% under pre-treatment condition at 100°C