Determination of the Optimum Cooking Method for Ready-to heat and-eat Sago Rice Dayu Dian Perwatasari and Donowati Tjokrokusumo
Agroindustrial Technology Center, Agency for assessment and application of technology Indonesia, Tangerang-Banten, Indonesia
Abstract
To increase the potential of sago rice so that it can be consumed more widely, technology is needed that makes it easier to serve. The optimum method of making ready to -heat and -eat sago rice is needed to be able to produce ready to -heat and-eat sago rice with an attractive visual, and best cooked sensory. Several methods were tested, namely method (a) cooking followed by sterilization, method (b) packaging, soaking for 30, 60, 90, 120, minutes followed by sterilization, method (c) soaking for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes, pressure and non-pressure draining, packaging, and the sterilization process continued. Sterilization was carried out at 121oC for 15 minutes. The resulting sago rice was then analyzed (a) visually (physically) and sensory maturity, (b) its birefringence properties with a polarizing microscope, and (c) texture/hardness with a texture analyzer. Based on the results of the study, the optimum method was chosen a C-method that was by immersing for 180 minutes, followed by draining without pressure, packing in a standing retort pouch and sterilizing which was also functions as a cooking process. The ready to- heat and-eat sago rice produced has an attractive visual with the grains separated from each other (not sticky) and had a best cooked sensory. The hardness value of rice from this method is 855.37 g/force, is likely to the hardness value of sago rice cooked by the rice cooker method. However, the observation of birefringence properties still shows the presence of blue and yellow colored structures.
Keywords: Sago rice, ready to heat and eat, hardness, birefringence
