Processing Technology of Barangan Banana

Processing Technology of Barangan Banana

by Ellyas Alga Nainggolan

Locally-based alternative food much neglected as potential food products. Though food alternatives can be used to replace the main food consumed by community.

Barangan Banana North Sumatra is a local product that has not been fully utilized. Whereas the production of bananas in Indonesia is very high, which is 50 percent of all banana production in Asia. Between the years 2005-2007 an average production of 1-96 million tons. 1-77 tons of this amount is consumed while the rest is wasted (BPS 2008/2009). Until today it is still happening, because the people of North Sumatra only eat fresh Barangan bananas or without going through the treatment process.

Barangan banana flour is an alternative treatment. Utilization of banana flour, such as for the manufacture of baby food and children sapling, as well as material for bread, cakes, biscuits and others.

The main components of barangan banana are water and carbohydrates (starches and sugars). Besides bananas are rich in vitamins and minerals. Barangan bananas have a sweeter flavor and big size. Good materials to make Barangan banana flour is banana harvested as it reaches "maturity of three-quarters full", which was approximately 80 days after flowering. This is due to the formation of starch has reached the maximum flavor and tannins that cause sour has been decomposed into aromatic esters and ferol to produce a sour taste and a balanced sweetness.

Barangan banana flour processing technology can be done practically, namely: Bananas peeled and separated the flesh. Furthermore banana pulp is left in free air or immersed in water, then sliced with a thickness of approximately 0.5 cm. Slicing aims to facilitate the drying. Results sulphurised sliced bananas, aims to prevent the process of browning by soaking in a solution of 2000 ppm Na-bisulfite cold (24⁰C) for 2 minutes or in Na-bisulfite solution heat (98⁰C) for 1 minute. Furthermore, drained and then dried with the temperature 65 - 75⁰C for 12.5 hours. Once dried banana chips shaped  milled using a hamer mill and sieved with 69 mesh sieve. Flour obtained packaged for sale.

Practical processing technology that will make the public can easily apply it, so the local food such as bananas Barangan can be utilized optimally.