IPB University Lecturers and Students Practice Making Nutmeg Hard Candy at KWT Nagrak, Sukabumi Regency
The IPB University lecturer team consisting of Dr Waras Nurcholis, Dr Wulan Tri Wahyuni, Prof Irmanida Batubara, Prof Eti Rohaeti, Dr Aulia Ilmiawati, Susi Indariani, STP MSi, Elsa Nopiyanti, Ulfiatun Nisa, Tita Salsabila, Dewi Murniati and Novian Liwanda carried out community service activities to the community (PPM) through the 2023 Lecturer Serving Innovation (DMI) program.
Activities were carried out in South Nagrak Village, Nagrak District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java Province (2-3/12). One of the service activities carried out was training on the use of nutmeg waste through making nutmeg hard candy for members of the women’s farmer group (KWT).
The team of Lecturers Serving Innovation comes from the Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), as well as the Center for Tropical Biopharmaceutical Studies. IPB University lecturers and students conducted training on making nutmeg hard candy from the distillation process of nutmeg seeds.
“One of the nutmeg products from seeds is essential oil. “This component can be used as an ingredient for making nutmeg hard candy,” said Dr Aulia Ilmiawati as a team member.
Dr Wulan Tri Wahyuni added, that one of the uses of nutmeg essential oil is as a flavor additive to hard candy, thereby producing hard candy that has a nutmeg flavor.
Meanwhile, Prof. Eti Rohaeti explained the stages of the process of making nutmeg hard candy. Starting from dissolving sucrose in water, heating the sucrose solution until thick (temperature reaches ± 110 degrees Celsius), mixing with glucose, heating again until thick (temperature reaches ± 140 degrees Celsius), mixing with nutmeg essential oil, and finally printing.
The nutmeg processing process begins with refining or distilling the nutmeg to produce high-value nutmeg essential oil. Then, essential oils are used as flavors in making hard candy. With this innovation, it is hoped that the public will be able to better understand the potential of nutmeg and utilize it optimally.
“The results of the distillation of nutmeg oil in the form of essential oil are still of limited use. With this training, it is hoped that the community can increase the beneficial value of nutmeg essential oil. “Nutmeg essential oil can be used to make nutmeg flavor in hard confectionery,” explained the Head of the Center for Tropical Biopharmaceutical Studies (Trop-BRC), Prof Irmanida Batubara.
“We hope that by holding this training, people will understand the potential of nutmeg essential oil and can use it to make a product that is useful and even has economic value like this nutmeg hard candy,” said Tita Salsabila, an IPB University student who took part in providing the training. (*/Rz) (IAAS/Res)
