Ball Copra
Ball copra is made by storing unhusked coconuts in a suitable
store, which is usually a two-storey brick and mortar building,
the floor and the four sides of the upper storey being made of
wooden bars spaced two to three inches apart. Fully ripe nuts of
twelve to fourteen months are stored in the upper floor of the
store. They are frequently stirred and smoked by a slow fire, set
under the platform using coconut palm waste or cheap firewood.
During the period of storage, the water inside the nuts gets dried
up and the kernel gets detached from the shell. The entire process
takes eight to twelve months. When quite dry, the nuts are husked,
the shells are broken with a heavy iron knife and the copra balls
removed. The copra is clean, white inside and sweet in taste and
is therefore highly priced. A study conducted by the erstwhile
Central Coconut Research Station, Kasargod (India) on the
preparation of ball copra revealed that small sized nuts are best
suited for making ball copra, as it takes less time for conversion
into ball copra.
Neera
The vascular sap collected from immature unopened coconut
inflorescence is popularly known as ‘Neera’ in fresh form. It is a
sugar containing juice and is a delicious health drink and a rich
source of sugars, minerals and vitamins. It is sweet and oyster
white in colour and translucent. It is tapped from the coconut
inflorescence and is filtered, pasteurized, and bio preservatives
added to preserve the product. Treated Neera can be preserved
in cans upto 2 months at room temperature. It can also be packed
in tetra packs or glass bottles. Tapping can be done for 6 months
in an year. Neera is popular as a delicious health drink. It is good
for digestion, facilitates clear urination and prevents jaundice.
The nutrient-rich ‘sap’ has low Glycemic Index (GI of only 35) and
is hence diabetic-friendly since very low amounts of the sugar is
absorbed into the blood. It is an abundant source of minerals, 17
amino acids, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, and has a
nearly neutral pH. Coconut crystals can be made out of this pure,
low glycemic natural sap. While most brown sugar is boiled at
temperatures up to 221 degrees F with the end product containing