Abstract:
A process for preparing a ready-to-eat mature coconut in which coconuts are selected based on its flotation characteristics, higher floaters being more mature. An oval or circular groove is carved partially into the bottom of the coconut shell. The coconut is then sealed into a heat tolerant plastic bag in which it is cooked, then frozen. Pieces of coconut husk are roasted until they turn black, then boiled in water to obtain a vapor that condenses to a liquid extraction, which is added to the bag before sealing it. The sealed bag is then heated to obtain sweet coconut water, some separation of coconut meat from the coconut shell, and the expansion of the coconut water during the spraying of steam to slightly split the coconut shell along the carved groove whereby the tip of a spoon can be used to pry off the coconut shell.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Thai Patent Application No. 1603001036, filed Jun. 11, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention involves food process engineering and technology of ready-to-consume coconut with taste and flavor that meet the demand of consumers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Regarding international trade experiences, especially in food and drinks process for export both in Europe and the United States for over many years until present, it is factual that drinks that are generally trending are focused on health and are natural products such as fruit juice, orange juice, apple juice, and various vegetable juice like carrot, beetroot, tomato, and the like. These beverages usually require an extraction process, including fresh squeezing to separate residue before drinking to keep its vitamins and nutrition. For drinks, besides water, only coconut water has sufficient volume for drinking without extracting or squeezing to separate residue. Coconut water is a natural product, sweet with a more attractive aroma than water, and favored by many people. It is accepted that the coconut water has nutritional benefits. In addition, the consumption of coconut meat provides nutrition that gives energy and benefits to the body. As a result, there is research, development, manufacture and marketing to meet the demand of coconut consumption in various forms of product. This includes the simplest form, which is the selling of fresh coconut by using a chopping knife to open the coconut shell. This requires skill and is not convenient for general consumers. In addition, the shelf life of the fresh coconut is short and its taste will change on storage. There is a process to make the taste of the coconut, especially the coconut water, to be sweeter than unprocessed coconut water, and with a unique aroma, by roasting the whole coconut. Boiling or steaming can be applied instead of roasting. The coconut water becomes sweeter but lacks the aforementioned aroma. Nevertheless, the demand for coconut water consumption is still a problem. Chopping to open the coconut shell is still required. 
         [0004]    There also remains an issue of how to classify whether a coconut is young or more mature, the layer of its coconut meat having different thicknesses and maturities hardness. These factors affect the taste of the coconut water, which can have different levels of sweetness. Classification also requires individual skills of visual estimation of whether a coconut is mature or young. There is a risk that misclassified coconuts may not comply with their expectation. Therefore, there is a need for a classification process that is simple but accurate and convenient to replace current procedures requiring individual skills. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the present invention, a new manufacturing process is provided that solves the foregoing problems. A manufacturing process for ready-to-consume coconut with roasted coconut flavor is provided suitable for the export of the so-processed coconut. 
         [0006]    A first objective of this invention is to classify fresh coconut into young coconut and more mature coconut with thick or thin coconut meat, which is suitable to manufacture ready-to-consume coconut water. The classification method is effective, accurate and simple, with low cost. 
         [0007]    A second objective of this invention is to provide a manufacturing process in the preparation step of fresh coconut that has been classified according to the thickness of the coconut meat as mentioned above. To be ready for the manufacturing process, a tool is used to mark each coconut shell. The husk of the coconuts will be removed to provide processed coconuts having an appropriate shape to be at approximately the same height 
         [0008]    Another objective of this invention is to arrange a tool to mark each coconut shell with an oval shape on the top of the coconut shell by using a diamond head wood carving tool or a low power laser beam. The oval groove will be slightly deep but not cut through to the coconut meat. This is to prevent pathogens, bacteria and contaminant from entering and damaging the coconut meat and water, which are principal causes for the coconut meat and water to lose their taste and aroma, becoming rotten and have a short shelf life. 
         [0009]    Still another objective of the invention is to obtain a liquid manufacturing process to provide a roasted coconut flavor by roasting coconut scaly residue and coconut husk, and adding the resultant roasted coconut aroma and extracted flavor into a vacuum-packed coconut in a retort pouch bag. This process substitutes the roasting of the whole coconut to meet production needs and the demand of consumers. 
         [0010]    Succinctly, a process is provided for preparing a ready-to-eat mature coconut in which the coconuts are selected based on its flotation characteristics, higher floaters being more mature. An oval or circular groove is carved partially into the bottom of the coconut shell. The coconut is then sealed into a heat tolerant plastic bag in which it is cooked, then frozen. Pieces of coconut husk are roasted until they turn black, then boiled in water to obtain a vapor that condenses to a liquid extraction, which is added to the bag before sealing it. The sealed bag is then heated to obtain sweet coconut water, some separation of coconut meat from the coconut shell, and the expansion of the coconut water during the spraying of steam, which may or may not slightly split the coconut shell along the carved groove but in any event splitting along the groove will occur following the freeze step whereby the tip of a spoon can be used to pry off the coconut shell. 
         [0011]    The invention also provides a ready-to-eat coconut prepared by the foregoing process. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0013]      FIGS. 1A  and B shows the classification process of the fresh coconut to determine young coconut or more mature coconut with various thickness of the coconut meat; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 2A  and B show the removal coconut shell and husk to obtain the same height for every coconut; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3A  shows marking by a diamond head wood carving tool; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3B  shows the marking process on a coconut using a laser beam to cut a mark into the coconut shell to enable the handle of a spoon to pry off the top of the coconut shell; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows tools and a process to roast the coconut husk and shell to extract a roasted coconut flavor; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows tools and an extraction process for the roasted husk and shell to obtain liquid with a roasted coconut aroma; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows the packing of the coconut into a heat tolerant clear plastic retort pouch bag and adding the roasted coconut extracted flavor; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows heat sealing of the clear plastic bag under vacuum; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  shows the packed coconut bag for boiling or steam treatment in a steam retort or tank, to make the coconut water sweeter and separate some of the coconut meat from the coconut shell to substitute for roasting of the whole coconut; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  shows boiling and steam treatment of the packaged coconut in the steam retort or tank; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  shows the cool down process to the specified temperature; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  shows the blow drying of a packed coconut bag using a fan; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  shows the packaging of a metal spoon and straw in a separate plastic bag; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  shows the packed spoon and straw with the packed coconut bag; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  shows a conveyor and device for reducing the temperature of packed coconut bags to two degree Celsius and freezing to temperature of −5 to −10 degree Celsius using a blast freezer spray with extreme cold air at high velocity; 
           [0028]      FIGS. 15A , B and C show the method of using the handle of a spoon to pry the coconut shell along the oval groove and pierce the straw through the coconut meat to drink the coconut water, and 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  shows the application of the spoon to consume the coconut meat. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    The invention provides a process to open the coconut shell by marking it with a cutting tool as described above to form an oval or circular shaped line. It will then be easy to open the resulting coconut shell using only a tablespoon, which can be is attached with package, to pry along the oval groove. With only minimal force, the top coconut shell can be detached along the marking line, separating it from the coconut meat. A straw, which can be attached to the package, can be pierced through coconut meat, ready for drinking the coconut water. A tablespoon can be used for the coconut meat; some coconut meat may be separated from the coconut shell. Principles and procedures of ready-to-consume coconut with roasted coconut extracted flavor for export are shown in  FIG. 1 - FIG. 16 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , fresh coconut is classified to determine whether the coconut is young or more mature with various thickness of the coconut meat. The coconut is floated in water to observe the part that floats above the water and the part that sinks into the water. With a young coconut  10  (or what a coconut grover calls 1 and ½ layers of meat), almost all of the coconut sinks below the surface of the water. This shows that the coconut meat in that coconut is thin and has a large volume of the coconut water in the coconut so that there is almost no empty space inside that coconut. A coconut  12  with thicker coconut meat, which is called 2 layers of meat; will have less coconut water and have more empty space inside that coconut. Therefore, the part that floats above the water is more than 5% of the coconut. A coconut  14  with very thick coconut meat, which is called 2 and ½ layers of meat; will have even less coconut water and even more empty space inside the coconut. Therefore, the part that floats above the water is more than 10% of the coconut. In summary, as appropriate, only the 2 layers and 2 and ½ layers coconut  12  or  14  will be used as raw material for the manufacturing process according to the invention. This is because the product will provide sweet coconut water and has sufficient coconut meat that meets the consumption demand. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 2A , most of the husk  16  of the classified coconut is removed until the coconut shell  18  appears both at the top and on the side, keeping some at the bottom. The husk and shell at the pole of the coconut remains. Then each coconut is trimmed evenly to have approximately the same height as shown in  FIG. 2B . The height is in the range of 110-120 millimeters and the diameter is about 90-100 millimeters. This makes it more convenient to adjusting the distance of the tool head, which creates a mark on the coconut, to be stable throughout the process line. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the coconut is marked or grooved to a depth such that a tablespoon handle can be used by a consumer to pry open the coconut shell. Tools generally available that can be used include wood carving tools, diamond headed drilling tools, and rotators, which can be applied as shown in  FIG. 3A . These tools are available for various industrial uses depend on their applications such as carving of wooden doors, gourd, and various patterns, for example by using a mechanical mechanism to control a diamond headed drill. A microprocessor will operate according to the distance, depth, and groove guideline, which is specified by programmable software. 
         [0034]    Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3B , a low power laser beam can be used, as normally applied in industries, to mark or groove the coconut shell to the desired depth. The laser beam is emitted according to a specified focus at the bottom  26  of the coconut. The concentration of the laser beam with high heat will create a burning mark or groove  20  on the coconut shell at the focused point until a partially cut-through lid  28  is formed in the shape of an oval or a circle. Variations may be utilized. For example, instead of an oval or circular groove, one can carve a shape of any design in which one end of the groove meets the other end whereby the groove closes in on itself to allow the lid to be removed. 
         [0035]    In a specific embodiment, the laser beam can cut the outline of the lid, e.g., as a circle or an oval with dimensions of 60+/−2 mm long and 60+/−2 mm wide. The depth is not entirely through the coconut shell so that it avoids reaching the coconut meat layer, as shown in  FIG. 3B . For example, with a coconut shell thickness of 1.8+/−1 mm, the depth of cut of the laser beam can be 1.4+/−1 mm, leaving 0.4+/−1 mm of shell. This prevents pathogen, bacteria, and/or contaminants from outside the coconut from damaging the coconut meat and coconut water, which is a principal cause of coconut meat and coconut water losing its taste and aroma, becoming rotten, and having a short shelf life. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  illustrates an extraction procedure to obtain a roasted coconut flavor. The raw material can be prepared by chopping coconut husk and coconut shell into pieces  30  of approximately two inches long. The pieces are put into a cylindrical sieve container  32 , which is installed on a manual axel  34  that rotates through a fire  36  underneath the container  32 . A method is thus provided for roasting the coconut shell and coconut husk at a temperature of 400-1,000 degree Celsius rotated through the heat for 10-20 minutes until the coconut husk and coconut shell are burnt and turned black. After that, it will be used as raw material for preparing a roasted coconut aroma flavored extract. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the burnt raw material is mixed with water in a boiling container  38  at a temperature of 90-100 degree Celsius for a time sufficient for it to turn into vapor  40 , e.g., 20 minutes or more. This vapor  40  contains aroma from the roasting of the coconut husk and shell. The vapor  40  flows through a pipe to cooling quenching equipment to condense the vapor to liquid with roasted coconut aroma. 
         [0038]      FIG. 6  illustrates the procedure to pack the coconut in a heat tolerant plastic bag  42 , which can withstand heat at 100-120 degree Celsius (because the bag will be boiled). Then the liquid  44  with roasted coconut aroma of approximately 10-15 cc. is added into the bag  42  containing the coconut. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the bag  42  is sealed using a vacuum plastic bag sealer  43 . The vacuum system will suck out all air inside the bag and seal the bag using heat to melt the plastic around the bag&#39;s opening of both sides. When the bag  42  is exposed to room temperature, the sealed bag  42  cools down. Other substances and air can no longer entering the plastic bag  42  containing the coconut. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIGS. 8-10 , a plurality of sealed plastic bags  42  are sprayed with steam  46  in a steam retort or tank  48 . This steam retort  48  is a huge horizontal cylinder  50  with a heat resistant and water boiling system to generate steam  46  through small pipes  52  into steam injectors  54 , which are located inside the steam retort  48 . The steam injectors  54  spray steam  46  at a temperature of 100 degree Celsius to the packed coconut plastic bags  42 , preferably for at least 30 minutes. This cooks and sterilizes the coconut to provide a product like that produced by the prior art practice of roasting the coconut. When the steam  46  is sprayed onto the sealed bags  42 , the coconut water and the coconut meat will receive heat long enough to react into the product. The coconut becomes sweeter and the coconut meat becomes loosely attached to the coconut shell. Some of the coconut may separate from the coconut shell, and the coconut shell can be broken slightly along the previously carved oval or circle groove  20  (see  FIG. 3B ). At the same time, the liquid  44  with roasted coconut aroma, which is added in to the coconut; will absorb into the coconut shell, coconut meat, and coconut water when it is heated. The temperature of the steam retort is then decreased to 40-50 degree Celsius (as shown in  FIG. 10 ). Referring to  FIG. 11 , finally, the packed coconut bag is blown dry by a blower  56 . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 12 , a tablespoon  58 , which can be formed of a stiff material, such as metal, is packed together with a straw  60  in a separate plastic bag  62  which has a width about the same as or smaller than the packed coconut bag  42 . The bag can be opaque but is preferably clear, transparent or translucent. Referring to  FIG. 13 , the bag  62  containing the spoon  58  and straw  60  is sealed together with the packed coconut bag  42  using the sealer  44  previously described. 
         [0041]      FIG. 14  schematically shows the processed plastic bags  42  carried on a moving belt  64  into a blast freezer, which blows cold air at high velocity to reduce the temperature to −5 to −20 degree Celsius. This will cause the coconut water to expand and pushout the coconut meat and coconut shell to split along the carved oval or circle lid  28  (see  FIG. 3 ). The splitting is just sufficient to enable one to use the tip of the metal tablespoon to pry the coconut shell lid  28  along the carved groove  20  to come off easily. 
         [0042]    The ready-to-eat coconut with roasted coconut flavor is stored at a temperature of −5 to −20 degree Celsius until it reaches customers. It will be frozen in the freezer until the consumption time when it will be moved to a refrigerator. This is the same as normal frozen food consumption. When used, the frozen coconut is thawed until the temperature is approximately 5-10 degree Celsius, which is sufficient for consumption. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIGS. 15A-5C , the tip of the tablespoon  58  will open the coconut shell and the drinking straw  60  used to make two holes  68  and  70  through the coconut meat to enable one to drink the coconut water. After that, as shown in  FIG. 16 , the tablespoon  58  is used to get the coconut meat for consumption, which is easy to do because the coconut meat is separated from the coconut shell as a result of the manufacturing process of this invention. 
         [0044]    Although the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the principles and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Accordingly, such modifications may be practiced within the scope of the following claims.