**8. Season and stage for tapping**

The extraction of sap from the inflorescence is called tapping and tapping vary according to the sex of the palm and age of the inflorescence. Long tapping duration is noticed in female palms (April to December) when compared to male palms (December to February). Dry season tapping is done mostly in the low lying lands where palms do not suffer due to moisture stress during drought period. The spathe is considered ready for tapping when the inflorescence opens or is just about to


#### **Table 3.**

*Proximate physico chemical composition of palmyrah natural and value added products on initial day of storage [9].*

burst. The female flowers within the unopened spadix causes a swelling at the base and this indicates the appropriate stage for tapping.

**10.2 Kaivetty**

**10.4 Jaggery**

**215**

(July to November).

**10.3 Nungu (palmyrah tender fruit endosperm)**

*Scope, Nutritional Importance and Value Addition in Palmyrah…*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97501*

The sap is extracted from the inflorescence at an age of two to three months where the matured fruits on the inflorescence are sliced for collection of the sap

The tender fruit endosperm is a summer delicacy consumed in the southern and

eastern parts of India. On the hot summer day *nungu* acts as a coolant for the parching throat. It provides a proportionate balance of minerals and sugar which is required for the body during the summer season to attain cooling. The tender fruit endosperm, which is available in abundance during the summer season, is rich in vitamin B, iron, calcium niacin and riboflavin. It is used to cure ulcers, urinary infections and heat rashes which mainly occur during summer months [11].

The palmyra tender fruit has the outer fibrous layer containing the sugary gelatinous endosperm. Fresh tender endosperm is perishable and highly prone to postharvest losses due to spoilage as it is composed of living tissues. These tissues must be kept alive and healthy throughout the process of marketing. Several factors influence the postharvest losses of most commodities. These include primary factors *viz.*, mechanical injuries, physiological changes and environmental factors such as temperature, humidity *etc.* Secondary factors which are responsible for deterio-

Palmyrah jaggery is superior to cane jaggery. Cane jaggery is sweet, but Palm jaggery is sweet and delicious it can be produced worth crores of rupees. Palm jaggery gives mineral salts too. Doctors have told me to eat jaggery and I always eat

Jaggery is a natural sweetener made by concentrating the palmyrah fresh neera with clarification to remove impurities and uniform heating in open pan. As the jaggery is made up of longer chains of sucrose it is complex in nature when

ration of produce is due to inadequate facilities for harvesting, handling,

Palm jaggery. Nature has made this product in such a way that it cannot be manufactured in the Mills, it is produced in the Cottages. Where there are Palm trees, this jaggery can be easily produced. Andhra Desha has thousands of Palm trees, there jaggery is produced in every hamlet. This is the way to banish poverty from the land. This also is an antidote to poverty." (From a speech delivered at the opening of the village industry exhibition in Brindawan Bihar on 3 May 1939 by Mahatma Gandhi) which speaks about the potentiality of palmyrah jaggery.

postharvest treatments, packaging, transportation, storage.

*Neera* is widely consumed in countries like India, Sri Lanka, Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar. It is a potential health and therapeutic drink since it is rich source of Vitamin C and vitamin B complex, having more calories which fight against diabetes, cancer, electrolyte deficiency and even hair fall. *Neera* is rich source of sugars, essential elements micronutrients and minerals. It contains acids like nicotinic acid (Vit.B3) and riboflavin (Vit.B2) and also can be consumed by people suffering from diabetes since it has a low glycemic index (GI) [10]. Consumption of *neera* prevents jaundice and also facilitates clear urination. It keeps the human biological system cool and helps to improve digestion. In a large scale *neera* production is noticed in an un-organized manner with major consumption by rural population. Hence, there is a wide scope for commercializing the product.

## **9. Tapping in male palm**

#### **9.1 Aripanai**

Sap extracted from 2 weeks old inflorescence by removing the sheet covering the inflorescence and the inflorescence is kept to dry for three days. Later a new surface is made by cutting and pot is tied directly to the inflorescence to collect the sap. In this method no pressing or stroking to the inflorescence is made as like other methods of tapping.

#### **9.2 Vallupanai**

Sap is extracted from one month old inflorescence. In this tapping method male spikes bearing sessile flowers are subjected to pressing and stroking and such three to six spikes are brought together wrapped with palmyrah leaves kept in a pot for collection of the sap.

#### **10. Tapping in female inflorescence**

#### **10.1 Tattupalai**

Sap is extracted from the young inflorescence by softening the tissues. The inflorescence main axis is hitted with iron rod and fork is used to give a small press in the region where the fruits used to develop.

*Scope, Nutritional Importance and Value Addition in Palmyrah… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97501*
