EVALUASI MUTU KIMIA, FISIKA DAN MIKROBIOLOGI NIRA AREN (Arenga pinnata) SELAMA PENYIMPANAN Chemical, Physical, Microbiology Property Evaluation of Neera (Arenga pinnata) during Storage

The study was conducted to evaluate the changes of quality of neera during storage after process improvement withfiltration and pasteurization. Research conducted using completely randomized design with factorial pattern. Factor treatment were filtering (coarse sieve, sieve 40 mesh, and without filtering), pasteurization (pasteurization and without pasteurization), and storage at room temperature (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 , and 15 hours) and performed as many as 3 replication. Observations were carried out for the quality of chemical, physical and microbiological. The results showed that the handling of juice with coarse filtration using filter and pasteurization can maintain the stability of palm juice for 15 hours in storage at room temperature, with a sucrose content was 14.48 %, TSS was 16.4 ° Briks, alcohol was 1,39 % , total acid was 0.182 %, pH was 6.82, viscosity was 14.53 cp, bias index was 1.355 nd, and the total growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds which slowed. ABSTRAK Penelitian dilakukan untuk mengevaluasi perubahan mutu nira aren selama penyimpanan setelah diberikan perbaikanproses penanganan segarnya yaitu dengan penyaringan dan pasteurisasi. Penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap pola faktorial dengan faktor perlakuan yaitu penyaringan (saringan kasar, saringan 40 mesh, dan tanpa penyaringan), pasteurisasi (pasteurisasi dan tanpa pasteurisasi), dan penyimpanan pada suhu ruang (0, 3,6, 9, 12, dan 15 jam) serta dilakukan sebanyak 3 kali ulangan. Pengamatan dilakukan terhadap mutu kimia, fisik dan mikrobiologi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penanganan nira dengan penyaringan menggunakan saringan kasar dan pasteurisasi dapat mempertahankan kestabilan nira aren selama 15 jam dalam penyimpanan di suhu ruang, dengan kandungan sukrosa 14,48 %, TSS 16,4 °Briks, total alkohol 1,39 %, total asam 0,182 %, pH 6,82, viskositas 14,53 cp, indeks bias 1,355 nd, dan pertumbuhan total bakteri, khamir dan kapang yang diperlambat.