Unique Sugar Alternative

TIANA Fairtrade Organics are committed to Organic Produce, Fairtrade and Sustainable Agriculture. We pride ourselves on looking after our coconut farmers, who in turn look after their coconut trees. The coconut trees are their source of income and they look after them in a truly sustainable manner. However, some coconut oil companies sell coconut sugar which is not a sustainable product.

Are you buying sustainable coconut sugar?
To make sure you buy a sustainable product, please read below:

It could be claimed that the coconut tree is the most useful plant on earth, because it has more uses than any other trees in the world. In fact, it’s so useful, that it is often considered a “three-generation-tree”: supporting a farmer, his children and his grandchildren.

Coconut palm trees are often referred to as the “tree of life”.  The coconut is an important crop which contributes significantly to the economy in Far East countries. The coconut tree grows to over 30 meters in height and has about 30 -40 feather-like leaves. On the average, a coconut tree produces 15 to 18 new leaves annually and the life of each coconut tree is approximately 100 years.

The tree produces coconut fruit, which is used to produce desiccated coconut, milk, cream, virgin coconut oil, and coconut flour. From the tree you can also get green young coconuts which are used for coconut water, coconut sap, which is used for coconut nectar syrup, sugar, chutney, candy, coconut champagne, vodka, wine and vinegar.

From the coconut flower you can also produce coconut tea, and the oil can be used to make soap, shampoo, lotion, body oil, virgin coconut oil jelly. And that’s not all, from the husk you can make agricultural landscaping solutions. Coconut is even used for making fashion accessories such as bags, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hats and shoes, as well as doormats, carpets, frames, baskets, and utility boxes.

Coconut is a plant which produces male and female flowers on the same tree but in different parts of the same flower cluster. The male flowers are more numerous (200 to 300) than the female (20 to 30).  Flowers grow to around 1 cm long; the base of flowering branches are tapped for sap and flowering starts at 6 to 12 years of age, occurring continuously.  Coconut trees produce far more flowers on a continuous basis than those that develop into mature coconuts, therefore by tapping a limited number of the flowers; the trees are still able to produce a lot of coconuts.

Coconut is a fruit which grows in clusters among the leaves of the tree. The coconut tree bears fruit from around its 7^th year, being most productive in the first 50 years of its life yet living for approximately 100 years. Coconuts grow in bunches usually containing between six to twelve nuts, with each fruit taking around one year to ripen. A mature coconut tree normally produces a bunch every month, which equates to around 50 to 100 coconuts per year.

To produce cheap coconut sugar, some farmers can destroy nut production by using all flowers for tapping sap to produce coconut sugar, making the product unsustainable.     

What you should know about the sustainable production

of TIANA Fairtrade Organics Coconut Nectar, sugar alternative.

To maximise the economic potential of the coconut tree, coconut farmers are now producing two products: sap or nectar and coconuts. It is possible to assign coconut trees for both “tapping” and “nut production”. This is done by restricting tapping to 6 months or tapping only alternative spathes so that fruit production is also possible during the remaining months of the year. In the Philippines, Coconut Trees are only used to produce both, sap and nut, by tapping only half the length and leaving the lower half for nut production. Under proper management, the coconut tree can yield 19 tons of crystallised coconut nectar per hectare per year.

Each coconut tree represents a considerable investment in time and effort by the coconut farmers to bring them into production. At TIANA Fairtrade Organics, our fairtrade and organic coconut farmers work on a sustainable Agriculture basis and will not risk damage to their trees by over producing coconut nectar to a point where the tree goes into decline. 

TIANA Fairtrade Organics Raw Crystallised Coconut Nectar is a Sustainable Unique Sugar Alternative

The freshly collected coconut nectar is sweet and nearly neutral in pH (equal 6) and a Brix of 17. It contains 14-19% sugar (mainly sucrose and small amount of glucose), and it is rich in amino acids, specifically glutamic acid and vitamins. The coconut nectar is rich in inositol that is classified as a member of the vitamin B-complex and required for the proper formation of cell membranes. 

The coconut nectar immediately starts alcoholic fermentation and becomes completely fermented within a day.  In order to avoid fermentation for production of TIANA crystallised coconut nectar, it is collected every 4 hours. Following collection, it immediately undergoes the process of crystallisation to achieve slightly golden coloured crystals, resulting in TIANA organic raw crystallised nectar, which is 100% raw and full of important nutrients. This is what makes our product different and more beneficial than the competitors out there.    

To crystallise coconut sugar, the producer must use various anti-fermented agents, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve crystals. If comparing TIANA crystallised coconut nectar in colour with coconut sugar, coconut sugar has a dark colour because the crystallisation happens at temperatures above 100°C and the sugar will become caramelised, resulting in a dark colour.  In some countries that produce coconut sugar, it can be also mixed with organic muscovado sugar, palm sugar or other malt varieties.

TIANA Fairtrade Organics Raw Crystallised Coconut Nectar, all purpose sugar alternative:

• Use as a 1:1 replacement to sugar, agave or maple syrups and sweeteners.
• Use in tea, coffee, cocoa, cocktails, milkshakes and smoothies.
• Ideal on cereals, porridge, yoghurt, pancakes or sprinkled over fruit.
• It has a very low melting temperature with an extremely high burn temperature, making it perfect for confectionery and various baked foods.
• It tastes sensational by spoon.

No sulphates, No chemicals, No colourings, No preservatives, No stabilisers, No flavourings, No GM ingredients, No cholesterol, No cane sugar, No palm sugar, No soya, No grain, No gluten, No dairy, No yeast. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.