Coffee from Ampalaya Seeds

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark, slightly acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, called coffee beans. Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Coffee can have a stimulating effect on humans due to its caffeine content. It is one of the most-consumed beverages in the world. Ampalaya (Momordica charantia Linn.), also known as Bitter Melon, is a crawling vine that grows well in tropical countries, particularly in the Philippines. Known for its bitter taste, the Ampalaya is at once a staple ingredient in Filipino and Asian cuisines and a reliable home remedy for various illnesses, particularly diabetes. But aside from its role as a healthy food, Ampalaya is especially valued by diabetics for its known anti-diabetes.
The researcher decided to use ampalaya seeds instead of throwing it and decided to use the seeds as coffee to know if it could be a good alternative to the commercial one.

Objectives: 1. To produce coffee using ampalaya seeds as the main ingredient. 2. To determine if the ampalaya seeds have considerable characteristics of the products in terms of color, aroma, taste, and acidity. 3. To determine and compare the levels of acceptability of the coffee samples.

Hypotheses: 1. There is no significant difference among the different ampalaya coffee samples developed in terms of their color, aroma, taste, and acidity. 2. There is no significant difference among the different ampalaya coffee samples developed in terms of their acceptability.

Research Design This study used the experimental design which ampalaya seeds were dried up under the sun. After drying it up, the seeds were roasted and grind until powdery. Three samples of ampalaya seed coffee were made with different concentration of ampalaya seeds and one of the samples was a pure commercial coffee. The samples were then evaluated by a panel of tasters. Experimental Design: Table 1. Components of the Coffee Samples from Ampalaya Seeds Ingredients | Sample A | Sample B | Sample C | Ampalaya coffee (tsp) | 2 | 1 | None | Commercial coffee (tsp) | None | 1/2 | 1 | Water (cup) | 1 | 1 | 1 |

Materials and Equipment: Ampalaya seed coffee Commercial coffee Cooking pan Gas Range/ Stove
Grinder Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons Tea cups pH Meter Wash Bottle
2 pcs. 250-mL beaker

Procedure:

Preparation of Materials

The materials used were already available from the researcher’s residence except for the commercial coffee and ampalaya that were bought for the experiment. The whole seed of the ampalaya (outer and inner part) were used. The pH meter was borrowed from the Science Office and the beakers used during the experiment were available at the researcher’s school.

Making the Coffee

The researcher gathered ampalaya seeds then the seeds were dried under the sun for a few days. When completely dried, the seeds were roasted until they turn brown in color. The seeds were transformed into fine particles or in powder form through grinding. The specified amount for each coffee sample was put into the coffee maker with its equivalent amount of cup of water, it was served while hot. The main concern of this study was to test the potential of ampalaya seeds into coffee substitute production. Three samples were prepared, each with varying amounts of ampalaya seeds, and eventually rated by a panel of coffee drinkers chosen by the researcher.

Results and Findings

The main concern of this study was to test the potential of ampalaya seeds into coffee substitute production. Three samples were prepared, each with varying amounts of ampalaya seeds, and eventually rated by a panel of coffee drinkers chosen by the researcher.

Conclusions
The researcher concluded that Ampalaya seeds cannot be made into a good alternative coffee based on the result of evaluation among the thirty evaluators. Sample C which was made from pure commercial coffee had better characteristics in terms of color, aroma, and taste compared to the other samples which were made from Ampalaya seeds in different concentration. In terms of acidity, Sample A is not acidic, while Sample B is acidic but Sample C is the most acidic among the three samples. Since Sample A is not acidic, the Ampalaya coffee is safe to drink even though the drinker has not eaten any meal yet.
The researcher also found out that there is a significant difference among the samples in terms of its characteristics. However, there is no significant difference in terms of the general acceptability of each sample. This means that the coffee with ampalaya seeds are not comparable to commercial coffee in terms of color, aroma, and taste but it is generally acceptable.

References
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