Kokum butter
Kokum butter or kokum oil is a fat derived from the seeds of the kokum tree. Kokum butter is edible, but can also be used for things other than cooking.
Kokum fruits are collected for seeds from April to May. A tree yields 10–15 kilograms seeds, on average. The fruit contains 5 to 8 large seeds, compressed and embedded in an acidic pulp. The seeds account for 20–23% of the fruit's weight. The kernel accounts for 60% of the fruit's weight and 61% of the seed's weight. The oil content of the seeds is 23–26%. The oil content of the kernel is about 44% of the seed's weight. A kernel contains 41–42% oil and upto 17% protein.
Collection of seeds
Fruits are collected manually by handpicking. The tree branches are shaken with long sticks and fallen fruits are collected. The fruits are broken by sticks to separate the seeds, which are picked up by hand. Then the separated seeds are dried to reduce their moisture content.Properties of oil
Kokum oil or kokum butter is light gray or yellowish in color. After refining, the kokum fat is equivalent to vanaspati ghee.| Property | Value |
| Appearance | Light pinkish white color |
| Odor | Characteristic kokum odor |
| Taste | Typical taste of kokum fat |
| Specific gravity | .898-0.914 g/cm3 |
| Slip melting point | 34–40 °C |
| Iodine value | 34–40 |
| Saponification value | 187–193 |
| Unsaponifiable matter | 1.2% |
| Moisture | 0.25 |
| Peroxide value | 4.0 max |
Kokum oil contains up to 60–65% saturated fatty acid, making it solid at room temperature, so this oil is known as kokum butter or kokum fat. Its triglyceride composition is uniform and consists of up to 80% of stearic-oleic-stearic triglycerides. Because its slip melting point is close to human body temperature, it tends to melt on skin contact.
Fatty acid composition of fat
| Fatty acid | Percentage |
| Palmitic acid | 2.0–8.0 |
| Stearic acid | 55–65 |
| Oleic acid | 30–44 |
| Linoleic acid | 0–8 |