Tan Phuoc pineapple candy: From local specialty to OCOP product

When mentioning Tan Phuoc district, Tien Giang province, people immediately think of the vast pineapple fields full of fruit. Pineapple is considered one of the crops that bring “sweetness” to the alum soil, helping people here escape poverty and become rich. Today, with diligence and creativity, Tan Phuoc people have made pineapple candy that is popular in many places.

The early days of pineapple growing on the acidic soil of Tan Phuoc were very difficult. Due to the long distance and the pineapple acreage in Go Quao at that time, purchasing seedlings was very difficult. When pineapple plants produced bumper crops on the farmland, Tan Phuoc farmers were happy and excited. From then on, pineapple plants spread deep into Dong Thap Muoi, to the communes of Tan Hoa Dong, Thanh Hoa, Thanh Tan, Thanh My...

Tan Phuoc pineapple candy production facility has many diverse products from pineapple such as: sweet and sour pineapple candy, ginger pineapple candy, spicy pineapple candy, pineapple cake...

Along with the process of building flood-proof dikes and changing the crop structure, the pineapple area has continuously increased every year. Specifically, in 2009, the pineapple area in Tan Phuoc was 11,236 hectares and is now more than 15,000 hectares (an increase of more than 10,762 hectares compared to 1994), the output reached more than 250,000 tons/year (an increase of nearly 70,000 tons compared to 1994), making Tan Phuoc the largest pineapple material area in the Mekong Delta region.

Nowadays, Tan Phuoc pineapple is also known for its typical jam made from pineapple, the main industrial crop of the district. Many consumers prefer it not only because of its characteristic sweet aroma and reasonable price, but also because this is a product that uses completely natural ingredients, safe for users. Previously, when the harvest season came, traders only bought grade 1 and grade 2 pineapples; small pineapples that did not meet the standards accounted for nearly 1/3 of the output and had to be brought to the market to sell, sometimes not being able to sell all of them and had to be thrown away. Tan Phuoc people have taken advantage of this source of raw materials to contribute to increasing the value and creating more output for pineapples.

Currently, Tan Phuoc district has more than 60 households making pineapple jam; of which, Tan Phuoc pineapple candy production facility (Phuoc Lap commune) is one of the largest pineapple jam production facilities in the district. The facility was established in 2017, initially, the pineapple candy production facility had a fairly high manual rate so the production capacity was not much. Since 2018, the facility has invested in automatic machinery systems such as: jam making machine, candy cutting machine, automatic packaging machine... Thereby, the pineapple candy production stages are shortened in time but still ensure quality.

Pineapple candy is packaged by automatic machine.

According to Mr. Nguyen Chi Thien, manager of Tan Phuoc Pineapple Candy Production Facility, although some stages of pineapple candy are processed using machines, important stages such as peeling pineapple, pressing peanuts and sesame are all done by hand to ensure the best quality. In particular, pineapple ingredients are carefully selected from fresh fruit, ensuring natural sweetness and no preservatives are used. Although many stages have been automated, pineapple candy at the facility is still cooked over wood fire to ensure the best flavor. Every day, the facility can supply from 130 to 160 kg of finished jam, depending on market demand. On average, the facility can produce from 5 to 8 tons per year, consumed in domestic and foreign markets such as: Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City, Quang Ninh, Hanoi ...

The finished pineapple candy has a unique flavor with a blend of the sweet and sour taste of pineapple, with the fatty taste of peanuts and roasted sesame, all blending to create a rich flavor but still bearing the characteristics of Tan Phuoc alum land. Besides traditional pineapple candy, the facility also creates many other confectionery products from pineapple such as: Ginger pineapple candy, spicy pineapple candy, pineapple cake... beautifully packaged to attract consumers. The selling price of the products ranges from 110,000 - 140,000 VND/kg depending on the type, including packaged lines of 400g, 450g, 500g and 1kg.

Notably, the facility’s products have been recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards with the following products: Sweet and sour pineapple candy, ginger pineapple candy and spicy pineapple candy. This is a clear demonstration of the effort to improve quality; at the same time, it is an important stepping stone to bring the product further into the market. According to Mr. Nguyen Chi Thien, in the coming time, the facility will focus on developing sweet and sour pineapple candy products that meet 4-star OCOP standards, as well as researching and processing pineapple cakes to expand pineapple products.

CAO THANG  

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/kinh-te/202505/keo-khom-tan-phuoc-tu-dac-san-dia-phuong-den-san-pham-ocop-1042463/