FR2763216A1 - Production of a sweetened fried fruit or vegetable product - Google Patents

Abstract

Thin slices of fruit or vegetables are impregnated with sugar by being immersed in a sugar solution, dehydrated and fried in vegetable oil. The final product contains \-30% sugar on a dry weight basis.

Description

Method and device for treating fruits or vegetables
The present invention relates to a method and device for processing fruit or vegetables for obtaining food products, and the food products obtained.

 The technical sector of the invention is the field of manufacturing food products.

 The invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of pieces of dehydrated and fried fruits or vegetables.

 We know from patent application FR 2,000,810 (BERG et al), a process for preparing thin slices of fried bananas, in which it is heated to a temperature ranging from 65 to 1200 C and for a period of 1 to 45 minutes , a slice of banana pulp having a total sugar content of at most 1% by weight, and having a thickness of 0.508 to 2.54 millimeters, in which the slice is cooled to a temperature ranging from 1.5 to 930 C and it is preferably dried, after washing with water, to reach a water content of 5 to 15% by weight.

 The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of processing fruit, for obtaining fried and dehydrated food products.

 The present invention more particularly aims to provide such a treatment which makes it possible to obtain a piece of fried dehydrated fleshy fruit (or vegetable), in particular slices of fleshy fruit such as pineapple or bananas, which have an attractive color, preferably close to the color of the fresh fruit or vegetable, which have a crisp texture, a low fat content and a low water content.

 According to a first aspect, the invention consists in using a process for manufacturing fried food products based on at least one plant, such that, before frying, the plant is brought into contact with sugar, added if necessary with salt to impregnate and dehydrate it.

According to a preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention for treating fruits or vegetables, particularly fleshy fruits such as apples, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, or even carrots or kiwis, for obtaining food products fried such as crisps, process in which successively
- said fruits or vegetables are cut into small pieces, for example sliced, diced or sliced, then
- the pieces of fruit or vegetables are brought into contact with a solution containing sugar, to impregnate the said pieces with sugar and to dehydrate them, then
- Separating or extracting said pieces from said solution, then
- said dehydrated and impregnated pieces are fried.

 If necessary, before or after the cutting step, the skin of the fruit or vegetable is peeled or removed.

According to preferential embodiments of the invention
the contacting operation is obtained by immersing the pieces of fruit or vegetables in a sweet aqueous solution, optionally added with salt, particularly for the treatment of vegetables, and / or one or more acids, and / or one or more curators
the sugar content of said sweet solution corresponds to a brix degree at least equal to 40, preferably less than or equal to 70, for example of the order of 50 to 60
the operation of bringing pieces of fruit or vegetables into contact with said sugar solution is carried out at a temperature between 10 and 90 "C, preferably ranging from 30 to 60 C, for example close to 50 C
the duration of bringing the pieces into contact with the solution is less than or equal to ten hours, for example of the order of one hour to three hours
the pieces of fruit or vegetables are brought into contact with said aqueous solution at a pressure of between 50,000 pascals and 200,000 pascals, for example close to atmospheric pressure (approximately 100,000 pascals)
the frying step is carried out by immersion of the pieces of fruit or vegetables in a bath of vegetable oil maintained at a temperature between 80 and 1800 ° C., preferably in a bath maintained at a temperature between 120 and 1600 ° C. and preferably at atmospheric pressure (evacuation being possible), for example maintained at a temperature in the region of 140 ° C., the immersion operation is preferably carried out for a duration less than or equal to 5 minutes, preferably ranging 1 to 3 minutes (60 to 180 seconds), for example for a period of the order of 120 to 150 seconds
- The ratio of the mass of fruits or vegetables immersed in the oil to the mass of oil is between 1 / 100th and 1 / 10th, and preferably ranging from 1 / 20th to 1 / 40th.

According to another aspect, the invention consists in using a device for processing fruit or vegetables, which comprises
- where appropriate, a means of separating the skin and the flesh of the fruit or vegetable, as well as a means of cutting the flesh and / or the fruit and vegetables into pieces,
- a means of bringing the pieces of fruit and vegetables into contact with sugar and, where appropriate, salt and / or one or more acids and other preservatives,
- a means of frying pieces previously impregnated with sugar,
- And preferably an automatic or motorized means of transferring pieces of fruit or vegetables from said means for contacting the sugar with said frying means.

Preferably, in the device according to the invention, said means for bringing pieces of fruit and vegetables into contact with the sugar comprises a container such as a container capable of receiving a sweet aqueous solution, in which said frying means comprises
- a second container such as a tank capable of receiving frying oil,
- one or more supports for pieces of fruit or vegetables, such as wire baskets
- Said automatic transfer means may comprise a transfer conveyor and / or a bridge fitted with a hoist capable of moving said supports of pieces of fruit from the first container to the second container and able to introduce and extract said support of fruits successively with respect to said first container and said second container.

 The invention also provides pieces of dehydrated and fried fruit or vegetables, the sugar content of which is at least equal to 30% by mass (relative to the mass of dry matter of the piece of dehydrated and fried fruit or vegetable), preferably of which the sugar content ranges from 40 to 80% by mass.

According to preferred characteristics, the pieces of fruit or vegetables according to the invention contain in percentage by mass
- from 5% to 20% fat, and preferably from 7.5% to 15% fat,
- at least 80% dry matter, and preferably 85 to 99% dry matter
- the ratio of the saturated water pressure inside the piece of fruit or vegetable to the saturated water pressure outside the piece, is less than or equal to 0.65
- The smallest dimension of the piece of fruit or vegetable, such as the thickness of a piece in the form of a slice or slice, is preferably close to 0.5 millimeter to 2.5 millimeters, for example of the order from 1 to 2 millimeters.

 Although the complexity and the multitude of physicochemical processes involved, both in terms of the ripening of fruit or vegetables, and in terms of energy and material exchanges during contacting operations with a sweet solution on the one hand and during frying, on the other hand, do not make it possible to determine exactly the contribution of each parameter to obtaining the result of the invention, it appeared that, surprisingly, the combination of the two successive operations d impregnation of pieces of fruit or vegetables with sugar on the one hand, which leads to partial dehydration thereof, and the subsequent frying operation which also leads to partial dehydration, on the other hand, is essential to obtain an attractive product, both in terms of color and texture.

 In order to limit the fat content of the products obtained, it is desirable to fry at a relatively low temperature and for a relatively short time.

 Thanks to the prior dehydration operation by impregnating the pieces of fruit with sugar and, if necessary, salt (optionally added with acids and / or preservatives), a final product is obtained having a high sugar and material content. dry, as well as a relatively low water content which contributes to the ease of preservation of the product obtained.

 According to the preferred method of bringing the fruits or vegetables into contact with sugar and, where appropriate, salt, by contact (preferably by immersion) of the pieces in a solution, preferably a heated aqueous solution, such as a syrup, benefits from high heat and material exchange coefficients; therefore, this operation is quick and inexpensive (in terms of energy consumed in particular); a uniform treatment of the products is also obtained.

 The invention has the advantage of proposing a device for processing fruits or vegetables of a very simple and inexpensive design, which can be adapted to productions in large quantity or in small quantity by a simple dimensioning of its components, and which is also very easy to use and if necessary to automate.

 Thanks in particular to the operation prior to frying, of dehydration by impregnation, finished products of good organoleptic and nutritional quality are obtained by a simple process allowing the extraction of a large part of the water naturally present in the fruit or vegetable.

 The advantages provided by the invention will be better understood through the following description which refers to the appended drawing, which illustrates without any limiting character a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention.

 The single figure illustrates in schematic perspective view the main components of a fruit or vegetable processing device according to the invention.

 With reference to this figure, bananas or pineapples in particular, from which the skin has been previously removed, are moved by a transfer member 4 such as a belt conveyor, opposite a cutting means such as a blade 3 movable mounted and able to cut the fruit 1 into small pieces or slices 2; the pieces 2 obtained of fresh fruit are poured into a receptacle 5 such as a basket or a mesh plate resting on a support 6.

 A second transfer device consisting essentially of a carriage 9 movable in horizontal translation under a carrying beam 10 and supporting a hoist 8, can take, raise, lower and move the baskets or supports 5, 7 of pieces of fruit thus prepared; these transfer means allow the basket 7 to be immersed in a first container 11 such as a tank maintained at the desired temperature by a heating member 12 such as a coil (or other electric heating means), which first tank 11 is at least partly filled with a sweet aqueous solution.

 After immersion in the solution contained in the tank 11, the supports 5, 7 receiving the products can be extracted from this solution (and from the tank 11) to be moved by the transfer means 9, 10 opposite a station 13 d 'draining optionally, before being transferred to a frying station comprising in particular a tray 14 receiving the frying oil in which the supports 5, 7 also carrying the pieces of fruit 2 can be immersed; the tray 14 is also equipped with a heating means 15 to maintain the frying oil at the desired temperature.

 By way of example, the following describes methods for treating fruit and vegetables according to the invention.

 Example 1: Processing of carrots.

- peeled and then sliced into fresh whole carrots, the dry matter content of which is around 10% by mass approximately
- an aqueous solution or syrup comprising 80% sucrose and 20% glucose is prepared, the sugar content of which corresponds to 600 brix, which is maintained at a temperature of 60 ° C.
- the carrot strips are immersed in the solution for a period of at least 20 hours, for example for a period of approximately 24 hours
- At the end of this dehydration stage, dehydrated strips are obtained, the percentage by mass of dry matter of which is approximately 70%
- the dehydrated carrot strips are immersed in a frying bath brought to 1650 C for 70 seconds
- we obtain for 100 grams of fresh sliced carrots, about 36 grams of dehydrated and fried carrot strips, whose dry matter content is about 96%, whose fat content is about 11%, and whose content in sugar is 68% (in percentage by mass of the dry matter).

 Example 2: Pineapple treatment.

- we peel a pineapple which we cut into slices, which we cut themselves into quarters, then that we immerse for five hours in a glucose syrup of 70 "brix, maintained at 600 C
- the dry matter content of the pineapple pieces goes from around 16% before dehydration, to a value of around 60%, after dehydration, at which stage pieces of fruit similar to semi-candied fruit are obtained
- the dehydrated pineapple pieces are then fried by immersion in a palm oil bath brought to 1450 C, for approximately 110 seconds, and approximately 120 grams of pineapple chips are obtained from 340 grams of fresh treated pieces , the dry matter content of which is around 99%, the fat content of which is around 10%, and the sugar content of which is 45% (as a percentage by mass based on the mass of dry matter in the product obtained ).

 Example 3: Kiwi processing.

- peel and cut whole fresh fruit, the dry matter content of which is around 15%
- the pieces of fresh kiwi fruit are immersed in a 700 brix glucose syrup maintained at 600 ° C., additionally containing citric acid, for a duration of at least 20 hours, for example for a duration of approximately 28 hours
- pieces of dehydrated fruit are obtained, the dry matter content of which is close to 70%; the pieces of dehydrated kiwi fruit are fried for 1 minute in an oil bath brought to 1600 ° C., and kiwi chips are obtained at the rate of approximately 35 grams of finished product per 100 grams of pieces of fresh processed products
- the fat content of the finished products is 8%, the dry matter content of these products is 98 Wo, and the sugar content of the finished product is 61% of the dry matter of the finished product.

Claims (10)

 1. Method for manufacturing fried food products based on at least one vegetable, characterized in that, before frying, the vegetable is brought into contact with sugar in order to impregnate and dehydrate it.  2. Method for treating fruits or vegetables, particularly fleshy fruits such as apples, bananas, pineapples, mangoes or carrots or kiwis in particular, for obtaining fried food products, in which the pieces of fruit are brought into contact or vegetables with a solution containing sugar, to impregnate the said pieces with sugar and to dehydrate them, then the said dehydrated and impregnated pieces are fried.  3. Method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the contacting operation is obtained by immersion of the pieces of fruit or vegetables in a sweet aqueous solution, optionally added with salt or acid.  4. Method according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the sugar content of said sugar solution corresponds to 10 brix at least equal to 40, preferably less than or equal to 70.  5. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the operation of bringing pieces of fruit or vegetables into contact with said sugar solution is carried out at a temperature between 100 and 900 C, preferably ranging from 30 at 600 C, in which the contacting time is less than or equal to ten hours, and in which the contacting takes place at a pressure of between 50,000 pascals and 200,000 pascals.  6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the frying step is carried out by immersion of the pieces of fruit or vegetables in a bath of vegetable oil maintained at a temperature between 80 and 1800 C, preferably at atmospheric pressure, the immersion operation being carried out for a duration of less than 5 minutes, and in which the ratio of the mass of fruits or vegetables immersed in the oil to the mass of oil is between 1 / 100th and 1 / 10th.  7. Fruit or vegetable processing device, which comprises a means of bringing pieces of fruit and vegetables into contact with sugar, and a means of frying pieces previously impregnated with sugar.  8. Device according to claim 7, which further comprises an automatic means for transferring pieces of fruit or vegetables from said means for contacting sugar with said means for frying, and in which said means for contacting pieces of fruit and vegetables with sugar, comprises a container capable of receiving a sweet aqueous solution, and preferably in which said frying means comprises  - A second container capable of receiving frying oil, and one or more supports for pieces of fruit or vegetables, such as wire baskets.  9. Piece of dehydrated and fried fruit or vegetable with a sugar content of at least 30% by mass based on the mass of dry matter of the dehydrated and fried piece.  10. Piece of fruit or vegetable according to claim 9, which comprises in percentage by mass  - from 5% to 20% fat, and preferably from 7.5% to 15% fat,  - at least 80% dry matter, and preferably 85 to 99% dry matter,  and in which the ratio of the saturated water pressure inside the piece to the saturated water pressure outside the piece is less than or equal to 0.65, and in which the smallest dimension of the piece of fruit is close to 0.5 millimeter to 2.5 millimeters.