JPH0413971B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the sweetening and preservation of food products, and more particularly to the preservation of blueberries, cherries, and similar fruits. Prior Art and its Problems Listed below are the prior patents known to the applicant and their published materials: Research” U.S. Army National Research Institute Technical Report,
No. 70-52, F1, 1970 Rahman A.R.
Taylor G.R., Shahua G.
U.S. Patent No. 2,899,319, issued July 30, 1959;
Dehydration of cherries Powers, M.G., Norman G.A.
D. U.S. Patent No. 3,356,512, issued December 5, 1967, ``Method of Producing Artificially Sweetened Freeze-Dried Fruit Products'' Lamer, N.A., P. Terson, R.D., Battle, Michigan. Creek City, Assignee of Kerotsugu Company, U.S. Patent No. 3,395,512, issued on July 30, 1968, ``Method of Freeze-Drying Fruits and Combining with Dried Shells'', issued on July 30, 1968, VOLINS DUBLIEU. U.S. Pat. ``How to Freeze-dry the Materials'' by Shyashmitt R.K., Kenyon R.K.
E. U.S. Patent No. 3,511,668, issued May 12, 1970, ``Artificially Sweetened Freeze-Dried Foods,'' VOLINK, D.L., S.R.K., Kenyon, R.E., New York. General Foods Corporation, White Plain, Assignee U.S. Patent No. 3,806,610, April 23, 1974, ``Method of Making Brill Berry Products Compressed, Freezed, Vacuumed, and Dehydrated to Increase Density.'' ”
Rahman A.R. U.S. Patent No. 4341803 Issued July 27, 1982 "Method of Producing Dried Fruit Chips" Japan Dei Koshida, Kei Jikizawa, Jie Majima, R. Hatsutori The above prior art is products, namely Buryu Berry;
Freeze-drying is used to reduce the moisture content of cherries and other fruits. Some patents add artificial sweeteners by spraying or macerating the fruit before or after freeze-drying. These prior techniques attempt to reduce the moisture content of products that are rehydrated before eating. The following is a discussion of the prior art described above. U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,319 describes a method for making dehydrated cherries consisting of pitted "cherries" treated with sulfuric acid. This process consists of freezing sulfuric acid-treated cherries, followed by dehydration using a vacuum and a heating medium, in order to produce a product that is easily reconstituted to liquid before eating. U.S. Patent No. 3,356,512 easily (moisture)
1 illustrates a method for rapidly artificially sweetening reconstituted freeze-dried fruit products, namely peaches. In this patent, a solvent or dissolved artificial sweetener is added to freeze-dried fruit, which is subsequently dried into a final product having a moisture content of no more than 3%. The patentee has acknowledged the difficulties and demonstrated the unsuitability of using sucrose to sweeten fruit before and after freeze-drying. U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,022 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,530 describe a method and improvement in the method for producing dehydrated fruits such as strawberries, peaches, brill berries, and bananas for use with cereal products such as breakfast foods. be. Fruit products have very low moisture content, such as 1.5% in the case of Brill berries, and are quickly reconstituted in milk in 30 to 180 seconds. These patents involve slow and gradual freezing of fruit to form large ice crystals within the cells, breaking the cell habit and making it easier for artificial sweeteners to penetrate the fruit. Destruction of cell walls by water has a negative effect on fruit shape and chewability. Another destructive method used in these two patents is cutting or piercing by piercing the epidermis and cellular tissue of the blueberry fruit prior to freeze drying. Destructive methods for the fruit skin and wall promote the leaching of ancyanins (blue coloring material) from the berries into the surrounding liquid, such as milk or cream, during the reconstitution process, and this liquid leaching reduces the appetite of the surrounding liquid and the shell material. This produces a color and appearance that is undesirable. US Pat. No. 3,511,668 describes a method of artificially sweetening freeze-dried foods such as strawberries, blueberries and peaches. The patentee notes the difficulty of adding sugar in solution or dry form to sweeten the fruit to the desired level, as well as lyophilizing the product. Therefore, the above method of sweetening fruits involves macerating or spraying the fruits in a solution containing artificial sweeteners to a low moisture content of 2-3% before freeze-drying, and then soaking the fruits in milk or cream for 30 minutes in milk or cream. - to produce products that are regenerated in 60 seconds. The patent uses slow freezing of fruit products to form large ice crystals that break down cell walls and facilitate the penetration of artificial sweeteners. In particular, Buryuberry fruits are punctured or poked into the epidermis and cell tissue to promote penetration. U.S. Patent No. 3806610, treating fruits with sulfuric acid;
Describes a method for producing pressurized freeze-vacuum dehydrated blueberries by dehydrating under freeze-vacuum to 0.5% moisture and heating and compressing the dehydrated fruit under pressure. There is. U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,803 discloses a method for producing dried fruit chips of apples, pineapples, cantaloupes, apricots, persimmons, papayas, etc. for use as snack foods. In this method, the sugar content of thinly sliced fruit particles or fruit pulp is adjusted, the chips are dried by freeze drying, followed by microwave drying, and vacuum dried until the moisture content is approximately 5%. It is emphasized that it is essential for the production of products to carry out drying in three stages one after another by freeze-drying, microwave irradiation in a vacuum, and vacuum drying. Furthermore, it is stated that a desired product cannot be manufactured if only the freeze-drying stage of the three-stage drying process is used. The three-stage drying process is linked in the above-mentioned order to achieve the objectives of the invention. The present invention and product overcome the problems of the prior art described above by controlling the moisture and sweetness of the product and preserving the natural color and flavor of the fruit without causing damage to the fruit's epidermis or cell walls. , reduces energy use by minimizing residual moisture on the surface, freeze-drying and rapid release of vacuum gives the processed fruit a different appearance, improves taste, shelf life, and hand and palate feel. The company supplies products that have been SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In summary, the present invention provides a method for producing a semi-moist sweet fruit product having a moisture content in the range of 10% to 40%, comprising fresh or frozen fruit and sugar-coated and natural sugar-coated fruit products. Without disturbing the epidermis and producing a mixture of sugar-coated fruit and sugar-containing fruit syrup, the juice migrates outward from the fruit and the sugar concentration reaches equilibrium inside the fruit. The syrup is separated from the fruit, and the fruit is rinsed to remove surface sugar and syrup from the outside of the fruit. Freeze-drying the fruit in a vacuum atmosphere, including removing excess free water on the surface and rapidly releasing the vacuum over a relatively short period of time, crushes the fruit to create a delicious, wrinkled, firm bite. The result is a method of producing a semi-moist fruit product comprising the steps of: In summary, the present invention also provides methods for sugar-coating fresh or frozen fruit without disturbing the natural epidermis of the fruit and for generating a mixture of sugar-coated fruit and sugar-containing fruit syrup. osmotic exchange between fruit juice and sugar within the fruit such that the juice migrates outward from the fruit and the sugars migrate into the interior of the fruit through osmotic exchange until the sugar concentration reaches equilibrium within the fruit; Separating the syrup from the fruit, rinsing the fruit to remove surface sugars and syrup from the fruit, removing excess free water on the surface, and removing the fruit rapidly over a relatively short period of time. Freeze-dry in a vacuum atmosphere,
The process of crushing the fruit into a wrinkled, firm chew-requiring palatable state results in a semi-moist fruit product with a moisture content of 10-40% and a wrinkled appearance and chew-requiring palatable properties. do. Contrary to previous methods, the key principles of the present invention are that the sugar/syrup treatment step is followed by a clean rinse;
Freeze-drying is performed by controlling the moisture content. The advantages of the invention are as follows. To produce a novel food product consisting of semi-moist berries, cherries and the like, in which the moisture and sugar content is adjusted to enhance flavor and improve the texture, taste and shelf life of the product. Although preserved foods can be combined with other foods and mixtures to be used as cooking ingredients, snack foods produce foods of a nature that are ready for consumption right off the shelf. The preservation process provides an improved food product that imparts homogeneity, sweetness, moisture, and flavor, but also separates the food into individual pieces, reducing the stickiness of individual pieces of food and making it easier to measure out predetermined amounts. . More specifically, it is contemplated to use the fruit in its natural state in breakfast foods, kutskii, matufin, kyandi, ice cream, but it is used because natural fruit does not withstand storage, travel and transportation. In the absence of precedent, it is possible to provide a preserved food of the above-mentioned nature, having an intermediate moisture content of 10% to 40%, which can be made edible as an ingredient readily incorporated as a component of a mixture or as a snack food. . A secondary by-product can be provided consisting of a strained and sweetened fruit syrup that is lyophilized and preserved in the crystalline state and has the unexpected natural flavor and color associated with natural fruit. Produced in a harmonious commercial manner, it has significantly superior properties than the same fruit produced by known methods, with reduced transport weight, lower moisture content and higher sugar content. Parts of fruit or adulterated products that inhibit the growth of microorganisms, extend the shelf life, extend the shelf life, and are preserved by normal freezing, canning, or otherwise sold through normal marketing channels without special hand links and sales. A semi-moist fruit made into a freely circulating product, which facilitates transportation, packaging and weighing as well as incorporation as a semi-moist fruit, which is harder and less brittle than its natural state and relatively elastic and compressible. It is possible,
The above-mentioned method allows the use of a novel method of producing food products such as those described above, which can be easily packaged without the risk of bruising or damage during transportation that occurs when trying to package fruit in its natural and canned or frozen state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a preserved fruit having the above-mentioned properties and producing by-products of the above-mentioned properties. These advantages, as well as other particular advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the drawings which form a part of the invention. The basic principle of the invention is to coat the fruit with granulated sugar and begin the sugar/syrup exchange process, followed by washing/rinsing and freeze drying. The sugar/syrup exchange process utilizes a natural phenomenon that provides a non-destructive method of removing liquid from the fruit and allowing sugar molecules to enter the fruit parts and cells.
The non-destructive method of extracting juice through the cell wall prevents damage to the fruit epidermis, and the process of penetrating the fruit with sugar molecules is called osmosis and osmosis, which filters the juice towards the outside of the fruit. This is based on the principle of pressure.
As more juice is released from the fruit, sugar molecules dissolve and the syrup leaching process progresses. The more juice is released from the fruit cells and fruit, the more liquid accumulates in the sugar/syrup environment, increasing the amount of sugar dissolved in the solution. As the juice exudation process continues, the amount of sugar particles/molecules that dissolve into the liquid increases, causing the exudation pressure of the syrup on the outside of the fruit to rise above the pressure inside the fruit, and the sugar molecules to be absorbed into the fruit, its cells, and the liquid. into the cells (this step is facilitated by several factors described below). The process of syrup exudation continues, as the juice leaves the fruit, the sugar particles dissolve in the juice to form syrup, and the sugar particles enter the fruit until a certain equilibrium dictated by the soluble solids is reached. An important step in the present invention is to remove excess syrup on the fruit by washing, rinsing and wiping the excess syrup from the equilibrated sweetened fruit prior to freeze drying. Failure to properly perform this washing and separation will result in drying of the syrup on the outside of the fruit, resulting in a sticky and sticky product, which will significantly reduce product quality and prevent the product from undergoing modern product processing, ingredient metering, This prevents easy flow or measurement, which are necessary properties for mixing and packaging. Another step of the invention is to mechanically remove excess water from the surface after washing or rinsing the fruit. This significantly shortens freeze-drying time and reduces production costs, since energy and time are required when excess moisture is present. An important part of the invention is the speed of releasing the vacuum in the dry air to obtain the desired shape and appearance in the final product. In the present invention, the semi-moist fruit has a crushed shape and structure. Release the vacuum in the freeze-drying room (within 1 or 2 minutes, etc.)
It is essential to do this very quickly. During the freeze drying period, the vacuum is maintained at approximately 400 microns Hg. If the vacuum is released slowly, such as for 15 to 20 minutes, the fruit will maintain its spherical shape and become ``open'' to the touch of hands and teeth. Referring to the drawing, a mixer or tumbler (tumbler) which is filled with fruit in the conventional manner is shown in FIG.
0. The first step in the process is mixing the fruit with sugar. Fruits include wild or cultivated burberry berries, as well as other types of wild or cultivated pitted cherries, and other types of fruit, each in its natural state. , and may include individual fruits containing varying proportions of sugar depending on when they were harvested. Frozen fruit and fresh fruit can be used in the process of the present invention. The ratio of fruits, ie, berries, cherries, etc., is from 1 part to 5 parts fruit to 1 part sugar, with a preferred ratio being 3 parts fruit to 1 part sugar. Sugar includes various sugars such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. However, various types of sugar can be used in the process of the present invention, including granular and liquid forms, as shown in the examples below. In order to achieve good and homogeneous mixing of fruit and sugar or formation of a sugar coating, the fruit is placed in a tumbler (rolling machine) 10, and sugar is gradually added while operating the tumbler or coater (sugar coating machine). This gives the fruit a homogeneous sugar coating. Next, after the fruit has been properly coated with sugar, the syrup formation process begins. An immersion tank is shown at 12 with an electrical heating mechanism as shown at 14 or an equivalent heating mechanism such as a hot gas, steam or water bath. The immersion tank has articulated supports 16, 18
These supports are mechanically actuated as appropriate to raise and lower the dip tank and gently vibrate it during syrup formation. Support material 16, 18
This allows the immersion tank 12 to be easily tilted to facilitate drainage from the discharge pipe 20 at the downstream end. The sugar-coated fruit taken out of the tumbler 10 is placed in a soaking tank 12 or a tray, where it is heated for approximately 70-80 〓 (approximately 21.1-
It is left at room temperature (26.7°C) for several hours, usually 12 hours. Heat is applied to the soaking tank to accelerate the syrup forming process. The immersion tank 12 can also be placed in a hot water bath or in a tunnel with hot air circulation. The use of excessively high temperatures, such as over 140°C (approximately 60.0°C), will cause water to evaporate too quickly and will have a negative impact on syrup production and fruit quality. The preferred temperature range is 70-80°C (approximately 21.1-26.7°C). The syrup production process is facilitated by gentle rocking or vibration of the dip tank 12, which is carried out by the supports 16,18. This vibration promotes the distribution of warm temperatures, which thaws the frozen fruit and helps dissolve the sugar into the liquid. The length of the syrup production period depends on the condition of the fruit at the time of harvest, the temperature of the fruit (frozen vs. fresh), the temperature of the holding tank, and the amount of shaking of the tank. The desired percolation-induced
Alternatively, the optimum equilibrium state is determined by the degree of brix of the syrup on the outside of the fruit and the juice extract from the fruit. A Brix scale is a liquid hydrometer for sugar solutions that is calibrated so that the reading at a particular temperature represents the percentage by weight of sugar in the liquid. In the case of blueberries, the syrup production process ends when the degree of syrup on the outside of the fruit reaches 35-40%. In this regard, fruits,
That is, the percentage of soluble solids in the inner juice of sweetened Buriyu berries is 22-27%. As previously mentioned, during the sugar-syrup exchange process, the natural but undeveloped phenomenon of osmosis provides a non-destructive and relatively gentle method of extracting juice from the fruit without rupturing the epidermis. A portion of the fruit juice is replaced by sugar molecules that enter the fruit through the cell wall, preventing edge damage to the pericarp and utilizing osmotic pressure for exchange. Percolation involves straining the juice, a liquid with a low solids content (10-12% in the case of blueberry berries), from the fruit and moving it toward the molasses on the outside of the fruit. As the juice leaves the fruit, the sugar particles begin to dissolve and syrup formation begins. The rapidly released juice from the fruit cells seals the edges and portions of the epidermis, increasing sugar-syrup exchange and syrup accumulation in the steeping state, increasing the amount of sugar that enters the solution. As syrup production continues, more and more sugar molecules dissolve into the liquid leaving the fruit, creating a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the fruit. The exchange between fruit juice and sugar provides a non-destructive method of sweetening fruit by allowing the sugar to enter the cells and vacuoles of the fruit. This is evidenced by a significant increase in the content of soluble solids, consisting primarily of sugar, of the internal juice of the sweetened fruit by more than 100%, an increase of three times. Moreover, it was previously thought that the epidermis of Buryu berry was impermeable to water exchange. Therefore, in the past, people had to resort to poking or pricking the epidermis of Brill berries before freeze-drying. However, in the method of the present invention, osmotic exchange surprisingly conditions the fruit epidermis to facilitate chill drying without rupturing the epidermis. After reaching the desired equilibrium, the dip tank 12 is tilted towards the downstream end towards the discharge pipe 20. The contents of the tank 12 are discharged to a sieve conveyor 22 where the main portion of the sugared fruit syrup is passed through the sieve conveyor 22.
4 and exit pipe 26 for collection in a suitable container or vat and subsequent processing as described below. The sugar-containing fruit syrup produced has the color of natural products due to natural formation through osmotic exchange.
Of course, it is rich in flavor and aroma. The effluent is rich in color and flavor and is suitable as a base ingredient for the production of jelly, jam and pancake syrups. The amount of syrup produced is approximately 50-60% of the amount of the initial mixture of fruit and sugar.
%, and sweetened fruit is about 40-50%. It is noted that sugar is the vehicle that initiates and continues the osmotic action. Most of the sugar is recovered in the syrup or effluent after the fruit has been sweetened. Therefore, there is no need to add more sugar to make jewelry, beverages, etc., and the sugar in this method has many unexpected functions such as being a carrier, producing unique colours, flavors, aromas and sugar content. This sugar content is then concentrated and crystallized as described below. The sieve conveyor 22 has a second downstream section 27 with a gravity discharge pipe 28 . The sieve conveyor passes under a suitable water jet device 29 which discharges cold, clean rinsing water. The amount of rinsing water is sufficient to remove excess sticky syrup from the outside of each fruit. Cold water is almost 40~
70〓 (approximately 4.4~21.1℃), preferably 40~45〓 (4.4~
7.2°C) and the conveyor is vibrated to slightly nudge the fruit to ensure good contact with the rinsing water. In addition to rinsing off excess syrup and sugar particles, the temperature of the rinsing water is maintained at 40-45 degrees to perform the secondary function of pre-chilling the fruit in preparation for the freeze-drying process. As explained below with respect to FIG. 2, in an alternative embodiment, the sieve conveyor may completely immerse the sweetened fruit in the rinsing water by immersion.
It may be immersed for a very short period of time, about 10-20 seconds, in a clean running water bath of rinsing water, and may have a descending running portion (not shown). Further downstream in FIG. 1 and overlapping the downstream end of the sieve conveyor is a water removal device 30 comprising a plurality of conventional air jets or "air knives". On the sieve conveyor, the fruit gets 31
It is vibrated at a point where it passes under the underside, partially drying the surface of the fruit and generating a second effluent at point 28, which effluent is sent to a suitable container or vat for further processing. Added. The second effluent, which is more dilute in sugar than the syrup itself collected at location 26, depending on its soluble solids content, is, for example, an ingredient for wine production. Evidently, the method of the invention comprises:
It uses all preserved fruit, collected fruit, and sugar for processing. Removal of the syrup and rinse water during processing with the sieve conveyor reduces the freeze-drying time of the fruit. This is done by reducing the moisture content of the fruit, such as sweetened briol berries, which contain approximately 70% water after the syrup extraction process. Fruits that have been dried on the surface by shaking and air contain approximately 64-65% water. This is particularly important in large scale commercial facilities and significantly reduces energy and freeze drying costs and improves the condition of the preserved product by eliminating stickiness in the final semi-moist product. The next step is fruit freezing, where the fruit is either flash frozen individually or vacuum frozen. The sweetened, de-syrupped, rinsed and dehydrated product is transferred from the sieve conveyor 22 to an IQF (individual freezing) tunnel 32 where it is frozen until the subsequent freeze-drying step shown at 50. It is kept at a low temperature, preferably -10°C (approximately -23.3°C) in a refrigerator. This is an important feature, especially when large-scale commercial production is planned using new fruit in the blending, sugar addition and syrup extraction steps, since the availability of fresh fruit is short. This is because the period is usually 6 to 8 weeks in the case of Buryu berry. Immediately after being refrigerated in the refrigerator 50 or rinsed and surface-dried, the sweetened, rinsed, surface-dried fruit is freeze-dried in the chamber 34, which is subject to conventional sealing and controls. The fruit is freeze-dried to the desired moisture content. For example, sweetened fruit is freeze-dried in a ribbed tray measuring 650 mm long x 325 mm wide x 50 mm deep, and the temperature ranges from −30° to −35°.
(approximately -34.4 to -37.2℃), oil temperature of 200〓 (approximately 104.4℃), 180〓 to 220〓
〓(approximately 82.2℃ to approximately 104.4℃) platen temperature,
and placed in a freeze-drying room with a vacuum of 400 micron Hg, and the product temperature is 75°~100〓 (approximately 23.9°C ~ 37.8°C).
℃). The duration of the freeze drying cycle is varied depending on the temperature setting and the desired moisture level (10-40%). 70〓(approx.
21.1℃), 80~90〓 (approx. 26.7~32.2℃), 95~100〓
(approximately 35.0℃~37.8℃), the temperature of the final product in the freeze drying room is 35~38%, 20~25% and 12~38%, respectively.
Matching the product moisture content of 13%. It should be noted that in order to obtain the desired wrinkled, crushed appearance and elastic and non-chewing properties of the product, the vacuum of the freeze-drying chamber 34 (approximately 400
Micron Hg) should be released quickly (within 1 to 2 minutes). Rapid release of the vacuum crushes the fruit, giving it the desired shape, appearance, and feel to the hands and teeth. When the vacuum is released, the chamber is filled with air or nitrogen. There, the fruit (blueberries or cherries) is stripped from the freeze-drying chamber in chamber 34 and placed on a conveyor 35, which conveys the product to a mixer 36 where the fruit is treated with an anti-caking agent. For example, Jurketskus
500TM, Calcium Stearate, Cantab
Several anticaking agents are used, such as TM. The coated product is transferred from the mixer 36 to the conveyor 38
and sent to a packaging facility. In summary, the present invention allows for the production of sweetened semi-moist fruit products. In the present invention, a liquid is extracted from the fruit and sugar molecules are injected or transported into the fruit parts and cells by an osmotic syrup-forming process. In the syrup production process, fresh or frozen fruits (robot and hive types of berries and cherries) are mixed with sugar in various different proportions. The fruit-sugar mixture remains intact to allow syrup formation, the juice oozes out of the fruit, and the sugar molecules dissolve in the juice coming out of the fruit and are transferred to the fruit. The syrup production process is accelerated by adjusting the temperature and applying a stirring motion to the fruit-sugar-syrup mixture. At a certain end point, the syrup and sweetened fruit are separated. For example, when the brix degree of the syrup reaches 35-40% and the soluble solids of the sweetened berries juice reaches 22-27%, the sweetened berries and syrup are separated. Excess syrup that adheres is removed from the sweetened fruit by washing or rinsing with cold water. Free water on the surface of the sweetened fruit is removed by shaking or air blasting the fruit. The fruit is then frozen, stored, and freeze-dried to a moisture level of 10-40% at the time of use. Therefore, an anti-caking agent (Dyurketkus) is added to the fruit.
500TM, Calcium Stearate, Cantab
TM) and packaged in containers of various types and sizes. As previously mentioned, referring to the syrup effluent received at the outlet 26 of the sieve conveyor section 24, the sugar made into syrup has multiple functions, i.e., it applies and maintains a percolation or differential pressure on the fruit. It sweetens the fruit and evens out the density and flavor.
During this time, the sugar/syrup takes on the unusually characteristic color and flavor of the fruit. Referring to FIG. 2, an alternative device for preserving fruit is shown, with mechanisms operating similarly to the device of FIG. 1 designated by the reference numerals used in FIG. The basic steps, namely coating the fruit with sugar in the tumbler 10 and maintaining the sugar-coated fruit at a controlled temperature in the tank 12, are carried out as described above. The fruit soaked in the sugar level at percolating equilibrium is then discharged onto a sieve conveyor 22' and the syrup descends into a section 24' where it is collected via a discharge pipe 26' into a suitable container or vat as previously described. used as such. The fruit is discharged into a cold water Yuzuki vat 30' and guided to a pump manifold 29'. From this pump manifold 29', the rinsed fruit passes through a pipe 28' and is transferred to a second vibrating sieve conveyor 48.
sent to. The rinsed fruit passes under a water removal mechanism 31' which, as in the previous embodiment, consists of an air jet or air knife, which serves to remove surface water from the rinsed fruit. The second sieve conveyor, as in the previous embodiment, has a lower section 27' into which water and rinsing liquid flow. When the fruit is dried, the material washed from the fruit is sent to a make-up water system comprising a tank 40 communicating with a make-up water intake pipe 42 and a drain pipe 44. The tank 40 sends circulating water to the rinse vat 30 via a pipe 47 or to the tank 40 via a bypass pipe 48.
The pump 46 is operatively connected to the pump 46, which is bypassed to the pump 46. The fruit is then IQF (individually quick frozen) frozen or vacuum frozen prior to freeze drying as described for the FIG. 1 apparatus. In the past, fruit was concentrated into powder and made into bread products, beverages other than water, gheeli, putuding, etc.
Various methods have been used for use in other desserts. Drum drying has been used to dehydrate powdered cranberries, tomatoes, juices, pea and other bean soups, apple flakes, shishjiku powder, etc. However, the product is subject to thermal damage due to contact with relatively hot surfaces during the drying cycle. Since these fruit powders are sensitive to heat damage, drying temperature and exposure time are critical factors; minimal heat and shorter times must be used. Spray drying has been used to dehydrate milk, eggs, coffee, citrus juice, corn syrup, and tomato juice, but the products tend to become hygroscopic, lowering their melting point and sticking to the inside of the spray drying equipment. Or it sticks to the package. Sucrose, corn soup, lactose, gum, alginates, pectic acid substances, milk solids, starch, sodium, carboxymethyl, cellulose, methyl cellulose and glyceryl monostearate to facilitate the production of free-flowing powders. It is used for. However, since large amounts of adjuvants have to be added, the final product is so small that it is only a fraction of the solid juice and is influenced by these additives. In the case of fruit juices, such as Bleuberry juice, which have a relatively mild or bland flavor, spray drying, with or without the use of desiccant agents, has never been successful in producing a free-flowing powder. The following list discloses prior art known to the applicant. 1 E. Seltzer and G.T. Settlmeyer “Spray Drying of Food” ADV FOOD RES NO 2; 399-520 2 Anon “New Orange Youth Powder” FOOD ENG′G NO 25(1), 186, 1953 3 L.B. Barton “High vacuum technology for drying oranges and youth” FOOD INDUST NO 19(5); 617・622 738,
170, 742, 744, 1974 4. C. D. Ed. ``Method for drying dried fruits or vegetables with the addition of methylcellulose'' U.S. Patent No. 2496728 February 7, 1950 5. IND ENG NO 40; 2028-2033, 1948 7 C.C. Sulder, R.D. Olson and E.M. Kenyon “Dried powdered orange・Production of Juice" FOOD TECHNOL NO 1; 85-94 1947 8 P.T. Tammern "Vacuum Evaporation of Fruit Juice" Dutch Patent No. 64132 1949 As mentioned above, the prior art has been developed to prevent caking or moisture absorption in spray drying equipment. Because of the requirement of additives, it has not been useful in producing products that are powdery, free-flowing, and have a bland flavor of fruit such as brill berry. Referring to FIG. 1, syrup effluent is obtained at discharge pipe 26. This concentrated syrup consists of approximately 50-60% of a mixture of fruit and sugar. The syrup is then diluted with different proportions of water and freeze-dried until the moisture content reaches 1-2%. After freeze-drying, the crystalline material is removed from the drying tray and packaged in cans, bottles, plastic bags, or in a nitrogen atmosphere. EXAMPLE Individually flash-frozen wild L. puliculae were mixed with sugar granules (sucrose) and syrup containing a high sugar content (fructose) at different fruit-to-sugar weight ratios. 9 kg of yellow berries were used together with granulated sugar in various different proportions and 4.5 kg of white berries were used with the sugar-syrup mixture. The following table (Table 1-A) shows the types of sugar and the fruit to sugar ratio used.

[Table] The temperature of the frozen Blueberry fruit was -10〓, and the soluble solids in the fruit juice was 12%. The fruit and sugar are thoroughly mixed and placed in a separate plastic container.
15.6℃). The efficacy of mixing yellow berry and sugar in various different ratios is shown in Table 1-C.

【table】

[Table] When frozen yellow berries are mixed with granulated sugar in a weight ratio of 1:1 and left at a temperature of approximately 50-60㎓ (approximately 10.0-15.6℃) for 45 hours, a significant amount of the added sugar is A large amount (approximately 25%) did not go into solution and remained in crystalline form. Weight ratio of fruit to granulated sugar 1; 1, 2; 1, respectively.
and 3;1, with a weight ratio of 1:1 of fruit to corn syrup (75 degrees Brix), with a weight ratio of 60〓 (approx.
In tests on mixtures left at 15.6°C (15.6°C), a syrup formation process occurred, with juice escaping from the fruit and sugar molecules entering and filling the fruit. The sweetened fruits obtained from all treatments are
It had a pleasant sweetness in addition to the distinct flavor of yellow berries. All of the syrup produced had the distinct color and flavor of yellow berry.

[Table] Example: 13.5 kg of individually quick-refrigerated and cultivated hibutsu berries were mixed with 4.5 kg of sugar and placed in a plastic container. The plastic container was then placed in a water bath and the water temperature was maintained at 130°C for 8 hours. The plastic container holding the berry-sugar mixture was vibrated, shaking the contents once every 30 to 60 minutes to further mix the berry, sugar, and syrup from the fruit. The soluble solids in the juice of Buryu berry is 10% and the temperature of the fruit when mixed with sugar is 10〓
(approximately -12.2°C). After 8 hours of mixing and immersion in a water bath at a temperature of 130°C and shaking and shaking the contents occasionally, the syrup production process was completed and the berries were separated from the syrup. 7.65Kg of sweetened yellowberry fruits were recovered (42.5Kg of the total mixture).
%), and the weight of the syrup was 10.17 kg (56.6% of the total mixture). Soluble solids in the sweetened berry juice was 20%. The syrup had a Brix degree of 44°. The fruit had a sweet and pleasant yellowberry flavor, and compared to the syrup obtained in the example, the syrup was much lighter in density and had a milder yellowberry flavor, and was purple.
This is because cultivated yellow berries have these characteristics before being processed. EXAMPLE Separately flash-frozen wild L. brevifolia was mixed with sugar in different weight ratios of between 1 and 5 berries to 1 part sugar. The temperature of frozen yellow berries is -2〓 (approximately -18.9
The soluble solids content of the yellow berry juice was 12%. The fruit and sugar are mixed well and placed in a plastic container for approximately 70 to 80 g.
(approximately 21.1-26.7°C) for 14 hours.
The syrup forming process described in the previous example occurred at all fruit to sugar ratios tested, and the solids content of the juice and syrup was as listed in the table below.

TABLE: Differences appeared in the flavor of the sweetened yellow berries, with the fruit obtained from a mixture with a weight ratio of fruit to sugar of 3:1 being the most preferred. These fruits had a pleasant balance between the sweetness of wild berry and a delicate but distinct flavor. EXAMPLE 135Kg of individually flash-frozen Blueberry berries were mixed with 45Kg of sugar for 5 minutes in a commercially available Gemco Rambler blender. Sugar-coated yellow berries are placed in an aluminum tray, the dimensions of the aluminum tray are length
It was 750mm x width 450mm x height 150mm. Sugar-coated yellow berries were piled up to a height of 100 mm in a tray. Obon is about 70〓 (about 21.1
℃) was left at room temperature. During this period, the syrup production process was carried out. Blue berries and syrup were separated by placing the mixture on a sieve with 3 mm openings. The syrup collected was 79.2
It had a weight of 38° and a Brix meter reading of 38°. The sweetened yellow berries are then placed in a plastic perforated tray and heated to a temperature of approximately 60°C (approximately 15.6°C).
The specimens were immersed in a large tank filled with cold water (°C) for only 20-30 seconds. These yellow berries were placed on a vibrating perforated conveyor belt, rinsed with a stream of cold water, and then blown with a stream of air. This served to remove most of the syrup and water from the surface of the fruit. The weight of the sweet Buriyu Berry is 78.3Kg.
The soluble solids in the fruit juice was 24%.
The moisture content of the sweetened berries before rinsing and air surface drying was 70%, and after water rinsing and surface drying the moisture content was 64%. Next, Buryu Berry is 650mm long x 352mm wide.
×It was placed in a ribbed tray with a depth of 50 mm, and each tray contained 5.58 kg. The tray is placed in the freezer and the berries are placed under a vacuum of 400 microns Hg (approx.
Oil temperature from 180〓 to 220〓 (approximately 82.2℃)
-104.4°C) platen temperature, -30° to -35〓
Freeze-dried at a condenser temperature of (about -34.4°C to about -37.2°C). After 8 hours, the product temperature reached 90°C (approximately 32.2°C). At this point the vacuum was rapidly released (90 seconds). The water content of Buryu berry was 22%. The berries were immediately removed from the freeze drying tray, separated and cooled. This novel method results in a crushed buryu berry product with a very attractive appearance, unblemished but slightly wrinkled, and with a distinctly sour-sweetened buryu berry flavor. It was done. The fruit felt comfortable against the teeth and palate and did not stick to finger contact or to each other. EXAMPLE 45 Kg of frozen pitted cherries were mixed with 14.8 Kg of sugar and syruped, drained, rinsed, surface dried and freeze-dried as described in the example for approximately 10 hours. 27.45 kg of cherry syrup with a Brix degree of 42° was collected. The weight of the sweetened cherries before drying was 23.26 kg. The soluble solids of these sweetened cherries before rinsing was 36.5% and after rinsing in cold water the soluble solids were 34%. The moisture content of these cherries was 74.6% before ripening. 17・
9 Kg of semi-moist cherry product with 6% moisture was obtained. Cherries have an excellent flavor and feel pleasant to the teeth and palate, but are difficult to bite into.
It had a crushed and wrinkled appearance. EXAMPLE Semi-moist yellow berries (containing 20% moisture) were produced by the method described in the example. Commercially available oil, Duurrex 500PM is 2.25
It was used in proportions of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 5.0% by weight to coat Kg of yellow berry populations. Temperature 70〓 (approx. 21.1
°C) oil was placed in a stainless steel container. The container was rotated so that the oil coated the inside and bottom of the container. 2.25 Kg of treated yellow berries were placed in a container and repeatedly shaken, rolled and mixed in the container until evenly coated with oil. Oil application improved the fluidity and appearance of the yellow berries. When applying an oil to fruit ratio by weight between 0.25 and 1.01, there was no significant residue on the surface of the fruit. Weight ratio 0.25 to 5%
When tested at the above ratios, there was no obvious effect on the flavor of the product. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples and embodiments, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for producing a semi-moist sweet fruit product having a moisture content ranging from 10% to 40%, comprising: (a) sugar-coating fresh or frozen fruit; (b) The juice is transferred outward from the fruit and the sugar concentration is balanced inside the fruit, without disturbing the fruit's natural skin and creating a mixture of sugary fruit and sugary fruit syrup. (c) separating the syrup from the fruit; (d) rinsing the fruit; (c) separating the syrup from the fruit; (d) rinsing the fruit; to remove surface sugars and syrup from the outside of the fruit, (e) in a vacuum atmosphere up to 400 micron Hg,
The sweetened fruit is dried, and the vacuum atmosphere is suddenly released within 1 to 2 minutes to crush the fruit.
A method of producing a semi-moist fruit product comprising a step of rendering it into a palatable state requiring a wrinkled, firm chew. 2. The syrup on the outside of the fruit has a Brix degree of 35%.
to 40%, and the percolation exchange of sugars continues until the percentage of soluble solids in the juice inside the sweetened fruit reaches from 22% to 27%. A method of producing semi-humid fruit products. 3 Fruits from 40〓 (approx. 4.4℃) to 70〓 (approx. 21.1℃)
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fruit is rinsed with water at a temperature of up to 100 mL to condition the fruit for subsequent freeze-drying. 4. The fruit to which sugar has been added is rinsed sufficiently to remove surface syrup and sugar from the fruit without diluting the sugar inside the fruit. method. 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that free excess liquid on the surface is removed from the fruit. 6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that free liquid at the surface is removed by an air stream. 7. A method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the sugared fruit is dried so that the fruit contains 65% moisture in order to minimize the freeze-drying time. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of fruit to sugar is 3:1. 9 Claim 1 characterized in that the fruit is a wild lobster blueberry.
method described in. 10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fruit is a cultivated blackberry blueberry. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fruit is a cherry. 12 The syrup on the outside of the fruit has a Brix degree of 35
to 40% and the percentage of soluble solids in the juice inside the fruit is 22 to 27%, the sugar added fruit and syrup are 50 to 60% and 40%, respectively.
% to 50%. 13. Claim 1, characterized in that the fruit to which sugar has been added is individually rapidly frozen so that the frozen fruit is free-flowing.
method described in. 14. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sugared fruit is vacuum frozen. 15 Freeze-drying of sweetened fruit is carried out in a vacuum atmosphere of up to 400 micron Hg, and the atmosphere
- A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the release is rapid within 2 minutes. 16. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the freeze-dried fruit is coated with an anti-caking agent. 17 The sugar-added fruit in step (d) has a temperature of 70
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the material is rinsed by immersion in a water bath at a temperature of about 21.1 DEG C. for 10-20 seconds. 18. The syrup separated in step (c) is diluted with water and freeze-dried until the moisture content reaches 1-2% and the dried sugared syrup is in crystalline form. A method as claimed in claim 1. 19 Permeability exchange between fruit juice and sugar is approximately 70-80〓
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it is carried out at room temperature (approximately 21.1-26.7°C). 20 While the osmotic sugar exchange of step (b) is taking place, the fruit is gently mixed until 140 〓 (approx.
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the temperature is maintained at a high temperature not exceeding 60.0°C. 21 (a) sugar-coating fresh or frozen fruit; (b) adding fruit juice without disturbing the natural epidermis of the fruit and so as to produce a mixture of sugar-containing fruit and fruit syrup containing Non-destructive juice-sugar osmotic exchange is carried out inside the fruit so that the sugars are transferred outward from the fruit and the sugars are transferred into the fruit through osmotic exchange until the sugar concentration reaches equilibrium inside the fruit. (c) separating the syrup from the fruit; (d) rinsing the fruit to remove surface sugars and syrup from the outside of the fruit; (e) in a vacuum atmosphere of up to 400 microns Hg;
Produced by a process that involves drying the sweetened fruit and rapidly releasing the vacuum atmosphere within 1 to 2 minutes to crush the fruit into a wrinkled, firm, chewable, delicious state. It is characterized by
A semi-moist fruit product having a moisture content ranging from 10% to 40% and having a wrinkled appearance as well as savory properties that require chewing. 22 Claim 2 characterized in that the fruit is a wild lobster blueberry.
A semi-moist fruit product as described in 1. 23. A semi-humid fruit product as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the fruit is a cultivated blackberry blueberry. 24. A semi-moist fruit product according to claim 21, characterized in that the fruit is a cherry. 25. Claim 2, wherein the sugar/syrup separation step modulates the fruit skin to facilitate freeze drying without rupturing the fruit skin.
A semi-moist fruit product as described in 1.