WO2023249503A1

WO2023249503A1 - Process and product, as a result of preserving fruits, vegetables and petals of edible flowers

Info

Publication number: WO2023249503A1
Application number: PCT/RO2022/000008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Constantin Pascu; Daciana Anca Tarasi
Original assignee: Constantin Pascu; Daciana Anca Tarasi
Priority date: 2022-06-24
Filing date: 2022-07-14
Publication date: 2023-12-28
Also published as: RO137316A0

Abstract

The invention refers to a process and product as result of the preservation of fruits, vegetables and petals of edible flowers intended for current human consumption but also as an important source of bioactive nutrients in maintaining the body health. Products are obtained by preserving edible fruits, vegetables and flower petals, alcoholically fermented, thus the berries, fruits, vegetables, edible flower petals are selected fresh, preliminary processed by cleaning, juice-pulp separation, chopping, portioning into pieces of 6-12 mm, with the addition of lemon juice or Japanese quince juice for fruits or flower petals sensitive to oxidation, such as quince and rose petals, intermediately preserved by freezing at -18-20°C, it is continued with a processing in a working vessel where it is dosed, depending on the working recipe, after initial thawing, for 24 h at +5+10°C of the fruits and edible petals preserved by freezing in preliminary processing, there is added a concentrated solution of sugars - honey, concentrated apple syrup, com syrup, agave syrup, grape syrup, maple syrup - in quantities which finally ensure in the working vessela sugar concentration of the syrup between 10- 45 degrees Brix measured refractometrically, depending on the working recipe used, the mixture is maintained at the working temperature of 25- 35°C for the realization of alcoholic fermentation, with poor stirring, the start of fermentation takes place in 2-7 days, the fermentation control is done by the initial concentration in sugars, the source of yeasts and bacteria for alcoholic fermentation and by observing the evolution of the Brix value withthe decrease of 3-5 degrees Brix, to the already fermented alcoholic mixture a concentrated solution ofsugars or honey is added up to a sugar concentration of 45- 65 degrees Brix, after which takes place theprocessing by which the mixture thus obtained is dehydrated in a controlled manner at 30-38°C in a stream of air with a humidity below 25%, daily measuring the humidity of the mixture with arefractometer, and the alcohol content in the air in the working vessel with an alcohol meter, until stabilization at humidity below 25%, preferably below 20%, after 6-8 days of processing, when the humidity of the mixture drops below 20% and the alcohol content in the product below 0.2%, the process is stopped and the obtained finished product, functional food, with creamy texture, non- alcoholic, containing ethyl alcohol only in traces, easy to store and consume, rich in valuable biological compounds existing in the used fruits and honey, bioactivated in the fermentation process, and in valuable biological compounds formed in the process of alcoholic fermentation, is packaged.

Description

PROCESS AND PRODUCT, AS A RESULT OF PRESERVING FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND PETALS OF EDIBLE FLOWERS

The invention refers to a process and product, as result of the preservation of fruits, vegetables and petals of edible flowers intended for current human consumption but also as an important source of bioactive nutrients in maintaining the body health.

It is known and widely recommended that plant-based foods in general, especially fruits, bring benefits for a healthy lifestyle. Among fruits, berries are widely known, accepted, and consumed especially because they are rich in extremely useful compounds for the body's nutrition: vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, microelements, fibers. Among the berries, sea buckthorn is especially recognized, and especially the fruit, as being extremely rich in valuable bioactive compounds, containing almost 200 types of biologically identified valuable compounds.

Sea buckthorn is used in the prevention and treatment of many medical problems related especially to nutrition. Sea buckthorn is used as such, as juice, as products prepared by drying, boiling, but also in the production of cosmetic or pharmaceutical products from components separated by various methods. Reference - Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 8986. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerphl8178986; https://www.mdpi.com/joumal/ijerph

“The healthy properties of sea buckthorn have been recognized for centuries. This plant has a high content of bioactive compounds, including antioxidants, phytosterols, essential fatty acids, and amino acids, as well as vitamins C, K, and E. It also has a low content of sugar and a wide spectrum of volatiles, which contribute to its unique aroma. Sea buckthorn shows antimicrobial and antiviral properties, and is a potential nutraceutical or cosmeceutical. It was proven to help treat cardiovascular disease, tumors, and diabetes, as well as gastrointestinal and skin problems. The numerous health benefits of sea buckthorn make it a good candidate for incorporation into novel food products” Reference - Antioxidants 2021, 10, 1279. https://doi.org/10.3390/antioxl0081279 "

For prevention or treatment of health problems related to food, it is recommended to generally consume raw plant products, especially fruits and in particular berries, not thermally processed in order not to destroy biologically valuable compounds. Multiple studies show, however, that thedigestive absorption of valuable compounds from raw plants is difficult, valuable compounds being usually stuck inside the cells of the plant material or are bound in complex compounds that prevent their assimilation which makes the beneficial effect for health to be lost, for the most part.

Plant-based foods are rich sources of essential vitamins and micronutrients. Plant foods also contain large amounts of anti-nutritional factors such as phytates, tannins, phenols, oxalates, etc. These factors can compromise the bioavailability of several essential micronutrients in plant foods. As example: anthocyanins have poor bioavailability, often with only 0.1% of the ingested amount being detectable in urine. Reference - Wu et al L. (2009). Phenolic acids in black raspberry and in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs following ingestion of black raspberry. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 53(S1), S76-S84.

“Literature reports show that fermentation and related processing methods can improve nutrient and mineral bioavailability of plant foods... Fermentation, cooking, soaking, puffing and germination are some of the traditional food processing methods used to reduce the antinutritional components and enhance protein digestibility.... Fermented foods are produced by using lactic acid bacteria (LAB).... During fermentation, the microbial metabolism enhances the macromolecule’s digestibility and improves the bioavailability of macro/ micronutrients and phytochemicals. For the removal of antinutrients, allergens and toxins, fermentation is considered as one of the most effective processing methods.”

Reference- Fermentation 2021, 7, 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation7020063

It is known and widely accepted the role of the gut microbiome in the overall good health of the body. The current lifestyle, especially in developed countries, exposes the population to different factors that affect the gut microbiome: industrialized foods, stress, various drugs, including, especially, antibiotics. The problems of the gut microbiome are reflected in a wide range of chronic diseases, from metabolic diseases to gastrointestinal problems and various forms of cancer, and the list is constantly developing.

Reference “ Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease.” Nutrients 2019 Jul 16; 11 (7): 1613.doi : 10.3390/nol 1071613. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315227/

At the same time, various laboratory studies, on animals or resulting from direct long-term use, in various regions of the world, show consistent effects of sea buckthorn and sea buckthorn derivatives in the restoration of the gut microbiome. Animal study using fermented sea buckthorn juice shows great effects in the protection of the alcoholic liver and in the restoration of the gut microbiome.

Reference- Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) fermentation liquid protects against alcoholic liver disease linked to regulation of liver metabolome and the abundance of gut microbiota - J Sci Food Agric 2021 May;101(7):2846-2854. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.10915. Epub 2020 Nov 20 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33145761/

The consumption of fermented foods such as yogurts, cheeses, various pickles, including especially sauerkraut, is recommended in many diets to maintain a good digestion.

There are known and widely used, artisanal or industrially, the alcoholic, lactic and acetic fermentation. Lactic fermentation is used to obtain various liquid or solid products that are currently consumed as food: yogurts, cheeses, pickles from vegetables or fruits.

In the case of lactic fermentation, most products contain active cultures of fermentation bacteria, but the storage period is limited, and the storage conditions generally involve refrigeration. Lactic fermentation for plant materials (sauerkraut, pickled vegetables) requires the presence of sodium chloride in relatively important quantities, which limits the consumption of these products.

Fruits, some vegetables, other vegetable products are widely used in processes involving alcoholic fermentation, but usually for obtaining alcoholic beverages with various concentrations, from low concentrations of 4-5%, to high concentrations, of over 40%. The processes of obtaining alcoholic beverages involve technologies of separation, stabilization with various substances, for beverages of low concentrations (beer, wine) or distillation to obtain products of high alcoholic concentrations. In that process the solid and semi-solid part resulting from fermentation is removed and in the case of distillation the process involves boiling. For products of low alcohol concentration, the shelf life is limited, if the further development of bacteria is not blocked. For stabilization are used pasteurization, such as in beer, or bisulfites in wine or extraction separation technologies.

There are known patents that show procedures for using alcoholic fermentation in obtaining beverages, with use as food, but containing important concentrations of alcohol, among which we mention:

Patent CN102599497A shows the obtaining of a drink by fermenting the passion fruit in which passion fruit juice is used mixed with oligosaccharides and sterilized by boiling. Honey and yeast are added, and they are fermented, after which the obtained liqueur-type alcoholic beverage is separated by an extraction technology with carbon dioxide. Patent CN 105767826 A presents a process for obtaining a low-alcoholic beverage from hawthorn fruits through successive stages of boiling and separation, aiming at eliminating the astringent taste and preserving as many valuable components as possible. The process involves stages of boiling and the separation of the solid part by extraction and centrifugation.

Patent CN105795295 A presents a process of obtaining a low-alcoholic beverage from blueberries through successive stages of boiling and separation, in which the liquid is separated from the oily and solid consistent parts, with a final stage of fermentation, obtaining a drink with a pleasant taste which preserves the valuable components of the blueberries.

Patent US20020168447A1 presents a process of obtaining a wine from berries of Himalayan origin. The berries of various varieties are washed, sterilized with metabisulfite sodium solution, chopped, mixed with sterile water, sucrose, and yeast. After fermentation they are decanted, sucrose is added and allowed to ferment for a month in the absence of air until it is clarified and the obtained clear wine, with an alcohol content of 12-15% is bottled in colored, sterile bottles.

Patent KR100778886B1 presents a process and products obtained by successive alcoholic and lactic fermentation for chopped fruits and vegetables, mixed with water and sugar and fermented in two stages, a first fermentation with yeasts for 8 days at 25°C and a second lactic fermentation for 12 days at 35 °C. The resulting liquid or solid products are dehydrated by lyophilization or spraying and finely grounded. The obtained powder products can be used in the preparation of functional dietary foods, antibacterial products, various food products.

Patent EP3669659A1 presents a process and products for human consumption obtained by preserving fruits, vegetables, or petals of edible flowers without boiling and without fermentation. Whole, pieces, chopped, raw or frozen fruits, vegetables, petals are mixed with honey or concentrated sugar solutions and the obtained mixture is slowly dehydrated, under stirring, at temperatures below 45 °C for stabilization by concentrating sugars lowering the water content below 25 %. Are obtained products with pleasant textures, taste, aromas, that preserve most of the original composition of fruits, vegetables, flower petals.

In the public documentation there are presented artisanal processes of processing some fruits by alcoholic fermentation, for obtaining fermented fruits, including berries commonly used in food, mixed with honey - but not sea buckthorn that is strongly astringent and it is difficult to consume directly - and after the fermentation stage the fruits are separated and kept cold to be consumeddirectly or as puree, being considered as useful for the health of the gut microbiome. Reference : htps://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/fermented-berry-sauce/

Reference : htps://thegoodliferevival.com/blog/how-make-mead-honey-wine

The disadvantages of these processes are that they do not allow the capitalization of the bioactivation effect through the alcoholic fermentation of the valuable components of the vegetal products, especially from the berries, to obtain non-alcoholic foods, which are not beverages, with concentrations in alcohol below 0.2 per thousand volumes, stable in usual conditions of storage, directly and easily used as food, because the fruits are usually preserved without fermentation, use most the lactic fermentation or, in the case of alcoholic fermentation use, finally there are obtained alcoholic beverages - are not obtained non-alcoholic food - or very weakly alcoholic ones, easily and directly consumable, and the solid part, rich in bioactive elements, or the alcoholically fermented fruit is not used, or if the fruits or the solid part of the fermented mixture are separated, they shall be preserved in the cold, being able to be stored only for limited periods of time and there are used fruits that are pleasant to the taste, not sea buckthorn that has a strong astringent taste.

The technical problem that the invention solves is the obtaining of non-alcoholic creamy food products, which are not beverages, that are stable, directly consumable, rich in valuable bioactive compounds, obtained by preservation without boiling, from fruits, vegetables, flower petals or various edible vegetables, especially from berries, including, especially from sea buckthorn, matured by controlled alcoholic fermentation. Thus: berries, fruits, vegetables, edible flower petals are selected fresh, preliminarily processed by cleaning, juice-pulp separation, chopping, portioning into pieces of 6- 12 mm, with the addition of lemon juice, Japanese quince juice for fruits, petals sensitive to oxidation, such as quince and rose petals, and intermediately preserved with freezing at -18-20 °C. It is continued with a processing in a work vessel where it is dosed, depending on the working recipe, after the initial thawing, for 24 h at +5+10 °C of the fruits and petals of edible flowers preserved by freezing in the preliminary processing, there is added a concentrated solution of sugars - honey, concentrated apple syrup, com syrup, agave syrup, grape syrup, maple syrup - in quantities that ensure the final concentration in sugars of the syrup in the working vessel between 10-45 Brixdegrees, refractometrically measured, the mixture is maintained at the working temperature of 25- 35°C for the initiation of alcoholic fermentation, with low agitation, the start of fermentation occurringin 2-7 days. The fermentation control is done by the initial concentration in sugars, by the yeasts and bacteria source for alcoholic fermentation and by observing the decrease of Brix value. After the fermentation step, a concentrated solution of sugars or honey is added to the already alcoholically fermented mixture up to a sugars concentration of the mixture of 45-65 Brix degrees, after which takes place the process by which the mixture thus obtained is dehydrated in a controlled manner, at 30-38°C in current of air with a humidity below 25%, measuring daily the humidity of the mixture with a refractometer, and the content in alcohol in the air in the process vessel with an alcohol-meter, until stabilization at a humidity below 25%, optimally below 20%. After 6-8 days of processing, when the mixture moisture content falls below 20% and content in alcohol of the mixture falls below 0.2%, the process is stopped, and the obtained product is packed.

The mixture ferments alcoholically being naturally triggerred the fermentation by yeasts and bacteria naturally existing in the raw materials, honey and fruits, the start of fermentation in this case taking place in 3-7 days.

The mixture ferments alcoholically by adding a starter and the fermentation starts in 1-3 days, as a starter using a quantity of mixture in fermentation in a batch in progress, the amount of added starter is 1-3 ml per kg of workload.

The mixture ferments alcoholically by adding a starter and the fermentation starts in 1-3 days, as a starter using a quantity of finite product from a previous batch that is mixed in a mass ratio of 1/1 - 5 product with distilled water and left at 35-36°C for 24-48h with occasional stirring for dissolution, the amount of starter thus obtained added to the mixture under processing is 1-3 ml per kg of workload.

In the case of mixtures with an initial low sugar content, 10-15 Brix, the alcoholic fermentation is carried out until the natural stop of the fermentation due to the increase of the alcohol content and, in the case of higher concentrations of sugars, Brix degreesl5-45 Brix, especially at 35-45 Brix, the fermentation will be allowed to take place until the decrease of the concentration in sugars by 3-5 Brix degrees, usually in 5-7 days.

In the fermented mixture, in the case of vegetables and fruits, before starting the dehydration there is added a concentrated solution of sugars, honey, up to a sugar content of the mixture of 45-65 degrees Brix, refractometrically measured, to control the sweetness of the finished product as well as the consistency of the mixture, to allow processing, and for the rose petals there is added an amount of honey 5-10 times the mass of petals to obtain a product with a viscosity that allows processing. After 6- 8 days of processing the alcoholically fermented mixture by dehydration at temperatures below 40°C, when the humidity of the alcoholically fermented mixture decreases below 20%, there results a functional food product with a creamy texture, non-alcoholic, containing only traces of ethyl alcohol, less than 0.2%, the products being stable, pleasant to the taste, rich in biologically valuable compounds existing in the used fruits and honey, bioactivated in the fermentation process, and in biologically valuable compounds formed in the alcoholic fermentation process.

Process and products as result of preserving fruit and petals of edible flowers according to the invention, present the following advantages:

•Allows to obtain non-alcoholic creamy foods, which are not beverages, intended for regular consumption, from berries, especially sea buckthorn, other fruits, edible flower petals, vegetables, other plant based products in which biologically valuable compounds are activated by alcoholic fermentation for easy assimilation by the body and new biologically valuable compounds are formed in the process of alcoholic fermentation

•Uses the alcoholic fermentation of berries, especially sea buckthorn, fruits, edible flower petals, vegetables (e.g. beetroot), other plant-based products, e.g. leaves rich in bio nutrients such as of sea buckthorn, to obtain in itself a non-alcoholic food product with the capitalization of the bioactivation and bioavailability effect by fermentation of valuable biological components and the formation of new biologically valuable compounds in the alcoholic fermentation process

•Allows to obtain a tasty creamy food with consistent texture, easy to store and consume

•Allows the integral use of berries with hard pits, such as sea buckthorn, for the capitalization of the entire content of bioactive compounds and by fermentation the texture of the pit becomes elastic, easy to be consumed in the content of the finite product

•Allows the capitalization of the bioactive components from the solid part of the fermented alcoholic mixture, part that in the alcoholic fermentation is usually not of interest in consumption

•Ensures the elimination of most of the alcohol formed in fermentation with the obtaining in the end of a non-alcoholic food product, which contains less than 0.2% by volume of ethyl alcohol, below the norm of 0.5% by volume generally considered as the standard for a non-alcoholic product

‘Ensures the preservation of the fermented material at maximum 40°C, without the use of sterilization by thermal processing, through the preservative effect of the high sugar content, activating and preserving the valuable biological components existing in raw materials and those formed in the alcoholic fermentation process

•Allows the use of honey as a source of sugars due to the low processing temperatures •Allows the capitalization of various wild sources of microflora, beneficial for health, existing in raw honey or on the used fruits.

•Also allows the use of starter cultures of bacteria and yeasts for fermentation, which can be from previous batches of product or yeast and bacterial cultures, highly selected through specialized technologies

•Allows obtaining a functional food very rich in biologically valuable compounds, consumable as such

‘It does not require the use of salt to control fermentation as in the case of lactic fermentation.

An example of the realization of the invention is given below.

The fermentation of plant-based foods is accepted in the specialized literature, studies, etc. as having the effect of activating the biologically valuable elements from the respective plants-based foods that thus become easily assimilable and utilizable by the body, with major beneficial effects on the body, especially related to the proper functioning of the digestive system. A very used type of fermentation is the lactic one, as in pickles and dairy products, but it requires the use of salt to block the alcoholic fermentation. Products with salt cannot be consumed in too large quantities. Dairy products with low water content are relatively stable but the lactic fermentation continues in the case of products with high water content. Another type is the alcoholic fermentation, widely used as a method of obtaining alcoholic beverages, preserved by their alcohol content or by distillation. An un-stabilized alcoholic fermented product will acetic ferment. After the alcoholic fermentation, in the current technologies, the alcohol is separated by distillation and the solid part from fruit is thrown away, it is not used in food consumption.

It is widely accepted that fermentation of plant-based foods achieves a phenomenon of bioavailability of valuable bioactive components that are thus easily assimilated by the body, with beneficial effects on general health. Bioactive components in plant-based food, especially fruits, especially in berries, the so-called super-fruits, can be very useful for health but, in most situations, they are difficult or not at all accessible in digestive assimilation by the body. It is recommended to consume raw, thermally unprocessed plant-based food in order not to destroy the biologically valuable compounds, but in raw plants-based food the valuable compounds are blocked inside the cells of the plant material, or they are bound in complex compounds that prevent their assimilation. By fermentation, the cell membrane is broken with the release of valuable compounds and substances that prevent their assimilation are destroyed. There are known and widely used, artisanal or industrial, the alcoholic, lactic and acetic fermentations. The products obtained by alcoholic fermentation - alcoholic beverages - are usually consumed after the separation, purification, distillation of the products obtained in fermentation. Lactic fermentation is used in various liquid or solid dairy products that are commonly consumed as food: yogurts, cheese. Acetic fermentation is used in the preparation of beverage-type foods such as kombucha or vinegar.

Plants and fruits are much used in processes involving alcoholic fermentation, especially for obtaining alcoholic beverages. The processes involve separation, stabilization technologies for beverages with low alcohol concentrations (beer, wine) or distillation for products with high alcohol concentrations. In those processes the solid and semi-solid part resulting from fermentation is removed and in the case of distillation the process involves boiling. For products of low alcohol concentration, the shelf life is limited, if the further development of bacteria is not blocked. It is used pasteurization, as in beer, or bisulfites as in wine. In the case of lactic fermentation, most products contain active cultures of fermentation bacteria, but the storage period is limited, and the storage conditions generally involve refrigeration. Lactic fermentation of vegetables requires the presence of sodium chloride in relatively important quantities, which limits the consumption of these products.

In the public documentation there are presented artisanal processes used for alcoholic fermentation of some fruits, including berries commonly used as food, but not sea buckthorn, which is strongly astringent, mixed with honey, and after the fermentation stage the fruits are separated and kept at cold to be consumed directly or as puree, being considered particularly useful for the health of the gut microbiome.

The present process achieves the controlled alcoholic fermentation of vegetables, fruits, especially berries including sea buckthorn, edible flower petals, simple or mixed with honey and further preservation of mixtures obtained by concentrating sugars in a temperature and humidity- controlled environment.

Within the invention, the fruits, the vegetables, are subjected to a controlled alcoholic fermentation process and then the mixture is dehydrated to increase the concentration of sugars at the level at which it ensures preservation, respectively below 20% humidity. Sugars can be those contained in the fruit, but they are generally added supplementary to the fruit before fermentation, after fermentation or before and after the fermentation process to control the quantity of sugars in the mixture for alcoholic fermentation, but also in the final product. Thus, an alcoholic fermentation takes place followed by obtaining a final product stable, consistent, consumable as food, without using thermal treatments who will destroy valuable compounds.

Some products used as food, such as fruit, vegetables, flour, alcoholic beverages, etc. improve their properties by keeping them, for a certain period, under conditions specific to each product, which allow fermentation processes. This process is also known as maturation. Through maturation food improves its organoleptic properties flavor, tenderness, texture or become more easily digestible.

Characteristic changes in the color, texture, taste of vegetables and fruits after harvest are the result of chemical reactions involving carbohydrates, pectic substances, pigments, etc. Biochemical processes involving the carbohydrate constituents of vegetables and fruits are very important in their maturation, in most cases during maturation the concentration of simple non hydrolysable sugars changes and the taste intensifies.

The environmental conditions in which the maturing process is carried out influence thequality and stability of some fruits and vegetables that can be kept for a longer period. Moreover, the conditions under which maturation takes place, such as: ageing of wines, alcoholic distillates, cheeses, cold cuts, are decisive for obtaining specific products with agreeable properties.

Process steps

In the first stage there are selected vegetables, fruits, berries, petals of edible flowers that are fresh or frozen at temperatures between -10 and -20°C, as in the case of sea buckthorn fruits.

In the second stage there is a preliminary processing of fruits, vegetables and petals of edible flowers as follows : cleaning, separating the juice-pulp, chopping or portioning into pieces of 6-12 mm, in some cases with the addition of lemon juice or Japanese quince juice for color maintenance to products that are easily oxidized such as rose petals and quinces and then using them directly in the technological process or freezing them at temperatures between -10 and -20°C and storing until use.

The third stage consists in dosing in the work vessel of fruits, vegetables, and petals of edible flowers for processing, depending on the work recipe, by weighing, possibly with initial thawing for 24 h at +5+10°C of fruits, vegetables and petals of edible flowers preserved by freezing in the second stage.

In the fourth stage in the work vessel, over the fruits, vegetables or petals of flowers dosed in the third stage it is added a concentrated solution of sugars, which can be honey, concentrated apple syrup, com syrup, agave syrup, grape syrup, maple syrup in quantities that finally ensure in the work bowl a concentration in sugars of the syrup between 10-45 Brix degrees, refractometrically measured, depending on the recipe used, concentrations at which the mixture of fruits with sugars can ferment alcoholically.

The quantities of sugar solution to be added are calculated according to the sugar content of the fruits, the concentration of the solution of sugars and the desired final concentration.

In the fifth stage the alcoholic fermentation takes place in the work vessel. The working temperature of the fermentation mixture is 25-35°C, with poor intermittent or continuous stirring.

The mixture obtained in the fourth stage can be left for the fermentation natural triggering, due to yeasts and bacteria existing naturally in honey and on fruit or a fermentation starter can be added. The starter of alcoholic fermentation can be a quantity of mixture in fermentation from a batch in progress, a quantity of finite product from a previous batch or a starter selected through specialized technologies for separating strains of yeasts and bacteria for alcoholic fermentation.

Using the naturally triggered fermentation, is valorized the source of yeasts - bacteria and microflora available naturally in unpasteurized honey and on fruits in the mixture, which offers the opportunity to have a source of yeasts and bacteria as diverse and rich as possible, method considered a very good way to restore the gut microbiome of the consumers of the finite product.

By adding starter in the fermentation mixture, the quicker start of alcoholic fermentation is achieved and the development of certain bacteria in the fermentation process is promoted, which may be of interest in connection with the use of the finite product.

It will be possible to use the starter prepared from honey previously placed for fermentation, from a batch of mixed fruit with honey in alcoholic fermentation stage, from an old finite batch from which a quantity of product is taken, diluted, and left to ferment.

At the natural initiation, fermentation usually begins in 4-7 days. By adding the starter, fermentation usually begins in 2-4 days.

If a product from a previous batch is used, it is mixed in a mass ratio of 1/1-5 product with distilled water and leaved at 35-36°C for 24-48h with occasional stirring for dissolution. The amount of added starter is 1-3 ml per kg of batch.

In the case of mixtures with an initial low sugar content, 10-15 Brix, the alcoholic fermentation takes place until the natural cessation of fermentation due to the increase of the alcohol content or the consumption of the sugars existing in the mixture. In the case of higher concentrations of sugars, 15- 45 Brix, especially 35-45 Brix, the fermentation will be allowed to take place until the concentrationin sugars decreases by 3-5 degrees Brix, usually in 5-7 days. The control of alcoholic fermentation is carried out at the mixtures with an initial low sugar content, 10-15 Brix, by natural stop of the alcoholic fermentation due to the increase in alcohol content or the consumption of existing sugars, and at the mixtures with higher sugar concentrations, 15- 45 Brix, especially at 35-45 Brix, by moving to the next stage, of dehydration of the alcoholically fermented mixture, after the decreasing of sugars concentration by 3-5 Brix degrees.

It is plausible to estimate that the use of highly selected strains of yeasts and bacteria, through specialized technologies, can direct the process for the special obtaining of certain desired final compositions, as it is currently done in industrial fermentation processes for obtaining, for example, of wine that has certain desired characteristics. In this way it is possible to emphasize the effects on certain health problems by controlling the strains of microorganisms used in fermentation, process which can represent an area of technological development.

In the sixth stage it takes place the process by which the mixture, already alcoholically fermented, is dehydrated in a controlled manner at 30-38°C in air stream with a humidity below 25%.

In the fermented mixture, before the start of dehydration, is added an additional concentrated solution of sugars, especially honey, until is reached a concentration in sugars of the mixture of 45-65 degrees Brix to control the sweetness of the finished product and its consistency. Sea buckthorn is astringent and a higher content in sugars in the finite product will lead to a more pleasant product for consumption. For sea buckthorn the amount of honey recommended to be added in this step of the procedure is 0.7-2 times in rapport of the initial quantity of fruit. A high content in fruit and low in added sugars can make the finite product very viscous and difficult to process and, to solve this, extra honey is added. In the case of rose petals, a honey quantity of 5-10 times the weight of the petals is required to obtain a product having a viscosity that allows the processing.

In the dehydration stage, there are daily measured the humidity of the mixture with a refractometer and the alcohol content in the air existent into the processing vessel with an alcohol meter, until mixture stabilization at a humidity below 25%, preferably below 20%. After 4-8 days of processing, when the humidity of the mixture drops below 20% the process is stopped and the result is a food product with a creamy texture, containing ethyl alcohol only in traces, below 0.2%, the final stable products, pleasant to taste, are packaged directly in glass or food plastic jars with lid.

Example 1

Sea buckthorn fruits are harvested by cutting twigs with fruits, freezing at -38-40°C and followed by strong mechanical shaking. After harvesting, the fruits are kept frozen at temperatures of - 18-20°C, until use, or they can be thawed, chopped, separating the juice with the pulp from seeds and fruit skin with mechanical devices and processed or frozen at -18-20°C, until processed, in special plastic buckets for freezing, with lid.

For processing, the frozen product is slowly thawed by keeping at +5/10°C for 10-20 hours.

It is mixed with acacia honey, which has a refractometrically measured humidity of less than 19%, in a fruit - honey ratio of 1- 0.6, respectively 2000 g fruit with 1200 g honey in a 41iter glass jar obtaining a mixture of fruit with honey that has a refractometrically measured sugar content of 42 Brix degrees. The glass jar is stored at a temperature of 25-30°C, and the mixture is mixed with a plastic or wood spoon 1-

2 times daily. After 4-5 days, the alcoholic fermentation of the mixture begins and the vessel is kept covered but not airtight, with 1-2 times daily mixing for 5 days and the measured Brix valuehas decreased to 37 degrees. 800 g of honey is added to the vessel, and it is mixed for dissolution and homogenization resulting in a mixture with a Brix value of 48 degrees. The mixture thus obtained is poured into a stainless-steel tray with dimensions of 20x35x5 cm, obtaining a layer with a thickness of

3 cm in the stainless-steel tray. The stainless-steel tray with the fermented mixture is inserted into a dehydration cabinet at 38°C and humidity below 25%. It is mixed for homogenization 1-3 times daily. After 6 days the refractometric measured value of humidity is 19 % and the product is packed in glass jars with lid.

In parallel, a batch of the same raw materials was made, but without fermentation, according to the technology in EP 3669659A1 patent.

Laboratory analyses show for the product obtained with the alcoholic fermentation stage, compared to the product obtained without the fermentation stage, an increase in the content of determined fatty acids from 1,2 to 2,8%.

Example 2

It is known that sea buckthorn pits are rich in omega fatty acids especially valuable for health, but the pits are tough, very difficult to consume. By fermenting the whole fruit, including the pits, it is aimed at capitalizing the valuable compounds in the pits and skin of the fruit in the finite product as well. Frozen sea buckthorn fruits are slowly thawed by keeping at +5/10°C for 10-20 hours and chopped in a mincer no. 22 with a 6 mm sieve.

The fruits thus chopped are mixed with acacia honey, in a fruit - honey ratio of 1 - 0.6, respectively 2000 g fruit with 1200 g honey, which has humidity of 19 %, in a 41iter glass jar obtaining a mixtureof fruit with honey that has a refractometrically measured sugar content of 42 degrees Brix. The glass jar is stored at a temperature of 25-30°C, and the mixture is mixed with a plastic or wood spoon 1-2 times daily. After 4-5 days, the alcoholic fermentation of the mixture begins and the vessel is kept covered but not airtight, with 1-2 times daily mixing for 5 days and the refractometrically measured Brix value has decreased to 38 degrees. 800 g of honey is added to the vessel and is mixed for dissolution and homogenization resulting in a mixture with a Brix value of 49. The mixture thus obtained is poured into a stainless-steel tray, with the dimensions of 20x35x5 cm obtaining a lay erwith a thickness of 3 cm in the stainless-steel tray. The stainless-steel tray with the fermented mixture is inserted into a dehydration cabinet at 38°C and humidity below 25%. It is mixed 1-3 times daily for homogenization. After 6 days the refractometric measured value of humidity is 19.5% and the product is packed in glass jars with lid.

The fruit pits in the finite product have become much more elastic compared to raw sea buckthorn pits, and they are easy to consume in the finite product. The content of the measured available fatty acids in the finite product is 3.2%.

Example 3

The fruit called blueberry is a berry of dark blue or greyish blue color, round as shape, with a diameter of 0.5 - 0.6 cm, juicy, with purplish juice, with a pleasant sweet-sour taste. The fruits are picked during the ripening period (when they are well ripe) in July - September. The fruits can be processed immediately or preserved for processing by freezing at -18-20°C.

Blueberries contain fructose and glucose as well as a series of different other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. The blueberries are very rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, complex B vitamins, copper, which strengthens immunity and has antibacterial role, selenium, zinc, iron that stimulates the immune system and prevent the occurrence of infections.

For processing we use thawed sea buckthorn juice/pulp and thawed blueberries chopped on the mincer no. 22 with a 6 mm sieve. Defrosting is done slowly by holding at +5/10°C for 10-20 hours

It is mixed with acacia honey, in a fruit - honey ratio of 1- 0.6, respectively 1000 g chopped blueberry fruit and 1000 g sea buckthorn juice/pulp with 1200 g honey, which has humidity of 19 %, in a 41iter glass jar obtaining a mixture of fruit with honey that has a refractometrically measured sugar content of 44 degrees Brix. The glass jar is stored at a temperature of 25-30°C, and the mixture is mixed with a plastic or wood spoon 1-2 times daily. After 4-5 days, the alcoholic fermentation of the mixture begins and the vessel is kept covered but not airtight, with 1-2 times daily mixing for 5 days and the measured Brix value has decreased to 40 degrees. 700 g of honey is added to the vessel, and it is mixed for dissolution and homogenization resulting in a mixture with a Brix value of 47 degrees. The mixture thus obtained is poured into a stainless-steel tray with dimensions of 20x35x5 cm, obtaining a layer with a thickness of 4 cm in the stainless-steel tray. The stainless-steel tray with the fermented mixture is inserted into a dehydration cabinet at 38°C and humidity below 25%. It is mixed for homogenization 1-3 times daily. After 6 days the refractometrically measured value of humidity is 19% and the finite product is packed in glass jars with lid.

Example No. 4

Beetroot is highly recommended for consumption due to the very rich content in antioxidants. Usually, it is recommended to consume raw juice, simply or mixed with the juice of other fruits or vegetables. Raw beetroot can be used for processing, from which the juice is obtained with a specialized squeezing machine, or it can be used juice obtained previously and preserved by freezing. For processing, a thermostatic work vessel with anchor-type mixer is used, with a volume of 50 1, with inner dimensions of 40 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height.

There is used thawed sea buckthorn juice/pulp as in ex 1, thawed and chopped blueberries as in ex 3 and beetroot juice obtained from raw fruit with a juicer for obtaining juice from fruits and vegetables. In the work vessel put the sea buckthorn juice, blueberry juice and beetroot juice in the ratio 1- 1-0.1, 12+12+1.2 kg. There are added 15 kg of honey, which has humidity of 19 %, to reach a 40 Brix sugar content. Place 60 g of starter obtained by mixing 40 g of water with 20 g of fermented finite product from the batch of example 1 and maintain for 48h at 35°C. The alcoholic fermentation in the work vessel starts in 2 days and the mixture in the covered work vessel is left to ferment at 30°C for 5 days, under slow stirring, and the content in sugars reaches 37 degrees Brix. 8 kg of honey is added, bringing the mixture Brix value to 47 degrees Brix and then it is dehydrated in an air stream with a humidity below 25%. The moisture content of the mixture is measured daily with a refractometer. Daily, there is measured, with an alcoholometer, the alcohol content in the air in the free space of the mixing vessel above the mixture in the dehydration process. After 6 days of processing, the moisture content of the mixture reaches 19%, the process is stopped, and the product is directly packed in food plastic jars with lid. The alcohol values of the finite product were determined to be below themaximum of 0.2% by volume, standard for non-alcoholic products.

Daily consumption of 30-35 g of the product was reported to have the effect of regulating the digestive transit after 3-4 weeks of consumption for a user with chronic problems of diarrhea and gas. The effect of increasing the resistance to physical exertion was also reported. Example 5 - Quince is a seasonal fruit and is found in the autumn-winter months. Quinces have a bright yellow hue when they are ripened. Quinces are rich in nutrients such as vitamins A, B and C, fibers, and minerals such as potassium, selenium, zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. They do not contain many fats and are considered beneficial for health.

Quinces are cleaned of pits, cut into pieces of 6-8 mm, immersed in lemon juice for keeping color, in a ratio of 250 g juice to 1 kg pieces of quince, and preserved by freezing. 1.5 kg of frozen quince pieces are thawed at +5 +10°C for 24 hours, they are mixed in a 41iter glass jar with lid with 1.2 kg acacia honey, which has humidity of 19 %, obtaining a mixture with Brix 41. The glass jar is kept at a temperature of 25-30°C and is mixed with a plastic or wooden spoon 1-2 times daily. After 4-5 days, the alcoholic fermentation of the mixture begins and the vessel is kept covered but not airtight, with 1- 2 times daily mixing for 4 days and the refractometrically measured Brix value has decreasedto 38 degrees Brix.

1.8 kg of honey is added in the fermented mixture and mixed energetically with a wooden or plastic spoon. The mixture thus obtained has a Brix value of 52 degrees and it is poured into two stainless steel trays, with the dimensions of 20x35x5 cm, obtaining a layer with a thickness of approximately

2.5 cm in each stainless-steel tray. The stainless-steel trays are placed in a dehydration cabinet at 38°C and humidity below 25%. It is mixed for homogenization 1-3 times daily. After 7 days the refractometrically measured value of humidity is 19% and the product is packed at 250g in glass jars with lid.

Example 6

Rose petals are mixed with lemon juice in a mass ration petals-lemon juice 4-1, are maintained at 8°C for 48 h for impregnation and are frozen at -18-20°C. 400 g frozen petals are thawed at +5+10°C for 24 h, they are mixed in a 41iter glass jar with lid with 200 g acacia honey, which has humidity of 19 %, and 400 g water obtaining a mixture with Brix 18. The glass jar is kept at a temperature of 25-30°C and it is mixed 1-2 times daily with a plastic or wooden spoon. After 4-5 days, the alcoholic fermentation of the mixture begins and the vessel is kept covered but not airtight, with 1- 2 times daily mixing for 7 days and the refractometrically measured Brix value has decreased to 14 degrees Brix.

In the fermented mixture is added 2.2 kg of honey and mix vigorously with a wooden or plastic spoon. The mixture thus obtained has a Brix value of 62 degrees and it is poured into a stainless-steel tray, with the dimensions of 20x35x5 cm, obtaining a layer with a thickness of approximately 4 cm in the stainless-steel tray. The stainless-steel tray is placed into a dehydration cabinet at 38°C and humidity below 25%. It is mixed for homogenization 1 -3 times daily. After 7 days the refractometrically measured value of humidity is 19% and the product is packed at 250 g in glass jars with lid.

Consumption of the product at the level of 30-40 g in the evening was reported to have a favorable effect on sleep. After 3-4 weeks of use, favorable effects on intestinal transit for the user with chronic constipation problems were also noted.

In the use of the fermented sea buckthorn product of example 1 in consumption by a user with type 1 diabetes, there were no changes in blood sugar for consumption of 30-35 g per day, during the morning meal. After one month, the measured daily values were within variation limits 4-7 % lower than before use. The use of the unfermented product during the same time interval did not lead to measurable changes. By consuming the fermented product of experiment 2, after 3 months of consumption, there was found a consistent increase in the rate of regeneration of skin wounds for the patient with type 1 diabetes.

By the use in consumption of the fermented sea buckthorn product of examples 3 and 5, changes in digestive transit are noticed within 20-30 days, with the improvement of the situations regarding constipation, diarrhea, gas.

The daily consumption of 25-35 g of the product obtained from sea buckthorn juice and honey, by various users on a long-term basis, for 6-8 months, has signaled consistent effects in terms of major improvement of digestive transit, elasticity and hydration of skin, disappearance of eczema, higher cold resistance, elasticity of joints, increased resistance to prolonged physical effort, rapid recovery after prolonged physical effort. The data can be correlated with effects reported by the specialized literature for sea buckthorn oil and bioactive compounds existing in sea buckthorn studied in numerous laboratory or clinical experiments as well as with data related to the multiple health benefitsachieved by the healthy gut microbiome, the area whose major importance in the general functioning of the body is increasingly scientifically documented and on which the beneficial effects of sea buckthorn are reported in various studies. The particularly consistent level observed preliminary and the diverse range of these effects are also correlated with the documentary data on effects related tothe bioactivation process that fermentation achieves in the case of valuable biological compounds existing in plants, in this case especially in sea buckthorn fruits, and it can be estimated that a similar effect is very likely to be encountered in the case of use as food of products obtained by this process with the capitalization of the alcoholic fermentation for the bioactivation of valuable components in other berries, other fruits or vegetables as well, considered to have beneficial effects on health due to their rich content in biologically valuable substances. These findings and estimates have begun to be evaluated in specialized studies.

Claims

C L A I M S: Process of preserving edible fruits, vegetables and flower petals obtained by preserving without boiling of fruits, vegetables or edible flower petals, whole, pieces, chopped, raw or frozen mixed with honey or concentrated solutions of sugars, characterized by the fact that berries, fruits, vegetables, edible flower petals are selected fresh, preliminary processed by cleaning, juice-pulp separation, chopping, portioning into pieces of 6-12 mm, with the additionof lemon juice, Japanese quince juice for fruits, flower petals sensitive to oxidation, areintermediately preserved by freezing at -18-20°C, it is continued with a processing in a working vessel where it is dosed, depending on the working recipe, after initial thawing, for 24h at +5+10°C, the fruits and edible petals preserved by freezing in preliminary processing, is added a concentrated solution of sugars - honey, concentrated apple syrup, com syrup, agave syrup, grape syrup, maple syrup - in quantities which finally ensure in the working vessel a sugars concentration of the syrup between 10-45 Brix degrees, measured refractometrically,the mixture is maintained at the working temperature of 25-35°C for the realization of alcoholic fermentation, with poor stirring, the start of fermentation takes place in 2-7 days, the fermentation control is done by the initial concentration in sugars, the source of yeasts and bacteria for alcoholic fermentation and by observing the evolution of the Brix value with the decrease of 3-5 degrees Brix, to the already fermented alcoholic mixture a concentrated solution of sugars or honey is added up to a sugar concentration of 45-65 degrees Brix, after which takes place the processing by which the mixture thus obtained is dehydrated in acontrolled manner at 30-38°C in a stream of air with a humidity below 25%, daily measuring the humidity of the mixture with a refractometer, and the alcohol content in the air in the working vessel with an alcohol meter, until stabilization at humidity below 25%, optimally below 20%, after 6-8 days of processing, when the humidity of the mixture drops below 20% and the alcohol content in the product below 0.2%, the process is stopped and the product obtained is packaged. Process of preservation of fruits and petals of edible flowers, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the mixture ferments alcoholically by the natural triggering of fermentation by the yeasts and bacteria existing in the raw materials, the start of fermentationin this case takes place in 3-7 days. Process of preserving the fruits and petals of edible flowers, according to claim 1, characterized in that the mixture ferments alcoholically by adding a starter and the fermentation begins in 1-3 days, as a starter using a quantity of mixture in fermentation from a batch in progress, the amount of added starter is 1-3 ml per kg of batch in work. Process for preserving edible fruit and flower petals, according to claim 1 , characterized in that, the mixture ferments alcoholically by adding a starter and the fermentation starts in 1-3 days, as a starter using a quantity of finite product from a previous batch that is mixed in amass ratio of 1/1-5 product with distilled water and left at 35-36°C for 24-48 h with occasional stirring for dissolution, the amount of starter thus obtained added to the mixture under processing is 1-3 ml per kg of batch in work. Process of preservation of edible fruits and flower petals, according to claim 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterized in that, in the case of mixtures with initially low sugar content, 10-15 Brix, alcoholic fermentation is carried out until the natural cessation of fermentation due to the increase of the alcohol content and in the case of higher concentrations of sugars, Brix degrees, 15-45 Brix, especially at 35-45 Brix, fermentation will be carried out until the concentration in sugars decreases by 3-5 degrees Brix. Process for preserving edible fruit and flower petals, according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, characterized in that, in the fermented mixture, in the case of fruits or vegetables, before starting the dehydration there is added a concentrated solution of sugars, honey, up to a sugar content of the mixture of 45-65 degrees Brix, measured refractometrically, to control the sweetness of the finished product as well as a consistency of the mixture to allow processing and to the rose petals there is added an amount of honey 5-10 times the mass of petals to obtaina product with a viscosity that allows processing. Product as a result of preserving the fruits and petals of edible flowers, according toclaims 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, characterized in that after 6-8 days of processing the alcoholically fermented mixture, by dehydration at temperatures below 40°C, when the humidity of the alcoholically fermented mixture decreases below 20%, there results a functional food product with a creamy texture, non-alcoholic, containing only traces of ethyl alcohol, less than 0.2%, the products being stable, pleasant to the taste, rich in biologically valuable compounds existing in the used fruits and honey, bioactivated in the fermentation process, and in biologically valuable compounds formed in the alcoholic fermentation process.