Fermented roxburgh pear tea and preparation method thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a fermented prickly pear fruit tea and its preparation method, belonging to the field of fruit tea technology. The preparation method of the fermented prickly pear fruit tea provided by this invention includes the following steps: Step 1. Pretreatment of prickly pear fruit; Step 2. Preparation of prickly pear tea leaves; Step 3. Pretreatment of prickly pear flowers: selecting prickly pear flowers in full bloom; Step 4. Assembly: filling the cavity of the prickly pear fruit after pretreatment in Step 1; puncturing holes on the surface of the prickly pear fruit, and drying until the moisture content is 15%~20%; Step 5. Filling the dried and shaped prickly pear fruit from Step 4 with prickly pear tea leaves, compacting, and drying until the moisture content of the prickly pear tea leaves is controlled at ≤7.0% and the moisture content of the prickly pear fruit is controlled at ≤10.0%. The fruit tea of ​​this invention is rich in vitamin C, possesses the aroma of tea, flowers, and the refreshing tartness of prickly pear, is easy to brew, and provides synergistic nutrition, making it suitable for daily consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fruit tea technology, and in particular to a fermented prickly pear fruit tea and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Rosa roxburghii Tratt. f. normalis Rehd., also known as Spring Return, Silk Flower, Wenguang Fruit, Wood Pear, and Tuantang II, is a perennial deciduous shrub belonging to the genus Rosa in the Rosaceae family. It is distributed in temperate and subtropical regions, flowering from May to July and fruiting from August to October. Rosa roxburghii is a plant used both as food and medicine; its fruit aids digestion and has tonic properties; its flowers stop diarrhea and dysentery; and its leaves clear heat, relieve summer heat, detoxify, and heal sores.

[0003] Currently, most prickly pear products are juice, dried fruit, or simple tea substitutes. There are no products that combine prickly pear fruit, flowers, and leaves through co-fermentation to create a single fruit tea. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a fermented prickly pear fruit tea and its preparation method. The fermented prickly pear fruit tea provided by this invention is rich in vitamin C, possesses both the aroma of tea and the refreshing tartness of prickly pear, and is easy to brew.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: One of the technical solutions of this invention is a method for preparing fermented prickly pear fruit tea, comprising the following steps: Step 1. Pretreatment of prickly pear fruit: Select fresh prickly pear fruits with a diameter ≥ 4 cm, make a 1.0-1.5 cm incision from the calyx end, remove the seeds and wash them clean; Step 2. Preparation of prickly pear tea leaves: Take 2-3 tender leaves, and prepare prickly pear leaf tea through withering, rolling, fermentation and drying; Step 3. Pretreatment of prickly pear flowers: Select prickly pear flowers in full bloom; Step 4. Assembly: Fill the cavity of the prickly pear fruit after the pretreatment in Step 1 with prickly pear flowers, then fill it with prickly pear leaf tea and press it down; prick holes on the surface of the prickly pear fruit and dry it until the moisture content is 15%~20% to form the fruit. Step 5. Fill the dried and shaped prickly pear fruit from Step 4 with prickly pear leaf tea, press it down, and dry it until the moisture content of the prickly pear leaf tea is controlled at ≤ 7.0% and the moisture content of the prickly pear fruit is controlled at ≤ 10.0%.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when screening fresh prickly pear fruit, the preferred varieties are Guinong No. 5 or Guinong No. 7, and the fresh prickly pear fruit should be free from diseases and pests.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the withering is carried out by sunlight withering for 20-30 minutes followed by natural indoor withering for 1-2 hours until the leaf moisture content is 55%-65%, the leaf texture is soft and loses its luster.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the kneading time is 8 to 10 minutes, and the pressure is applied according to the principle of "light-heavy-light" until the leaf cells are broken, the juice seeps out, and the mixture can be formed into a ball by hand and dispersed when released.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bacteria used for fermentation are *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* (a strain specifically for fermenting prickly pear leaves) or a mixture of *Lactobacillus plantarum* and *Lactobacillus brevis* in a mass ratio of 2:1. ； The inoculation amount of the fungus is 3‰ to 4‰ of the weight of the prickly pear leaves.

[0010] In this invention, *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* is adapted to the conversion of polyphenols in prickly pear leaves, which can enhance the fruit aroma; the compound bacteria of *Lactobacillus plantarum* and *Lactobacillus brevis* can enhance the probiotic activity of the product and meet functional requirements.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fermentation temperature is 28~33 ℃, the time is 8~12 h, the relative humidity is 75%~90%, and the thickness of the leaf spread is 3~5 cm; after the fermentation is completed, the enzyme activity is inactivated by keeping it at 100 ℃ for 3~5 min.

[0012] In this invention, a fermentation temperature of 28-33℃ balances microbial activity and flavor formation, avoiding the growth of unwanted microorganisms due to high temperatures (>35℃) and slow fermentation due to low temperatures (<25℃). A short fermentation cycle of 8-12 hours ensures uniform leaf reddening and a refreshing aroma. A relative humidity of 75%-90% keeps the leaves moist, promoting polyphenol oxidase activity. Turning the leaves 1-2 times daily and adding a small amount of sterile water maintains humidity; lower humidity leads to uneven fermentation and a weak aroma. A spreading thickness of 3-5 cm avoids excessively thick (>10 cm) piles that cause localized oxygen deficiency, heating, and mold growth. The leaves are gently turned every 30 minutes during fermentation. Finally, rapid high-temperature inactivation of enzymes fixes fermentation quality and terminates the polyphenol oxidation reaction.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drying in step 2 is as follows: first, dry at 150~200℃ for 3~5 min, then cool for 30 min, and finally dry at 100~130℃ for 4~7 min, with a final moisture content of 12%-15%.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention provides a fermented prickly pear fruit tea prepared by the above-described preparation method.

[0015] The present invention discloses the following technical effects: This invention relates to a fermented prickly pear fruit tea made from prickly pear fruit, flowers, and leaves through pretreatment, fermentation, assembly, needle pricking, and drying. The product is rich in Vitamin C and combines the aroma of tea, flowers, and the tangy flavor of prickly pear, offering synergistic nutritional benefits and making it suitable for daily consumption.

[0016] This invention involves piercing the surface of the prickly pear fruit, which reduces drying time and saves costs. It also makes brewing easier, allowing for the quick preparation of delicious tea and reducing consumers' waiting time. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 The appearance of the prickly pear tea prepared by this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. This detailed description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention, but rather as a more detailed description of certain aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] It should be understood that the terminology used in this invention is merely for describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, with respect to numerical ranges in this invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the range is also specifically disclosed. Any stated value or intermediate value within a stated range, as well as each smaller range between any other stated value or intermediate value within said range, is also included in this invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range.

[0021] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. While only preferred methods and materials have been described herein, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the implementation or testing of this invention. All references to this specification are incorporated by way of citation to disclose and describe methods and / or materials associated with those references. In the event of any conflict with any incorporated reference, the content of this specification shall prevail.

[0022] Various modifications and variations can be made to the specific embodiments described in this specification without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments derived from this specification will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. This specification and embodiments are merely exemplary.

[0023] The terms “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc., used in this article are all open-ended terms, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0024] Unless otherwise specified, the technical solutions described in this invention are all conventional solutions in the field, and the reagents or raw materials used are all purchased from commercial channels or are publicly available unless otherwise specified.

[0025] To better understand the present invention, the following embodiments further illustrate the content of the present invention, but the content of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0026] Example 1 1) Select fresh prickly pear fruit of Guinong No. 5, with a diameter of 4.5 cm, free from diseases and pests. Make a 1.2 cm incision from the calyx end, remove the seeds and wash the fruit. 2) Take 2-3 tender leaves of prickly pear, and wither them (wither in the sun for 20 minutes and then wither naturally indoors for 2 hours until the leaves are soft and lose their luster), roll them (for 8 minutes, following the principle of light-heavy-light pressure), ferment them (inoculate with 4‰ of the yeast extract, then ferment at 80% humidity and 28℃ for 8 hours, turning them over once every 30 minutes), and dry them (first dry at 150℃ for 4 minutes, then cool them for 30 minutes, and finally dry them at 120℃ for 6 minutes, with a final moisture content of 15%) to obtain fermented prickly pear leaf tea; 3) Pick the blooming prickly pear flowers, wash them and set aside; 4) Place the prickly pear flowers inside the prickly pear fruit, poke 30 small holes evenly on the fruit surface, and dry with hot air until the moisture content is 20% to shape. 5) Fill the dried and shaped prickly pear fruit from step 4 with prickly pear leaf tea, press it down, and dry it with hot air until the moisture content of the prickly pear leaf tea is controlled at ≤ 7.0% and the moisture content of the prickly pear fruit is controlled at ≤ 10.0%, thus obtaining fermented prickly pear fruit tea.

[0027] Example 2 1) Select fresh prickly pear fruit of Guinong No. 7, with a diameter of 5.0 cm, free from diseases and pests, cut a 1.2 cm opening from the calyx end, remove the seeds and wash clean; 2) Take 2-3 tender leaves of prickly pear, and wither them (wither in the sun for 20 minutes, then wither naturally indoors for 2 hours until the leaves are soft and lose their luster), roll them (10 minutes, following the principle of light-heavy-light pressure), ferment them (inoculate with a compound of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis at a mass ratio of 2:1, with an inoculation amount of 3‰, then ferment at 33℃ and 75% humidity for 10 hours, turning them over once every 30 minutes), and dry them (first dry at 100℃ for 5 minutes, then spread them out to cool for 30 minutes, and finally dry them at 100℃ for 7 minutes, with a final moisture content of 12%) to obtain fermented prickly pear leaf tea; 3) Pick the blooming prickly pear flowers, wash them and set aside; 4) Place the prickly pear flowers inside the prickly pear fruit, make 30 small holes evenly on the fruit surface, and dry with hot air until the moisture content is 15% to shape. 5) Fill the dried and shaped prickly pear fruit from step 4 with prickly pear leaf tea, press it down, and dry it with hot air until the moisture content of the prickly pear leaf tea is controlled at ≤ 7.0% and the moisture content of the prickly pear fruit is controlled at ≤ 10.0%, thus obtaining fermented prickly pear fruit tea.

[0028] Effect verification The nutritional components, sensory evaluation, and brewing characteristics of the fermented prickly pear fruit tea prepared in Example 1 were tested. 1. Vitamin C content determination The vitamin C content was determined with reference to the National Food Safety Standard GB 5009.86-2025 (Method III) for the Determination of Ascorbic Acid in Food and GB / T 6195-1986 for the Determination of Vitamin C Content in Fruits and Vegetables (2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol Titration Method).

[0029] The testing method is as follows: 1. Sample pretreatment: Accurately weigh 2.00 g of prickly pear fruit tea sample (ordinary dried prickly pear, fermented prickly pear fruit tea of ​​this invention), place it in a mortar, add 50 mL of 2% oxalic acid solution, grind thoroughly to form a homogenate, transfer to a 100 mL volumetric flask, dilute to the mark with 2% oxalic acid solution, shake well, filter through qualitative filter paper, and keep the filtrate for later use.

[0030] 2. Titration of titrant: Prepare 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol titrant and standardize its titer (T) with standard ascorbic acid solution, in mg / mL.

[0031] 3. Titration procedure: Accurately pipette 10.0 mL of the filtrate into a 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask, and titrate with the standardized 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol solution until the solution turns pink and does not fade within 15 s. Record the volume consumed (V); at the same time, perform a blank test (V0).

[0032] Test results: Regular dried prickly pear (directly dried prickly pear): Vitamin C content 820 mg / 100 g; This invention's fermented prickly pear fruit tea has a vitamin C content of 943 mg / 100 g. The results show that the present invention significantly retains and improves the VC retention rate through fermentation and low-temperature drying process.

[0033] 2. Sensory evaluation Blind tasting was conducted by 20 professional tea tasters (out of 10 points): Aroma: 9.0 points (harmonious floral, fruity, and fermented tea aromas) Taste: 8.9 points (sour and mellow, not astringent) Tea color: 8.8 points (golden and clear) Overall rating: 8.9 points 3. Comparison of dissolving speeds during brewing Take the same mass of ordinary dried prickly pear and the fermented prickly pear fruit tea of ​​this invention, and place them in 250 mL beakers respectively. Add 100 mL of distilled water at 85 ℃. Record the absorbance (517 nm) of the tea soup and the sensory taste score at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd infusions, and compare the dissolution rate of the effective components and the stability of the taste.

[0034] Regular dried prickly pear fruit: The flavor only becomes noticeable on the third infusion; This invention, acupuncture + fermented fruit tea, has a rapid flavor release in the first infusion and a stable flavor in the first three infusions. Verification: The needle-punched structure combined with the fermentation process significantly improves the dissolution rate of the active ingredients.

[0035] 4. Antioxidant activity (DPPH free radical scavenging rate) Antioxidant activity was determined in accordance with GB / T 39100-2020 "Determination of Antioxidant Activity of Polypeptides by DPPH and ABTS Methods" and GB / T 31740.2-2015 "Tea Products Part 2: Tea Polyphenols".

[0036] Experimental methods: 1. Reagent preparation: Prepare a 0.1 mmol / L DPPH anhydrous ethanol solution (store in the dark and refrigerate, use within 24 h), and adjust its absorbance at 517 nm to 0.70±0.02 with anhydrous ethanol.

[0037] 2. Sample preparation: Weigh 0.10 g each of ordinary dried prickly pear and fermented prickly pear fruit tea of ​​the present invention, dissolve them in anhydrous ethanol and make up to 100 mL to obtain sample solutions; set up a blank group (ethanol) and a control group (sample + ethanol).

[0038] 3. Reaction system: 2.0 mL DPPH solution + 2.0 mL sample solution was used as the sample group; 2.0 mL DPPH solution + 2.0 mL ethanol was used as the blank group; 2.0 mL sample solution + 2.0 mL ethanol was used as the control group.

[0039] 4. Measurement: After standing at room temperature in the dark for 30 min, zero the sample using the blank group and measure the absorbance (A) of each group at a wavelength of 517 nm. 普通刺梨 A 空白组 A 发酵型组 ).

[0040] Common prickly pear tea: 68.5%; Product of this invention: 77.8%; This indicates that the fermentation process increases the release of total phenols and flavonoids, and enhances antioxidant capacity.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing fermented prickly pear fruit tea, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1. Pretreatment of prickly pear fruit: Select fresh prickly pear fruits with a diameter ≥ 4 cm, make a 1.0-1.5 cm incision from the calyx end, remove the seeds and wash them clean; Step 2. Preparation of prickly pear tea leaves: Take 2-3 tender leaves, and prepare prickly pear leaf tea through withering, rolling, fermentation and drying; Step 3. Pretreatment of prickly pear flowers: Select prickly pear flowers in full bloom; Step 4. Assembly: Insert the prickly pear flowers into the cavity of the prickly pear fruit after the pretreatment in Step 1, then prick holes on the surface of the prickly pear fruit and dry it until the moisture content is 15%~20% to form the fruit. Step 5. Fill the dried and shaped prickly pear fruit from Step 4 with prickly pear leaf tea, press it down, and dry it until the moisture content of the prickly pear leaf tea is controlled at ≤ 7.0% and the moisture content of the prickly pear fruit is controlled at ≤ 10.0%.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The withering process involves 20-30 minutes of sun withering followed by 1-2 hours of natural indoor withering until the leaf moisture content reaches 55%-65%, the leaf texture becomes soft, and the leaf loses its luster.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bacteria used in the fermentation are *Lactobacillus cereus* or a mixture of *Lactobacillus plantarum* and *Lactobacillus brevis* in a 2:1 mass ratio. ； The inoculation amount of the fungus is 3‰ to 4‰ of the weight of the prickly pear leaves.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fermentation temperature is 28~33 ℃, the time is 8~12 h, the relative humidity is 75%~90%, and the thickness of the leaf spread is 3~5 cm; after the fermentation is completed, it is kept at 100℃ for 3~5 min to inactivate the inoculum.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 2, the drying process is as follows: first, dry at 150~200℃ for 3~5 minutes, then let cool for 30 minutes, and finally dry at 100~130℃ for 4~7 minutes, with a final moisture content of 12%-15%.

6. Fermented prickly pear fruit tea prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1-5.

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