Processing technology of honeysuckle black tea

Abstract

This invention provides a processing technology for honeysuckle black tea, belonging to the field of tea processing technology. The method includes steps such as raw material selection, simultaneous withering and rolling, using honeysuckle dew instead of ordinary water for fermentation, gradient drying, aroma enhancement, and packaging. By rationally combining honeysuckle at its bud stage and full bloom stage with fresh black tea leaves for simultaneous withering and rolling, a deep fusion of the two is achieved. During fermentation, honeysuckle dew is used instead of ordinary water to enhance the floral aroma, and microwave enzyme inactivation is used to precisely control the fermentation endpoint. The gradient drying process effectively preserves nutrients and improves the product's taste and stability. The honeysuckle black tea prepared by this invention combines the medicinal value of honeysuckle with a rich floral aroma. The black tea has a mellow taste, long-lasting aroma, and stable quality, making it suitable for industrial production and possessing good market promotion value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tea processing technology, and in particular to a honeysuckle black tea processing technique. Background Technology

[0002] Honeysuckle is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is cold in nature and sweet in taste, and enters the lung, heart, and stomach meridians. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and dispersing wind-heat. It is commonly used to treat carbuncles, boils, sore throat, erysipelas, dysentery due to heat toxins, wind-heat colds, and febrile diseases. Modern pharmacological research shows that honeysuckle contains various active ingredients such as chlorogenic acid, luteolin, and flavonoids, possessing various biological activities including antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

[0003] Black tea is a fully fermented tea, named for the red color of its brewed tea liquor and tea leaves. Black tea is warm in nature, has a mellow taste, and is rich in nutrients such as tea polyphenols, caffeine, and vitamins. It has effects such as refreshing the mind, promoting digestion, and providing antioxidants. Combining honeysuckle with black tea to prepare honeysuckle black tea not only enriches the flavor of black tea but also imparts certain health benefits, meeting consumers' demand for healthy tea drinks.

[0004] However, existing methods for preparing honeysuckle black tea have many shortcomings. For example, some methods simply mix honeysuckle and black tea, resulting in insufficient extraction of the medicinal components of honeysuckle and an inability to effectively blend the floral aroma with the tea flavor. While some processes employ co-processing, the control of key steps is not precise enough. For instance, the rate of water loss between honeysuckle and black tea is inconsistent during withering, honeysuckle is easily broken during rolling, and enzyme activity is difficult to effectively regulate during fermentation. These problems all affect the quality and stability of the product. Furthermore, the use of ordinary water in traditional fermentation processes cannot further enhance the aroma characteristics of honeysuckle. Therefore, developing a preparation method that simultaneously considers the medicinal effects, floral aroma, and quality of honeysuckle and black tea is of significant practical importance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a honeysuckle black tea processing method that effectively preserves the active ingredients of honeysuckle.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a honeysuckle black tea processing method, comprising the following steps: Raw material selection: Select fresh black tea leaves with one bud and one leaf to one bud and three leaves. The leaves should be intact, free from pests and diseases, and bright green in color. At the same time, select honeysuckle flowers in the bud stage and the full bloom stage. Honeysuckle flowers in the bud stage are those with unopened corollas and a club-shaped shape, while honeysuckle flowers in the full bloom stage are those with fully opened corollas and a strong aroma. The mass ratio of honeysuckle flowers in the bud stage to those in the full bloom stage is 3:2.

[0007] Simultaneous withering: Evenly mix fresh black tea leaves with honeysuckle flowers and spread them in a withering trough, controlling the thickness to 2.5-3 cm. Wither at a temperature of 25-35℃ and a relative humidity of 65-70%, turning the leaves every 2-3 hours to ensure even heating. Withering time is 12-14 hours, until the moisture content of the fresh black tea leaves drops to 58-62%, the honeysuckle buds soften, and the flowers at their peak bloom slightly wilt. At this point, the grassy aroma of the raw materials gradually dissipates, and the floral fragrance begins to emerge.

[0008] Simultaneous kneading: Place the withered mixed raw materials into a kneading machine and knead using a "light-heavy-light" kneading method. First, knead for 10 minutes each at speeds of 40 rpm, 45 rpm, and 50 rpm to initially form the raw materials into strips; then, knead lightly at 50 rpm for 15-20 minutes, followed by heavy kneading for 20-25 minutes to break down the cell structure, allowing the honeysuckle juice to fully seep out and adhere to the surface of the fresh black tea leaves; finally, knead lightly at 40 rpm for 10-15 minutes to shape the strips and reduce broken leaves. During the kneading process, it is important to control the kneading intensity to avoid excessive breakage of the honeysuckle. After kneading, the strip formation rate of the mixed raw materials should reach over 90%.

[0009] Honeysuckle dew as a fermentation substitute: Place the kneaded mixed ingredients into a fermentation box, with pre-prepared honeysuckle dew at the bottom, ensuring the dew level does not touch the ingredients. Control the fermentation temperature at 26-32℃ and relative humidity at 90-94%, for 3-4 hours. Stir the ingredients every hour to ensure even fermentation. When the mixed ingredients turn a uniform red color, the green odor disappears, and the sweet and floral aromas are fully integrated, stop fermentation using microwave enzyme inactivation. Use a microwave power of 300-400W for 2-3 minutes, spreading the mixed ingredients evenly on a microwave conveyor belt to a thickness of 1-2cm to ensure complete enzyme inactivation. The honeysuckle dew is prepared by mixing honeysuckle and water at a mass ratio of 1:10, heating and distilling the mixture in a distillation apparatus, and collecting the distillate. The honeysuckle dew retains the volatile aroma components of honeysuckle, further enhancing the floral fragrance of the product during fermentation.

[0010] Gradient drying: The fermented mixed raw materials are subjected to gradient drying sequentially, with specific parameters as follows: First stage: Dry at 35℃ for 1 hour to initially remove moisture from the surface of the raw materials and avoid loss of nutrients due to high temperature; Second stage: Drying at 45℃ for 1 hour to further remove moisture from the raw materials and promote aroma formation. The third stage: drying at 50℃ for 4 hours to slowly remove the remaining moisture and make the raw materials taste richer. Fourth stage: Dry at 90℃ for 30 minutes, quickly dry to fix the aroma and taste of the product, and dry until the moisture content of the finished product drops below 7%.

[0011] Aroma Enhancement and Packaging: After drying, the product is heated at 90-95℃ for 30-45 minutes to enhance its aroma. After aroma enhancement, the product is cooled to room temperature and then sealed in packaging to obtain the finished honeysuckle black tea.

[0012] The present invention also provides a honeysuckle black tea product prepared by the above preparation method. This product has both the medicinal effects of honeysuckle buds and the fragrance of honeysuckle flowers. The black tea has a mellow taste, a rich and lasting aroma, and stable quality.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention mixes honeysuckle in the bud stage and the full bloom stage in a specific ratio, and withers and kneads it at the same time as fresh black tea leaves. This not only preserves the rich medicinal components of honeysuckle in the bud stage, such as chlorogenic acid and luteolin, but also makes full use of the rich fragrance of honeysuckle in the full bloom stage, thus achieving a dual enhancement of medicinal efficacy and fragrance.

[0014] 2. Honeysuckle dew is used instead of ordinary water during the fermentation process, which further enhances the aroma of honeysuckle and deeply integrates the floral fragrance with the fermented aroma of black tea, making the product aroma more rich and lasting.

[0015] 3. Microwave enzyme inactivation is used to precisely control the fermentation endpoint, effectively avoiding quality problems caused by over- or under-fermentation and ensuring the stability and consistency of product flavor.

[0016] 4. The gradient drying process can gradually remove moisture from the raw materials, reduce the loss of nutrients, and at the same time make the product taste more mellow and significantly improve its foam resistance. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which further describe the technical solution of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Example

[0018] Raw material selection: 15kg of fresh black tea leaves with one bud and one leaf, 4.5kg of honeysuckle in the bud stage, and 3.0kg of honeysuckle in full bloom.

[0019] Simultaneous withering: Fresh black tea leaves and honeysuckle are evenly mixed and spread in a withering trough to a thickness of 2.5 cm. Withering is carried out for 14 hours at 25℃ and 65% relative humidity, turning the mixture every 3 hours. After withering, the moisture content of the fresh black tea leaves is 62%, and the honeysuckle buds have softened, with the flowers in full bloom showing slight wilting.

[0020] Simultaneous kneading: Place the withered mixed raw materials into a kneading machine, and knead for 10 minutes each at speeds of 40 r / min, 45 r / min, and 50 r / min respectively; then knead lightly for 20 minutes at 50 r / min, followed by heavy kneading for 20 minutes; finally, knead lightly for 10 minutes at 40 r / min. After kneading, the strip formation rate of the mixed raw materials is 90%.

[0021] Honeysuckle dew as a fermentation substitute: Place the kneaded mixture into a fermentation box, with honeysuckle dew at the bottom. Control the fermentation temperature at 26-28℃ and relative humidity at 90%, fermenting for 4 hours, turning the mixture every hour. When the raw materials have turned a uniform red color, the grassy smell has disappeared, and the sweet and floral aromas are richly integrated, microwave treatment with 300W for 3 minutes is used to inactivate the enzymes. Honeysuckle dew is prepared by distillation of honeysuckle and water in a 1:10 ratio.

[0022] Gradient drying: The fermented mixed raw materials were successively dried at 35℃ for 1 hour, 45℃ for 1 hour, 50℃ for 4 hours, and 90℃ for 30 minutes, with the relative humidity controlled at 40% during the drying process. After drying, the moisture content of the finished product was 6%.

[0023] Aroma enhancement and packaging: The dried product is aroma enhanced at 90℃ for 45 minutes, cooled to room temperature, and then screened and packaged to obtain the finished honeysuckle black tea. Example

[0024] Raw material selection: 15kg of fresh black tea leaves with one bud and one leaf, 4.5kg of honeysuckle in the bud stage, and 3.0kg of honeysuckle in full bloom.

[0025] Simultaneous withering: Fresh black tea leaves and honeysuckle are evenly mixed and spread in a withering trough to a thickness of 3cm. Withering is carried out for 13 hours at 30℃ and 68% relative humidity, turning the mixture every 2 hours. After withering, the moisture content of the fresh black tea leaves is 60%, the honeysuckle buds soften, and the flowers at their peak bloom are slightly wilted.

[0026] Simultaneous kneading: Place the withered mixed raw materials into a kneading machine, and knead for 10 minutes each at speeds of 40 r / min, 45 r / min, and 50 r / min respectively; then knead lightly at 50 r / min for 15 minutes, followed by heavy kneading for 25 minutes; finally, knead lightly at 40 r / min for 10 minutes. After kneading, the strip yield of the mixed raw materials is 92%.

[0027] Honeysuckle dew as a fermentation substitute: Place the kneaded mixture into a fermentation box, with honeysuckle dew at the bottom. Control the fermentation temperature at 30-32℃ and relative humidity at 92%, fermenting for 3.5 hours, turning the mixture every hour. When the raw materials have turned a uniform red color, the grassy smell has disappeared, and the sweet and floral aromas have blended richly, microwave them for 2.5 minutes at 350W to inactivate the enzymes. Honeysuckle dew is prepared by distilling honeysuckle and water in a 1:10 ratio.

[0028] Gradient drying: The fermented mixed raw materials were successively dried at 35℃ for 1 hour, 45℃ for 1 hour, 50℃ for 4 hours, and 90℃ for 30 minutes, with the relative humidity controlled at 42% during the drying process. After drying, the moisture content of the finished product was 6.5%.

[0029] Aroma enhancement and packaging: The dried product is aroma enhanced at 92℃ for 40 minutes, cooled to room temperature, and then screened and packaged to obtain the finished honeysuckle black tea. Example

[0030] Raw material selection: 15kg of fresh black tea leaves with one bud and one leaf, 4.5kg of honeysuckle in the bud stage, and 3.0kg of honeysuckle in full bloom.

[0031] Simultaneous withering: Fresh black tea leaves and honeysuckle are evenly mixed and spread in a withering trough to a thickness of 2.8 cm. Withering is carried out for 12 hours at 30℃ and 70% relative humidity, turning the mixture every 2 hours. After withering, the moisture content of the fresh black tea leaves is 58%, and the honeysuckle buds have softened, with the flowers in full bloom showing slight wilting.

[0032] Simultaneous kneading: First, knead at 40 rpm for 30 minutes without kneading; then knead lightly at 50 rpm for 15 minutes, followed by heavy kneading for 25 minutes; finally, knead lightly at 40 rpm for 10 minutes. After kneading, the strip formation rate of the mixed raw materials was 88%.

[0033] Honeysuckle dew as a fermentation substitute: Place the kneaded mixture into a fermentation box, with honeysuckle dew at the bottom. Control the fermentation temperature at 30-32℃ and relative humidity at 94%, fermenting for 3 hours, turning the mixture every hour. When the raw materials have turned a uniform red color, the grassy smell has disappeared, and the sweet and floral aromas are richly integrated, microwave treatment at 400W for 2 minutes to inactivate the enzymes. Honeysuckle dew is prepared by distillation of honeysuckle and water in a 1:10 ratio.

[0034] Gradient drying: The fermented mixed raw materials were successively dried at 35℃ for 1 hour, 45℃ for 1 hour, 50℃ for 4 hours, and 90℃ for 30 minutes, with the relative humidity controlled at 45% during the drying process. After drying, the moisture content of the finished product was 7%.

[0035] Aroma enhancement and packaging: The dried product is aroma enhanced at 95℃ for 30 minutes, cooled to room temperature, and then screened and packaged to obtain the finished honeysuckle black tea.

[0036] The honeysuckle black tea products prepared in Examples 1-3 above were subjected to performance tests, including sensory evaluation, determination of active ingredient content, and stability testing.

[0037] Sensory Evaluation: A limited number of professional tea tasters evaluated the products' appearance, aroma, liquor color, taste, and infused leaves. Products from Examples 1-3 all exhibited a rich and lasting aroma, a bright and clear red liquor, a mellow and sweet taste, and bright, evenly red infused leaves, combining the floral aroma of honeysuckle with the sweet aroma of black tea. Among these, Example 2 had a richer and more lasting floral aroma than its counterparts, with a more harmonious blend of floral and sweet notes. Examples 1 and 2 had a brighter and clearer red liquor, Example 2 had a more mellow and sweet aftertaste with a better overall flavor profile, and Example 2 had a brighter, more evenly red infused leaf that was soft and elastic.

[0038] Determination of active ingredients: The contents of chlorogenic acid and luteolin in the product were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the contents of chlorogenic acid in the products of Examples 1-3 were all greater than 5.0 mg / g, and the contents of luteolin were all greater than 0.2 mg / g, which were much higher than those in ordinary honeysuckle black tea, indicating that the preparation method of the present invention can effectively preserve the active ingredients of honeysuckle.

[0039] Stability test: The product was stored at 25℃ and 60% relative humidity for 6 months, and its sensory indicators and the content of active ingredients were tested periodically. The results showed that after 6 months of storage, the aroma and taste of the product did not change significantly, and the loss rate of chlorogenic acid and luteolin content was less than 5%, indicating that the product has good stability.

[0040] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A processing method for honeysuckle black tea, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Raw material selection: Select fresh black tea leaves with one bud and one leaf to one bud and three leaves, and honeysuckle in the bud stage and full bloom stage, with the mass ratio of honeysuckle in the bud stage to honeysuckle in the full bloom stage being 3:2; (2) Simultaneous withering: Mix the fresh black tea leaves and honeysuckle evenly, spread them in the withering trough, control the spreading thickness to 2.5-3cm, and wither for 12-14 hours under the conditions of temperature 25-35℃ and relative humidity 65-70%, turning them over once every 2-3 hours during the period. Until the moisture content of the fresh black tea leaves drops to 58-62%, the honeysuckle buds soften, and the flowers in full bloom wilt slightly; (3) Simultaneously knead: Put the withered mixed raw materials into the kneading machine and use the "light-heavy-light" kneading method. First, knead for 30 minutes, then knead lightly for 15-20 minutes, then knead heavily for 20-25 minutes, and finally knead lightly for 10-15 minutes. During the kneading process, control the speed of the kneading machine to be 40-50 r / min until the mixed raw materials reach a strip rate of over 90%. And the honeysuckle juice fully seeps out and adheres to the surface of the fresh black tea leaves; (4) Honeysuckle dew substitutes for fermentation: the mixed raw materials after kneading are put into the fermentation box, the bottom of the fermentation box is filled with honeysuckle dew, the fermentation temperature is controlled at 26-32℃ and the relative humidity is 90-94%, fermentation is carried out for 3-4 hours, and it is turned over once every 1 hour during the period; when the fermentation is carried out until the mixed raw materials turn red evenly, the grassy smell disappears, and the sweet aroma and floral aroma are blended and rich, the fermentation is stopped by microwave enzyme inactivation, the microwave power is 300-400W, and the processing time is 2-3 minutes; (5) Gradient drying: the mixed raw materials after fermentation are dried in sequence in a gradient manner, the specific parameters are: 35℃ drying for 1 hour, 45℃ drying for 1 hour, 50℃ drying for 4 hours, 90℃ drying for 30 minutes, until the moisture content of the finished product drops to below 7%; (6) Aroma enhancement and packaging: the dried product is aroma enhanced at 90-95℃ for 30-45 minutes, cooled to room temperature and then packaged to obtain the finished honeysuckle black tea.

2. The honeysuckle black tea processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The honeysuckle in the bud stage mentioned in step (1) refers to honeysuckle with its corolla not fully open and in a rod shape, while the honeysuckle in the full bloom stage refers to honeysuckle with its corolla fully open and a strong fragrance.

3. The honeysuckle black tea processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The honeysuckle dew mentioned in step (4) is obtained by distillation of honeysuckle. The specific preparation method is as follows: honeysuckle and water are mixed at a mass ratio of 1:10, heated and distilled, and the distillate is collected to obtain honeysuckle dew.

4. The honeysuckle black tea processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), during the microwave enzyme inactivation process, the mixed raw materials are evenly spread on the microwave conveyor belt with a thickness of 1-2 cm.