Preparation, sensory determination and extended application method of reusable standardized tremella beverage base

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for preparing, sensory evaluating, and extending the application of a reusable standardized Tremella fuciformis (silver ear fungus) beverage base, belonging to the field of food processing technology. This invention achieves safe, simple, low-cost, and high-quality standardized production of a Tremella fuciformis base through a complete system including pre-cleaning of Tremella fuciformis pre-packaged ingredients, short-time soaking, direct boiling in cold water to achieve a slight simmer for gelation, sensory concentration determination based on liquid drop, reuse of water in containers up to four times their capacity, multiple standard ingredient package replacements, and full utilization of old materials. Simultaneously, based on this core base, this invention discloses two extended application solutions: additive-free chewable desserts and probiotic health drinks. The probiotic solution uses a fresh-preparation model, combining compliant and certified pre-made probiotic powder, eliminating the need for cold chain storage, and providing both Tremella fuciformis nourishment and intestinal health benefits. This invention requires no complex equipment and can be directly implemented in stores. It solves the pain points of traditional white fungus products, such as high safety risks, complex operation, unstable quality, high cost, and limited application scenarios. It can significantly reduce or even completely replace the use of thickeners, non-dairy creamer, and other additives in beverage and dessert preparation. It can be widely used in freshly made tea drinks, restaurant chains, and industrialized food production, and has extremely high commercial and market promotion value. At the same time, it helps the beverage and dessert industry reduce the use of additives and develop towards a natural and healthy direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to a method for preparing, reusing, sensory evaluation, and safely using beverage and dessert bases suitable for chain restaurants, tea shops, and beverage factories. It also covers extended application solutions based on this base for chewable desserts and probiotic nourishing beverages. Background Technology

[0002] Commercially available freshly prepared and pre-packaged beverages commonly contain large amounts of food additives such as non-dairy creamer, thickeners, and stabilizers to enhance taste and stability. Long-term consumption poses certain health risks, and these health risks have received widespread public attention. Meanwhile, existing tremella-based products are mostly traditional ready-to-eat soups or single-ingredient beverages, which suffer from problems such as long soaking times, high microbial safety risks, low raw material utilization, non-standardized store operations, lack of standardized sensory evaluation methods for concentration, unclear rules for reuse, and unstable batch quality. These issues make it difficult to develop a scalable, replicable, and systematically scalable health food technology system.

[0003] Currently, most probiotic health drinks rely on cold chain storage to maintain the activity of live bacteria, resulting in high production, warehousing, and logistics costs. Some room-temperature probiotic products have low live bacteria survival rates and limited effectiveness, and are mostly single-probiotic formulations, lacking a natural prebiotic carrier to synergistically enhance their effects. Existing technologies lack a ready-to-use probiotic formulation based on natural tremella fuciformis, failing to simultaneously address the pain points of high storage costs, low activity, and poor efficacy of probiotics, as well as the limited application scenarios of tremella fuciformis products. This invention, through a standardized tremella fuciformis base preparation system, can significantly reduce or even completely replace the use of thickeners, non-dairy creamer, and other additives in beverage and dessert preparation. Simultaneously, relying on this base to provide a natural prebiotic carrier, combined with authoritative certified probiotic products, it enables ready-to-use probiotic formulation without a cold chain, providing both nourishment and intestinal health benefits.

[0004] 1. Basic preparation scheme 1.1 Concentration sensory determination (drop-in contact test method) Collect the base liquid from the heated and insulated container, allowing it to flow out naturally from a drop height of 20-30cm. - Qualified: The fluid is silky smooth, flows continuously without large-scale splashing or scattered dripping, has a natural viscosity, and the receiving cup below will be agitated to produce a layer of dense foam, which can be stably maintained for 10-60 seconds without breaking.

[0005] - Unacceptable: Extensive splashing of liquid, intermittent dripping, thin as water, no consistency, no dense foam or foam disappearing quickly.

[0006] A qualified substrate can be used directly as a beverage base. The drop test method is referred to as the "drop test".

[0007] 1.2 Raw material pretreatment All the white fungus used in this invention must be pre-cleaned and stem-removed dried white fungus that meets national food safety standards. It is packaged in food-grade filter packaging material (hereinafter referred to as "material package") and then wrapped in a food-grade disposable sealed outer packaging bag. Before use, remove the disposable sealed packaging. You can choose to soak it for 30 minutes to improve the gelation efficiency, or you can cook it directly without soaking.

[0008] 1.3 Beverage base cooking and gelatinization process Take out the ingredient package and put it into a cooking and heat-preserving container with water added. All production water used in the cooking and water replenishment process in this invention is water that complies with GB 19298-2014 "National Food Safety Standard for Packaged Drinking Water" and is heated to boiling. After boiling, switch to low power heating to maintain a gentle simmer. The cooking time can be adjusted flexibly according to the batch of raw materials and the desired taste of the product. - Simmering for 30 minutes to 12 hours yields a clear and smooth base liquid, suitable for blending refreshing tea drinks, coffee, and fruit tea, making it the preferred range for daily use in stores; - Simmering at a low boil for 6 to 12 hours allows for sufficient extraction of the gelatinous substance from the white fungus, resulting in a high-quality base liquid with higher viscosity, which is the optimal range for standardized production in stores. - Simmering at a low boil for more than 12 hours completely breaks down the cell walls of the tremella, allowing for the full release of tremella polysaccharides. This results in a higher viscosity base liquid, which can be used to prepare rich beverages, chewable desserts, and hot ice cream-like foods. Regardless of how the cooking time is adjusted, the final determination of whether the beverage base can be used must be based solely on the result of the drop test.

[0009] 1.4 Reuse and Replenishment Rules Water can be added as needed during use. Continue heating to a gentle boil and then keep warm to promote gelation. Once the liquid collection test is passed, it can be used as a beverage base for recycling. The same ingredient pack (taking a 30g package of dried white fungus in a 4-liter heating container as an example) can stably produce gel, with a total water consumption of approximately 4 times the capacity of the cooking container.

[0010] 1.5 Standards for Replacing and Replenishing Multiple Material Packets Replace the material package immediately if any of the following conditions are met: - Time standard: The total cooking time for the spice packet reaches 24 hours; - Water volume standard: The cumulative water added reaches 4 times the capacity of the heating container; - Concentration standard: If the drop liquid test fails, and the water quality, feed bag status, and equipment working status are all found to be normal, a new feed bag should be added or the cooking process should be restarted. - Standard for the shape and color of the ingredient package: If the silver ear fungus appears brownish through the packaging material, it means that the gelatinous substance has been basically released and the package should be replaced immediately.

[0011] 1.6 Comprehensive Utilization Solution for Recycled Materials After replacing and cutting open the package, the cooked white fungus inside is broken and boiled again. It can be used as a base for rich, non-transparent, freshly prepared beverages. When making high-viscosity beverages, an appropriate amount of white fungus base liquid can be added as a base to achieve 100% utilization of raw materials with no waste.

[0012] 1.7 Exception Handling Plan If the concentration does not meet the standard, first check the material pack, water source, and equipment working status. The substrate production process can be restarted by adding a new material pack to quickly improve the glue dispensing efficiency until the liquid contact test is qualified.

[0013] 2. Extended Application Scheme 1: Preparation Method of Chewable Desserts Without Thickener Addition As an extension of the above-mentioned basic preparation method, this invention also provides a method for preparing chewable milk tea / coffee desserts without the addition of thickeners. This method relies entirely on the cooked white fungus and white fungus base liquid obtained through the above method as core ingredients, without adding any food additives such as non-dairy creamer, thickeners, or coagulants. This achieves the preparation of desserts that combine chewiness and a smooth texture. The specific method is as follows: 1. Raw material preparation: Take the material package from the above basic plan that has been cooked for less than 12 hours and passed the liquid collection test, cut it open and take out the cooked white fungus solid inside for later use; 2. Base preparation: Take cooked white fungus solids, and use a standard stainless steel pestle in tea shops to break 50% of it into uniform particles of 5-8mm. Use a food processor to blend the remaining 50% into a smooth white fungus paste. Mix the particles and the white fungus paste evenly to obtain a dessert base that has both a chewy and smooth texture. No white fungus base liquid needs to be added. This base relies solely on the natural gelatinous substance of white fungus to provide the consistency and smooth texture. No additional thickeners, non-dairy creamer, coagulants or other additives are required. 3. Flavoring: Add food flavoring ingredients to the dessert base and stir well to obtain a chewable dessert product. The finished product can be eaten directly at 40℃~60℃ or cooled to room temperature. It can be made and sold on the spot without freezing or refrigeration.

[0014] The food flavoring base includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: concentrated ginger extract, concentrated coffee extract, milk, coconut milk, milk powder, coffee powder, cocoa powder, brown sugar, rock sugar, jam, chopped nuts, and freeze-dried fruit pieces; 4. Store Adaptation Solution: Prepare the tremella base in sync with the tea shop. Cook multiple packets of ingredients in the same batch. Use some to extract the tremella base liquid to make tea drinks, and use some to extract the cooked tremella solids as needed to make desserts. No additional equipment is required. The entire operation takes no more than 60 seconds, which is suitable for the fast food preparation pace of chain stores.

[0015] 3. Extended Application Scheme 2: Preparation Method of Probiotic Nourishing Drink Based on Tremella Fuciformis As a high-end extension of the above-mentioned basic preparation method, this invention also discloses a preparation method for a probiotic health-preserving beverage based on tremella fuciformis. The tremella fuciformis base liquid obtained by the above method serves as a natural prebiotic carrier, combined with authoritatively certified finished probiotic powder. Using a fresh-for-use preparation mode, it eliminates the need for cold chain storage, maximizing the preservation of probiotic activity and providing both nourishment and intestinal health benefits. The specific method is as follows: 1. Raw material selection: - Base carrier: Take the Tremella base liquid prepared by the above basic scheme and pass the liquid inoculation test, and keep it at room temperature or cooled to 35℃~40℃ for later use; the Tremella base liquid is rich in Tremella polysaccharide and water-soluble dietary fiber, which can be used as a natural prebiotic carrier for probiotics and help probiotics colonize the intestine.

[0016] - Probiotic finished products: Selected finished probiotic powder certified by national food safety standards. The probiotic strains may include, but are not limited to, one or more of Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus plantarum. The live bacteria content meets the relevant requirements of GB4789.35-2016 "National Food Safety Standard for Microbiological Examination of Food - Examination of Lactic Acid Bacteria".

[0017] 2. Packaging and Supporting Solutions: - Pre-packaged products: After filling the tremella base liquid into a sealed packaging container, the individually packaged probiotic powder is fixed to the inside of the product packaging with food-grade removable adhesive tape. It is not easy to fall off or be lost when stored at room temperature; the product packaging is marked with the "Prepare Now" operation instructions.

[0018] - In-store prepared products: After customers place an order, a room temperature or warm tremella base liquid is provided, along with an individually packaged probiotic powder packet, which is delivered to the customer with the meal.

[0019] 3. How to consume: - In-store preparation scenario: The store pre-cools the tremella base liquid to 35℃~40℃ (the temperature range suitable for probiotic activity) before delivering it to the customer. After receiving it, the customer tears open the probiotic powder packet and pours it into the cooled tremella base liquid, tightens the cap, shakes it well, and it can be consumed directly. - Pre-packaged product scenario: After receiving the product, the user opens the sealed cap of the Tremella fuciformis base liquid, tears open the probiotic powder packet and pours it into the base liquid, tightens the cap and shakes it well before drinking. Preparing the probiotics fresh each time maximizes their activity and avoids the loss of live bacteria due to long-term storage.

[0020] 4. Dual-scenario deployment and adaptation: - In-store fresh-made scenario: Adapted to the high-end maintenance product line of chain tea shops, no need to add cold chain equipment, room temperature storage of probiotic powder packs, reducing store operating costs; - Factory pre-packaging scenario: Suitable for high-end customized gift boxes and member-exclusive products, can be stored at room temperature without cold chain logistics, greatly reducing production and distribution costs and improving product cost performance.

[0021] In this plan, the tremella base liquid must be a natural tremella base liquid prepared using the basic preparation method of this invention. It is not allowed to use a mixed base liquid with additives such as thickeners, stabilizers, and non-dairy creamer, so as to ensure the naturalness and safety of the product. Beneficial effects

[0022] (1) High safety: Only 30 minutes of soaking is required (soaking can improve the gelation efficiency of tremella and optimize the consistency of the base), reducing the risk of microbial contamination from the source. All processes comply with national food safety standards; the probiotics are selected from compliant and certified finished products, ensuring safety.

[0023] (2) Extremely simple operation: short soaking time, the ingredient pack can be directly boiled in cold water, the concentration judgment standard is intuitive and easy to implement, easy to standardize and easy for store employees to implement, no professional training required; the probiotics adopt the use-on-demand mode, which makes the operation simple and convenient for users.

[0024] (3) Lower cost: Tremella can be reused multiple times with water, and old materials can be processed and utilized again, greatly improving the utilization rate of raw materials; probiotics do not require cold chain storage, greatly reducing production, storage and logistics costs, and making the products more cost-effective.

[0025] (4) Strong stability: The gel is evenly dispensed, the taste is stable, and the batch difference is minimal. It is suitable for both on-site preparation in stores and large-scale industrial production. The on-demand preparation mode effectively solves the problem of probiotic activity loss during long-term storage and ensures the effectiveness of use.

[0026] (5) Healthy and natural: It does not use thickeners, stabilizers or vegetable fat powder, but only relies on the natural gelatin of tremella to provide taste and consistency. It is rich in tremella polysaccharides and water-soluble dietary fiber. Tremella base is a natural prebiotic carrier, which can synergistically enhance the effect of probiotics, meeting the core needs of modern consumers for natural, healthy and light nourishing foods.

[0027] (6) Wide application coverage: The obtained tremella base can be directly compounded with natural ingredients such as milk tea, coffee, various tea drinks, ginger tea, red dates, and longan to make a variety of daily nourishing drinks. At the same time, it can be extended to categories such as additive-free chewable desserts and probiotic nourishing drinks, achieving full-scene coverage of a set of core technologies, with great commercial expansion potential. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Example 1: Basic Preparation Scheme - Implementation Example in Tea Beverage Stores This embodiment is adapted to a standard 10L heated and insulated water tank for chain tea shops. The specific steps are as follows: 1. Raw material pretreatment: Take 100g of pre-cleaned and stem-removed dried white fungus that meets national food safety standards, pack it into a 300-mesh food-grade nylon filter bag, vacuum seal it with a food-grade sealed bag, remove the sealed bag before use, no washing or soaking is required.

[0030] 2. Preparation of the base liquid: Place the ingredient packet into a 10L container of purified water conforming to GB 19298-2014 standard. Add cold water to the pot, heat to boiling, then reduce to low power and maintain a gentle boil for 60 minutes. Then, perform a liquid collection test: Use a collection cup to collect the base liquid from the boiling water container. The liquid should flow out naturally from a height of 25cm. If the liquid is smooth and continuous, without splashing or interruption, and a stable layer of foam forms on the surface of the collection cup (which can remain intact for 10-60 seconds), it is considered qualified and can be used as a beverage base.

[0031] 3. Reuse and replenishment: During store operation, the base liquid is replenished as needed. Each time, the liquid is replenished to the 10L mark, and then heated to a slight boil and kept warm for 30-60 minutes (or overnight simmering is used to improve the gelation effect). Once the liquid collection test is passed, it can be used again. In this embodiment, when the same material bag is replenished to a cumulative total of 40L (4 times the container capacity), the liquid collection test can still meet the qualified standard.

[0032] 4. Replacement of ingredient packet: In this embodiment, after the ingredient packet has been continuously cooked for 24 hours, it is forcibly replaced. After replacement, the ingredient packet is cut open, and the cooked white fungus inside can be used in the following two ways: ① It can be crushed at high speed for 30 seconds in a high-speed blender, boiled again, and used as a base for a rich milk tea, which can completely replace non-dairy creamer and thickener; ② 50% of it is crushed into granules and 50% is made into white fungus paste, and then mixed and used as a base for chewable desserts.

[0033] 5. Troubleshooting: If the liquid collection test fails during operation, first check the heating power of the boiling water tank. After confirming that the simmering state is normal, add one new packet of seasoning and continue boiling for 30 minutes. If the liquid collection test passes, the water can be used normally.

[0034] Example 2: Example of a chewable milk tea and dessert shop The specific steps for preparing cooked white fungus and qualified white fungus base liquid based on the sample obtained in Example 1 are as follows: 1. Raw material preparation: Take the 100g of cooked white fungus solids from the 30min~24h cooking package in Example 1, which has passed the liquid collection test and whose package has not turned coffee color.

[0035] 2. Base preparation: Divide 100g of cooked white fungus solid into two equal parts. Use a regular stainless steel shaver to break 50g of the solid into uniform particles of 5-8mm. Use a food processor to blend the remaining 50g into a smooth white fungus paste. Mix the particles and the white fungus paste evenly to obtain a dessert base that has both a chewy and smooth texture.

[0036] 3. Flavoring: Add 10g of brown sugar and 2g of ginger powder (or 20ml of coconut milk, 5g of cocoa powder, 5g of coffee powder, etc.) to the dessert base, stir well, and you will get a chewable dessert. It can be eaten directly in a hot state (55℃) without adding any thickeners or creamer. It has a rich, dense, smooth and delicate taste.

[0037] 4. Store Implementation: The tremella base is prepared simultaneously with that in Example 1. After a customer places an order, it is prepared on-site. The entire process takes no more than 60 seconds, requires no additional equipment, and is perfectly compatible with the existing operating procedures of the store.

[0038] Example 3: Probiotic Nourishing Drink Example The preparation of the qualified Tremella fuciformis base solution obtained in Example 1 is divided into two scenarios: on-site preparation in stores and pre-packaging in factories. Scenario 1: On-site preparation in stores 1. Base preparation: Take 200ml of the qualified Tremella fuciformis base solution obtained in Example 1, and cool it down to 35℃~40℃ before use. This base solution is rich in Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides and water-soluble dietary fiber, and can be used as a natural prebiotic carrier for probiotics.

[0039] 2. Probiotic Package: Provide customers with one compliant and certified Bifidobacterium lactis probiotic powder packet (live bacteria content 1×10^9 CFU / packet), delivered together with the Tremella fuciformis base liquid.

[0040] 3. Consumption Instructions: Inform customers to open the bottle cap of the tremella base liquid, pour the probiotic powder into the base liquid, tighten the cap, shake well, and then drink. Preparing the solution fresh will preserve the probiotic activity to the greatest extent.

[0041] Scenario 2 Factory Pre-packaging Example 1. Base filling: Take the qualified Tremella fuciformis base liquid obtained by the process of Example 1 on a large scale, sterilize it at 135℃ / 3-5s UHT, and fill it into 300ml food-grade PET sealed bottles and store it at room temperature.

[0042] 2. Packaging: The compliant and certified compound probiotic powder packet (2g / packet, live bacteria content 1×10^10 CFU / packet, meeting the relevant requirements of GB 4789.35-2016) is fixed to the inside of the outer plastic seal of the tremella base liquid bottle with a food-grade removable adhesive tape; at the same time, clear instructions for use are printed on the outside of the plastic seal: "Open the plastic seal, take out the probiotic powder packet, tear it open and pour it into the tremella base liquid, shake well and drink."

[0043] 3. Storage and Delivery: The product can be stored at room temperature without the need for cold chain logistics. It is suitable for customized gift boxes, member-exclusive products, and other channels (the high-end version can be equipped with outer packaging as needed, while the basic version does not have an extra packaging box, reducing packaging material waste); after receiving the product, users can use it immediately according to the instructions on the plastic seal to ensure the activity and effectiveness of the probiotics.

Claims

1. A method for preparing and sensory evaluating a reusable standardized tremella fuciformis beverage base, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Raw material pretreatment: Pre-cleaned and stem-removed dried white fungus that meets national food safety standards is packaged into a material bag using food-grade filter packaging material. Before use, it can be soaked for 30 minutes or cooked directly without soaking. (2) Cooking to extract the gel: Put the spice packet into a pot of cold water and bring it to a boil. Maintain a low-power, gentle boil. Once it passes the drop-liquid test, it can be used as a beverage base. (3) Concentration determination: The drop liquid test method is adopted. The base liquid is taken and flows out naturally from a drop height of 20-30cm. The liquid is considered to be qualified if it is smooth, continuous, without large-scale splashing, without scattered dripping, and the dense foam is stable for 10-60 seconds. (4) Reuse and replenishment of water: Water can be added during use to continue boiling. The maximum cumulative water consumption of the same material pack is 4 times the rated capacity of the heating and heat preservation container. (5) Replacement of feed pack: The feed pack shall be replaced immediately if any of the following conditions are met: the cumulative cooking time reaches 24 hours, the cumulative water replenishment reaches 4 times the rated capacity of the container, the drop liquid test fails and cannot meet the standard after investigation, or the silver ear fungus turns coffee color.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the preferred boiling time is 30 min to 12 h. Within this range, a clear and smooth qualified beverage base can be obtained, which is suitable for the compounding needs of refreshing tea drinks and coffee.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), when the simmering time exceeds 12 hours, the gelatinous substance of the tremella is extracted more fully, and the base liquid has a higher viscosity, which can be used to prepare rich beverages and desserts.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Base liquid that fails the drop-through liquid test must not be used as a beverage base. The simmering time must be adjusted or a new ingredient packet must be added until the test is passed before it can be used again.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the replaced white fungus is crushed and boiled again, it can be mixed with qualified white fungus base liquid and used as a base for a rich, non-transparent beverage.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Suitable for making hot and cold beverage bases for tea shops, chain restaurants, and beverage factories.

7. A method for preparing an additive-free chewable dessert, characterized in that, The preparation of cooked white fungus and qualified white fungus base liquid based on the method of claim 1 includes the following steps: (1) Take cooked white fungus solids that have passed the liquid collection test within 12 hours of cooking, crush 50% into 5-8mm particles, and beat the remaining 50% into white fungus paste. Mix them together to obtain the dessert base. (2) Add food seasoning base and stir evenly to obtain a chewable dessert product that can be eaten hot or at room temperature. No thickener, non-dairy creamer or coagulant needs to be added, and no freezing or refrigeration is required.

8. A method for preparing a probiotic health-preserving beverage based on Tremella fuciformis, characterized in that, The preparation of a qualified Tremella fuciformis base solution based on the method of claim 1 includes the following steps: (1) Take the qualified Tremella fuciformis base liquid, cool it to 35℃~40℃, and mix it with the compliant and certified probiotic powder for immediate use. No cold chain storage is required. (2) In pre-packaged products, after the tremella base liquid is aseptically filled, the probiotic powder is fixed to the outer packaging of the product by a removable adhesive tape, stored at room temperature, and prepared fresh before consumption by the user.