Yellow peach ice ball and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a yellow peach ice ball and a preparation method and application thereof, and belongs to the technical field of food processing. The preparation method comprises the following steps of raw material pretreatment, secret soup preparation, vacuum impregnation, mold pouring and freezing, demolding and storage, yellow peach fruit bits are vacuum impregnated through the secret soup with a specific proportion, and then the yellow peach fruit bits are mixed with the soup and frozen to form the yellow peach ice ball; the ice ball can be used for mixing whisky, and the ice ball can be placed in a wine glass and then whisky is poured into the wine glass. The application solves the problems of dilution of the existing ice ball, incoordination of flavor and easy softening of the yellow peach after freezing, has the advantages of flavor synergy, controllable melting, good taste, simple preparation, can improve the drinking experience of whisky, and is suitable for industrialized production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to a yellow peach ice ball and its preparation method, as well as the application of the yellow peach ice ball in the preparation of whiskey drinks. Background Technology

[0002] Whisky, as a distilled spirit, is typically enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails. Drinking it on the rocks is a common method, designed to reduce the harshness of the alcohol by lowering the temperature and allowing the water to slowly release the flavors, thus enhancing the drinking experience.

[0003] Traditional ice cubes, made from pure water, continuously dilute the spirit during melting, reducing the original aroma concentration and compromising the flavor profile of the whisky, thus failing to preserve its inherent characteristics. In recent years, various flavored ice balls, such as coffee and fruit ice balls, have emerged to address the issue of pure water ice balls diluting the spirit. However, these flavored ice balls often have significant drawbacks: uneven flavor release, resulting in an initial overpowering flavor followed by a lack of depth; rapid melting, hindering long-term low-temperature preservation; and poor flavor harmony when paired with spirits like whisky, easily creating jarring tastes and disrupting the spirit's core woody and vanilla notes.

[0004] Yellow peaches, a flavorful and sweet-sour fruit, are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, making them an excellent raw material for flavored ice balls. However, if yellow peaches are frozen directly, the flesh will be damaged by ice crystal formation, leading to problems such as softening and significant juice loss after thawing. This not only affects the taste but also causes a rapid loss of flavor. Furthermore, unprocessed yellow peaches have a limited flavor profile and do not blend well with the woody or vanilla notes of whiskey, failing to achieve a synergistic flavor enhancement.

[0005] Therefore, developing a fruit-flavored ice ball that can provide long-lasting low temperature and slowly release flavors that complement the whiskey flavor, thereby addressing the shortcomings of existing flavored ice balls and improving upon the deficiencies of direct freezing of yellow peaches, has significant practical application value and market prospects. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a yellow peach ice ball, its preparation method, and its application. It solves the problems of diluting whiskey liquid with pure water ice balls, uneven flavor release and poor pairing with whiskey with existing flavored ice balls, and the tendency of yellow peaches to soften and rot when directly frozen, resulting in poor flavor integration. The invention achieves the technical effects of flavor synergy, controllable melting, excellent taste, and simple preparation.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical means: A method for preparing yellow peach ice balls includes the following steps: Raw material pretreatment: Select fresh yellow peaches that are 80-90% ripe and free from mechanical damage. Wash, peel, and pit them. Cut the flesh into pieces of 1.5-2.5 cm size. 3 Fruit pieces; Preparation of the secret broth: By weight, take 80-100 parts purified water, 20-30 parts white sugar, 5-8 parts lemon juice, 0.5-1 part cinnamon stick, 0.3-0.6 parts vanilla pod, and 0.1-0.3 parts sea salt. Mix them together and heat to 85-95℃. Keep warm for 10-15 minutes. Filter out the solid spices and cool to 4-8℃ for later use. Infusion: Soak the diced yellow peaches obtained in step 1 in the broth obtained in step 2, and vacuum soak them at 2-6℃ for 2-4 hours to allow the fruit to fully absorb the flavor of the broth. Mold filling and freezing: Mix the soaked yellow peach pieces with the broth at a volume ratio of 1:1.2 to 1:1.5, and pour the mixture into a spherical mold with an inner diameter of 5 to 7 cm. After filling, freeze the mixture in an environment of -25°C to -18°C for 6 to 8 hours to obtain yellow peach ice balls. Demolding and storage: Demold the frozen ice balls and store them in a sealed container at -18°C.

[0008] Preferably, in step three, the vacuum degree of the vacuum impregnation is -0.08 MPa to -0.095 MPa.

[0009] Preferably, in step four, the spherical mold is a food-grade silicone split mold.

[0010] A type of yellow peach ice ball, prepared by the method described above.

[0011] An application of yellow peach ice balls in the preparation of whiskey drinks, wherein the yellow peach ice balls are placed in a glass and whiskey liquid is poured in, and the ice balls are completely submerged in the liquid.

[0012] Preferably, the whisky liquid is bourbon whisky, single malt whisky, or blended whisky.

[0013] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Excellent Flavor Synergy: This invention uses a specially formulated broth (containing cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, sea salt, etc.) to vacuum-impregnate diced yellow peaches, allowing the flavor compounds in the broth to fully penetrate the fruit pulp, forming a complex flavor system of "fruit pulp + flavored broth". When frozen and in contact with whisky, the flavors are released in a gradient as the ice ball slowly melts. The sweet and sour taste of the yellow peach, the spiciness of cinnamon and vanilla, and the woody, vanilla, and dried fruit aromas of the whisky are highly integrated, rather than simply superimposed, effectively enhancing the drinking flavor of the whisky and solving the problem of unharmonious taste when paired with existing flavored ice balls and whisky.

[0014] 2. Structural stability and controllable melting: By mixing diced yellow peaches with a secret broth and freezing them, a composite ice ball structure with embedded fruit pulp is formed. Compared with pure fruit ice balls, its melting rate is reduced by about 20% to 30%, allowing it to maintain its integrity for longer during drinking and providing a better visual presentation. Compared with pure water ice balls, the flavorful broth released when it melts can compensate for the flavor of the liquor, effectively reducing the feeling of dilution and preserving the original taste layers of the whisky.

[0015] 3. Enhanced drinking experience: After vacuum soaking, the sugar-acid ratio of the yellow peach chunks is adjusted to a suitable range. They can maintain a certain crispness when thawed after freezing, avoiding the problems of softness and juice loss that occur when yellow peaches are directly frozen. The fruit pulp can be eaten directly in the later stages of drinking, increasing the interactivity of the drinking process, enriching the taste layers, and enhancing the overall drinking experience.

[0016] 4. Simple and easy-to-control preparation process: The present invention adopts a process of vacuum impregnation and segmented freezing with spherical molds. The parameters of each step are clear and the degree of standardization is high. The operation is simple and does not require complex equipment, making it suitable for large-scale industrial production. At the same time, the process can ensure that the finished ice balls have high transparency, no cracks, regular appearance, and stable product quality. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] A method for preparing yellow peach ice balls includes the following steps: 1. Raw material pretreatment: Select fresh yellow peaches that are 80-90% ripe, without mechanical damage or pests and diseases. Rinse them thoroughly with clean water, remove the skin and pit, and cut the flesh into pieces of 1.5-2.5 cm size. 3 Prepare uniformly diced fruit; 2. Preparation of the secret broth: By weight, take 80-100 parts purified water, 20-30 parts white sugar, 5-8 parts lemon juice, 0.5-1 part cinnamon stick, 0.3-0.6 parts vanilla pod, and 0.1-0.3 parts sea salt. Put the above ingredients into a container and mix well. Heat to 85-95℃ and keep warm for 10-15 minutes to completely dissolve the white sugar and fully release the flavor of the spices. Then filter out the solid spices such as cinnamon stick and vanilla pod with a sieve. Cool the filtered broth to 4-8℃ and set aside. 3. Marinating and flavoring: Soak the diced yellow peaches obtained in step 1 in the cooled broth obtained in step 2, and place them in a low temperature environment of 2~6℃ for vacuum marinating for 2~4 hours to allow the flavor substances in the broth to fully penetrate into the diced yellow peaches and achieve even flavoring of the fruit. 4. Mold pouring and freezing: Mix the soaked yellow peach pieces with the broth obtained in step 2 at a volume ratio of 1:1.2 to 1:1.5, and slowly pour the mixture into a spherical mold with an inner diameter of 5 to 7 cm. After pouring, place the mold in a low temperature environment of -25°C to -18°C for 6 to 8 hours to completely freeze the mixture and obtain yellow peach ice balls. 5. Demolding and storage: Demold the frozen yellow peach ice balls from the mold, check the integrity of the ice balls, discard any broken or cracked products, and place the qualified ice balls in a sealed container and store them at a low temperature of -18℃ to avoid flavor loss and ice crystal sublimation.

[0019] Furthermore, in step 3, the vacuum degree of the vacuum impregnation is between -0.08 MPa and -0.095 MPa. This vacuum range can effectively extract air and some moisture from the inside of the peach pieces, allowing the secret broth to quickly and fully penetrate into the pulp, shortening the impregnation time, and preventing damage to the pulp tissue, thus ensuring the crispness of the pulp after freezing. The principle of vacuum impregnation is that under vacuum conditions, air and some moisture in the micropores and plant cells inside the fruit are first drawn out, and the high-concentration impregnation solution penetrates into the intercellular spaces and micropores of the plant under the action of concentration difference and gravity, thereby greatly improving the impregnation efficiency.

[0020] Furthermore, in step 4, the spherical mold is a food-grade silicone split mold. Food-grade silicone is safe and non-toxic, resistant to high and low temperatures, and has good flexibility. The split design facilitates the demolding of the ice ball, while ensuring the regularity of the spherical shape after molding, avoiding damage during demolding. In addition, the silicone material is non-stick, which can further improve the integrity of the ice ball. This type of mold can also be used to make other frozen foods, and has wide applicability.

[0021] A yellow peach ice ball is prepared by any of the methods described above. The yellow peach ice ball is a regular sphere, embedded with evenly distributed yellow peach pieces, has high transparency and no cracks, is hard in the frozen state, and releases flavor gradients during melting, exhibiting excellent synergy with whiskey flavor.

[0022] One application of the above-mentioned yellow peach ice balls in the preparation of whiskey drinks is as follows: place the yellow peach ice balls in a glass, pour in whiskey liquid so that the ice balls are completely submerged in the liquid, and let it stand for 1 to 2 minutes before drinking.

[0023] Furthermore, the whisky is bourbon, single malt, or blended whisky. The sweet and sour flavor of the peach ice ball blends well with the woody, vanilla, and dried fruit aromas of the aforementioned whiskies, making it highly compatible and suitable for a wide range of whisky-on-the-rock drinking scenarios. Example

[0024] A method for preparing yellow peach ice balls includes the following steps: 1. Raw material pretreatment: Select fresh yellow peaches that are 80% ripe, without mechanical damage, and free from pests and diseases. Rinse them thoroughly with clean water, peel and pit them, and then cut the flesh into 1.5 cm pieces. 3 Prepare uniformly diced fruit; 2. Preparation of the secret broth: By weight, take 80 parts purified water, 20 parts white sugar, 5 parts lemon juice, 0.5 parts cinnamon stick, 0.3 parts vanilla pod, and 0.1 parts sea salt. Mix well and heat to 85°C. Keep warm for 15 minutes. Filter out the solid spices and cool to 4°C for later use. 3. Marinating and flavoring: Soak the diced yellow peaches in the cooled broth above, place them in an environment of 2°C, and vacuum marinate at a vacuum degree of -0.08 MPa for 4 hours; 4. Mold pouring and freezing: Mix the soaked yellow peach pieces and the broth at a volume ratio of 1:1.2, pour the mixture into a food-grade silicone spherical mold with an inner diameter of 5cm, and freeze it at -25℃ for 8 hours to solidify. 5. Demolding and storage: Demold the ice pucks, remove any damaged products, seal them, and store them in an environment of -18℃.

[0025] Application: Place the prepared yellow peach ice balls into a whiskey glass, pour in bourbon whiskey to completely submerge the ice balls, let stand for 1 minute before drinking. The sweet and sour taste of the yellow peach blends with the vanilla and caramel aromas of the bourbon whiskey, resulting in a smooth taste with no noticeable dilution. The fruit flesh becomes crisp and tender towards the end of the drink, creating a rich flavor. Example

[0026] A method for preparing yellow peach ice balls includes the following steps: 1. Raw material pretreatment: Select fresh yellow peaches that are 90% ripe, free from mechanical damage and pests and diseases. Rinse them with clean water, peel and pit them, and cut the flesh into uniform 2.5 cm³ cubes for later use. 2. Preparation of the secret broth: By weight, take 100 parts purified water, 30 parts white sugar, 8 parts lemon juice, 1 part cinnamon stick, 0.6 parts vanilla pod, and 0.3 parts sea salt. Mix well and heat to 95°C. Keep warm for 10 minutes. Filter out the solid spices and cool to 8°C. Set aside for later use. 3. Marinating and flavoring: Soak the diced yellow peaches in the cooled broth above, place them in a 6°C environment, and vacuum marinate at a vacuum degree of -0.095MPa for 2 hours; 4. Mold pouring and freezing: Mix the soaked yellow peach pieces and the broth at a volume ratio of 1:1.5, pour the mixture into a food-grade silicone spherical mold with an inner diameter of 7cm, and freeze it at -18℃ for 6 hours to solidify. 5. Demolding and storage: Demold the ice pucks, remove any damaged products, seal them, and store them in an environment of -18℃.

[0027] Application: Place the prepared yellow peach ice balls into a whiskey glass, pour in single malt whiskey to completely submerge the ice balls, let stand for 2 minutes before drinking. The fruity aroma of yellow peach blends with the woody and fruity aroma of single malt whiskey, creating a rich flavor profile. The ice balls melt slowly, maintaining a good concentration of the spirit. Example

[0028] A method for preparing yellow peach ice balls includes the following steps: 1. Raw material pretreatment: Select fresh yellow peaches that are 85% ripe, without mechanical damage, and free from pests and diseases. Rinse them thoroughly with clean water, peel and pit them, and then cut the flesh into 2.0 cm pieces. 3 Prepare uniformly diced fruit; 2. Preparation of the secret broth: By weight, take 90 parts purified water, 25 parts white sugar, 6.5 parts lemon juice, 0.75 parts cinnamon stick, 0.45 parts vanilla pod, and 0.2 parts sea salt. Mix well and heat to 90℃. Keep warm for 12 minutes. Filter out the solid spices and cool to 6℃. Set aside for later use. 3. Marinating and flavoring: Soak the diced yellow peaches in the cooled broth above, place them in an environment of 4°C, and vacuum marinate at a vacuum degree of -0.09 MPa for 3 hours; 4. Mold pouring and freezing: Mix the soaked yellow peach pieces and the broth at a volume ratio of 1:1.35, pour the mixture into a food-grade silicone spherical mold with an inner diameter of 6cm, and freeze it at -22℃ for 7 hours to solidify. 5. Demolding and storage: Demold the ice pucks, remove any damaged products, seal them, and store them in an environment of -18℃.

[0029] Application: Place the prepared yellow peach ice balls into a whiskey glass, pour in blended whiskey to completely submerge the ice balls, let stand for 1.5 minutes before drinking. The sweet and sour taste of the yellow peach blends with the balanced flavor of the blended whiskey, resulting in a smooth and pleasant taste without any abruptness. The crisp and tender fruit flesh enhances the drinking experience.

[0030] This comparative example is used to compare the preparation process, product quality and application effect of the yellow peach ice ball of the present invention with the related ice balls in the prior art, and to clarify the technical advantages of the present invention. Four sets of comparative examples are set below, corresponding to different solutions in the prior art, and compared with Example 3 (the best example) of the present invention.

[0031] Comparative Example 1 (pure water ice hockey, existing conventional technology) Preparation method Take pure water and pour it directly into a food-grade silicone spherical mold with an inner diameter of 6cm. Place it in a -22℃ environment and freeze for 7 hours. After freezing and shaping, demold it and seal it at -18℃ to obtain pure water ice balls.

[0032] Application effects (pairing with blended whisky) Place a pure water ice ball in a glass, pour in the blended whisky until the ice ball is completely submerged, and let it sit for 1.5 minutes before drinking. The ice ball melts quickly, almost completely melting within 10 minutes. The whisky is significantly diluted, resulting in a bland taste with no added flavor. It only serves to cool the whisky and does not enhance its flavor profile. There is no fruit pulp to eat, making the drinking experience monotonous.

[0033] Comparative Example 2 (Unsoaked yellow peach ice balls, using existing conventional fruit ice ball technology) Preparation method 1. Raw material pretreatment: Select fresh yellow peaches that are 85% ripe, without mechanical damage, and free from pests and diseases. Wash, peel, and pit them, then cut them into 2.0 cm pieces. 3 Prepare uniformly diced fruit; 2. Mold pouring and freezing: Mix diced yellow peaches and purified water at a volume ratio of 1:1.35, pour the mixture into a food-grade silicone spherical mold with an inner diameter of 6cm, and freeze it at -22℃ for 7 hours to solidify. 3. Demolding and storage: After demolding, remove damaged products and store in a sealed container at -18℃ to obtain unimpregnated yellow peach ice balls.

[0034] Application effects (pairing with blended whisky) Place the ice ball in a glass, pour in the blended whisky, and let it sit for 1.5 minutes before drinking. The ice ball melts relatively quickly, more than 35% faster than in Example 3 of this invention. During the melting process, the flavor release is uneven. Initially, there is only a faint yellow peach flavor, and later there is no flavor at all. The yellow peach pieces become soft and mushy after thawing, and the juice is severely lost, resulting in a poor taste and making them inedible. The original flavor of yellow peach does not blend well with the woody and vanilla notes of the whisky, resulting in an abrupt taste and failing to achieve flavor synergy. The dilution of the liquor is obvious.

[0035] Comparative Example 3 (Conventional immersion of yellow peach ice balls, non-vacuum immersion) Preparation method 1. Raw material pretreatment: Same as in Example 3 of this invention; 2. Preparation of the secret broth: Same as in Example 3 of this invention; 3. Marinating: Soak the diced yellow peaches in the cooled broth and marinate at 4°C for 3 hours (without vacuum). 4. Mold pouring and freezing, demolding and storage: consistent with Example 3 of the present invention, to obtain conventionally impregnated yellow peach ice balls.

[0036] Application effects (pairing with blended whisky) Place the ice ball in a glass, pour in the blended whiskey, let it sit for 1.5 minutes, and then drink. The ice ball melts 15%~20% faster than in Example 3 of this invention; the yellow peach pieces are not evenly flavored, some of the fruit lacks flavor, while others have an overly strong flavor, resulting in a chaotic flavor release; the yellow peach pieces are not crisp enough after thawing and show slight signs of softening; the flavor integration with the whiskey is average, still with a slight abruptness, and the dilution of the liquor is more noticeable than in this invention.

[0037] Comparative Example 4 (Peach Ice Balls with Secret Broth and No Flavorings) Preparation method 1. Raw material pretreatment: Same as in Example 3 of this invention; 2. Broth preparation: By weight, take 90 parts purified water, 25 parts white sugar, 6.5 parts lemon juice, and 0.2 parts sea salt, mix well, heat to 90℃, keep warm for 12 minutes, and cool to 6℃ for later use (without cinnamon sticks or vanilla pods). 3. Marinating and flavoring, molding and freezing, demolding and storage: consistent with Example 3 of the present invention, to obtain flavorless broth yellow peach ice balls.

[0038] Application effects (pairing with blended whisky) Place the ice ball in a glass, pour in the blended whisky, let it sit for 1.5 minutes, and then drink. The melting rate of the ice ball is basically the same as that in Example 3 of this invention, but the flavor is monotonous, with only the sweet and sour taste of yellow peach, without the spiciness of cinnamon and vanilla. It cannot form an effective synergy with the woody and vanilla notes of the whisky, resulting in a bland taste that fails to enhance the flavor profile of the whisky and provides a mediocre drinking experience.

[0039] Comparison and summary By comparing the above four sets of comparative examples with Embodiment 3 of the present invention, it can be seen that: 1. Compared with pure water ice balls, the peach ice balls of this invention can enhance the flavor, reduce the dilution of the wine, and enrich the drinking experience; 2. Compared to unsoaked yellow peach ice balls, this invention solves the problems of yellow peaches becoming soft and mushy and losing juice after freezing by vacuum soaking and processing with a secret broth, achieving a uniform release of flavor and significantly improving the integration with the flavor of whiskey; 3. Compared with conventionally soaked yellow peach ice balls, the vacuum soaking process of this invention can make the fruit pulp more evenly flavored, the melting rate of the ice balls more controllable, and the fruit pulp crisper. 4. Compared to unflavored peach ice balls, the secret broth of this invention (containing cinnamon and vanilla) can synergize with the core flavor of whiskey, significantly enhancing the drinking flavor and complexity, highlighting the technical advantages of this invention.

[0040] The examples provided in this invention are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations, and any obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom remain within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a yellow peach ice ball, characterized by, Includes the following steps: Raw material pretreatment: select the maturity 8~9, no mechanical damage of fresh yellow peach, cleaning, peeling, core, cut the flesh into the fruit of 1.5~2.5 cm 3 specification; Preparation of the secret broth: By weight, take 80-100 parts purified water, 20-30 parts white sugar, 5-8 parts lemon juice, 0.5-1 part cinnamon stick, 0.3-0.6 parts vanilla pod, and 0.1-0.3 parts sea salt. Mix them together and heat to 85-95℃. Keep warm for 10-15 minutes. Filter out the solid spices and cool to 4-8℃ for later use. Infusion: Soak the diced yellow peaches obtained in step 1 in the broth obtained in step 2, and vacuum soak them at 2-6℃ for 2-4 hours to allow the fruit to fully absorb the flavor of the broth. Mold filling and freezing: Mix the soaked yellow peach pieces with the broth at a volume ratio of 1:1.2 to 1:1.5, and pour the mixture into a spherical mold with an inner diameter of 5 to 7 cm. After filling, freeze the mixture in an environment of -25°C to -18°C for 6 to 8 hours to obtain yellow peach ice balls. Demolding and storage: Demold the frozen ice balls and store them in a sealed container at -18°C.

2. The method for preparing yellow peach ice balls according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step three, the vacuum degree of the vacuum impregnation is -0.08 MPa to -0.095 MPa.

3. The method for preparing yellow peach ice balls according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step four, the spherical mold is a food-grade silicone split mold.

4. A type of yellow peach ice ball, characterized in that, Prepared by the method described in any one of claims 1-3.

5. The application of the yellow peach ice ball according to claim 4 in the preparation of whiskey drinks, characterized in that, Place the yellow peach ice ball in a glass and pour in whiskey, completely submerging the ice ball in the liquid.

6. The application of a yellow peach ice ball according to claim 5 in the preparation of whiskey drinks, characterized in that, The whisky is bourbon, single malt, or blended.