A method of making a food product

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of food processing, and in particular to a food production method, which can improve the saccharification efficiency when roasting sweet potatoes, and the substance channel opened in the sweet potatoes by PEF treatment can make the endogenous amylase of the sweet potatoes more easily move from the cytoplasm to the periphery of the starch granules, and at the same time, the sugar produced by hydrolysis can more quickly diffuse to the outside of the cells, avoiding the inhibition of the reaction caused by the accumulation of local sugar, significantly improving the saccharification efficiency and uniformity; the roasting time can be shortened, and the production efficiency can be improved; the electroporation formed by PEF treatment destroys the cell wall-membrane barrier of part of the sweet potato cells, the resistance of water and heat transfer is reduced, and the center of the sweet potato is heated faster; the texture is improved and the roasting loss is reduced; the PEF pretreatment slightly softens the sweet potato tissue, the roasted sweet potato has a more tender taste, and it is not easy to have a hard core; due to the unified treatment, the taste of the roasted sweet potato does not depend on the individual situation of the sweet potato, and the roasted sweet potato product has consistent good taste and good flavor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, and specifically relates to a method for preparing food. Background Technology

[0002] As consumers continue to demand higher quality and taste in food, their requirements for food preparation are also increasing.

[0003] For example, most roasted sweet potatoes are currently made by roasting fresh sweet potatoes directly. The quality of these roasted sweet potatoes varies, mainly because the taste depends on the variety and individual characteristics of the sweet potato. The proportion of starch converted into sugar within the sweet potato is limited, resulting in some roasted sweet potatoes being insufficiently sweet and having a poor flavor. Consumers are less likely to repurchase after a single purchase, failing to create long-term appeal. Traditional methods of pre-saccharifying sweet potatoes typically involve storing fresh sweet potatoes for a period of time. This saccharification cycle is long, inefficient, and makes it difficult to achieve a uniform saccharification effect. Improper storage can lead to the sweet potatoes becoming stale or even spoiling. For instance, high storage temperatures may damage the cell activity of the sweet potato, while low temperatures can cause spoilage, resulting in a high rate of sweet potato loss. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a method for preparing food, in order to solve the technical problem in the existing roasted sweet potato process that the taste of roasted sweet potatoes depends on the individual characteristics of the sweet potatoes, and it is difficult for the finished roasted sweet potato products to have a consistent good taste and flavor.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A method for preparing a food product is provided, comprising: The food to be processed is sweet potato. When the sweet potato is processed by the pulsed electric field device, the electroporation is a nanoscale temporary channel that is formed instantaneously on the cell membrane of the sweet potato cell to enhance the cell membrane permeability while the sweet potato cell remains active. The sweet potatoes treated with the pulsed electric field device are then subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment. The sweet potatoes, after undergoing heat preservation and saccharification treatment, are then roasted.

[0006] Preferably, before the sweet potatoes treated by the pulsed electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment, the sweet potatoes treated by the pulsed electric field device are also subjected to amylase, saccharifying enzyme and / or sugar solution vacuum permeation treatment.

[0007] Preferably, the pulsed electric field device applies a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 1-3 kV / cm to the sweet potato; pulse width: 10-100μs; pulse frequency: 50-200Hz; total processing time: 0.1-1 seconds.

[0008] Preferably, the pulsed electric field intensity applied to the sweet potato by the pulsed electric field device is 1.5-2.5kV / cm; the pulse width is 20-50μs.

[0009] Preferably, the electrode type of the pulsed electric field device is a parallel plate electrode or a coaxial cylindrical electrode.

[0010] Preferably, the surface of the sweet potato is kept moist before it is treated with the pulsed electric field device.

[0011] Preferably, when processing sweet potatoes using the pulsed electric field device, different pulsed electric field parameters are set according to the size differences of the sweet potatoes after grading. Specifically, the pulsed electric field intensity, pulse width, pulse frequency and / or total processing time are increased when processing large sweet potatoes, and decreased when processing small sweet potatoes.

[0012] Preferably, when the sweet potatoes treated by the pulse electric field device are subjected to heat preservation saccharification, the heat preservation saccharification is carried out at 50-60°C for 50-70 minutes.

[0013] Preferably, when the sweet potatoes treated by the pulse electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment, the heat preservation and saccharification is carried out in stages according to the size difference of the sweet potatoes, and the temperature and / or time for heat preservation and saccharification of large sweet potatoes is greater than that of small sweet potatoes.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for preparing food, wherein the food to be processed is treated by a pulse electric field device to form electroporation holes on the food to be processed. The food to be processed is hot pot meatballs, so that during the cooking process, the hot pot meatballs absorb the soup through the electroporation holes to form a bursting effect.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. When making roasted sweet potatoes using this method: 1. It improves saccharification efficiency. The material channels opened in the sweet potato by PEF treatment allow endogenous amylases to move more easily from the cytoplasm to the area around the starch granules. Simultaneously, it allows the sugars produced by hydrolysis to diffuse more quickly out of the cells, avoiding localized sugar accumulation that inhibits the reaction, thus significantly improving saccharification efficiency and uniformity. 2. It shortens roasting time and improves production efficiency. The electroporation formed by PEF treatment disrupts part of the cell wall-cell membrane barrier in the sweet potato, reducing resistance to water and heat transfer and allowing the center of the sweet potato to heat up faster. 3. It improves texture and reduces roasting losses. PEF pretreatment slightly softens the sweet potato tissue, resulting in a denser texture after roasting and reducing the likelihood of a hard center. Because of the uniform treatment, the taste of the roasted sweet potatoes produced by this method is not dependent on the individual sweet potatoes, resulting in a consistently good taste and flavor.

[0016] 2. This food preparation method can be used to process hot pot meatballs. After being treated with pulse electric field by PEF processing equipment, the hot pot meatballs can form a bursting juice effect and have a special taste. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments thereof. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0018] Example 1: A method for preparing a food product The preparation method for this food includes the following steps: (1) The food to be processed is processed by a pulse electric field device to form electroporation on the food to be processed. The food to be processed is sweet potato.

[0019] In this step, when sweet potatoes are treated with a pulsed electric field (PEF) device, electroporation occurs as the instantaneous formation of nanoscale temporary pores on the cell membranes of sweet potato cells. This enhances cell membrane permeability while maintaining the activity of the sweet potato cells. Specifically, PEF treatment is a pretreatment step before roasting sweet potatoes. A continuous PEF device is used, where sweet potatoes are conveyed through parallel plate electrodes and subjected to rectangular wave pulses of moderate electric field strength (1-3 kV / cm) and extremely short treatment time (10-100 microseconds). The PEF effect creates reversible electroporation on the sweet potato, that is, instantaneous formation of nanoscale temporary pores on the cell membranes of sweet potato cells (especially the surface and near-surface regions). This does not kill the cells but significantly enhances membrane permeability. Because the sweet potato cells remain active, they can undergo subsequent saccharification treatment, and the roasted sweet potatoes remain fresh.

[0020] In this embodiment, the electrode of the pulsed electric field device is a parallel plate electrode. In other embodiments, a coaxial cylindrical electrode can also be used. Because the sweet potato has an irregular shape, a wide-gap parallel plate electrode or a roller-type PEF is selected here to avoid excessive electric field concentration at sharp corners.

[0021] PEF (Pulsed Electric Field) processing of sweet potatoes occurs after washing and grading. This involves processing the sweet potatoes using a pulsed electric field device. After washing, the sweet potatoes are graded according to size, and different pulsed electric field parameters are set for each size. For large sweet potatoes, the pulsed electric field intensity, pulse width, pulse frequency, and / or total processing time are increased; for small sweet potatoes, these parameters are decreased. Adjusting the pulsed electric field allows for adjusting one or more of the following parameters: intensity, pulse width, pulse frequency, and total processing time. Since these are roasted sweet potatoes, they cannot be too small; large sweet potatoes weigh ≥400 grams each, and small sweet potatoes weigh 200–400 grams each.

[0022] In this step, the pulsed electric field device applies a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 3 kV / cm to the large sweet potato; pulse width: 100 μs; pulse frequency: 50 Hz; total processing time: 1 second. The pulsed electric field device applies a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 3 kV / cm to the small sweet potato; pulse width: 50 μs; pulse frequency: 50 Hz; total processing time: 1 second.

[0023] For different varieties of sweet potatoes (such as Yanshu 25 and Xinxiang), due to differences in cell structure, the optimal field strength and pulse number can be determined according to the variety.

[0024] In addition, before processing sweet potatoes with pulsed electric field equipment, the surface of the sweet potatoes should be kept moist, which can be done by sprinkling water or soaking.

[0025] (2) The sweet potatoes after being treated by the pulse electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment.

[0026] In this step, the residual heat of the oven or a dedicated saccharification chamber can be used to perform heat preservation and saccharification on the sweet potatoes treated with the pulse electric field equipment. Depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, the heat preservation and saccharification can be graded, with larger sweet potatoes being preserved at a higher temperature and / or for a longer duration than smaller sweet potatoes. Specifically, large sweet potatoes are preserved at 60℃ for 50 minutes; small sweet potatoes are preserved at 50℃ for 50 minutes.

[0027] (3) The sweet potatoes that have undergone heat preservation and saccharification treatment are then roasted. Since the sweet potatoes have already undergone electric field pulse treatment and saccharification, the overall roasting time is shorter than that of untreated sweet potatoes. In this embodiment, large sweet potatoes are roasted at 200℃ for about 90 minutes until cooked, while small sweet potatoes are roasted at 200℃ for about 70 minutes until cooked.

[0028] Example 2: A method for preparing a food product Compared with Example 1 above, the method for preparing this food in this example further includes the following steps: Before the sweet potatoes treated with the pulsed electric field device undergo heat preservation and saccharification, they are further subjected to vacuum permeation treatment with amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and / or sugar solution. Specifically, exogenous amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and / or sugar solution can be applied, allowing them to enter the sweet potato through electroporation. The amylase and saccharifying enzyme hydrolyze the starch in the sweet potato into smaller sugar molecules, increasing sweetness and improving texture. Because electroporation occurs on the surface of the sweet potato after pulsed electric field treatment, the amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and sugar solution can penetrate the starch storage tissue inside the sweet potato. The amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and / or sugar solution can be applied by spraying or liquid immersion. Then, the sweet potatoes treated with the applied amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and / or sugar solution undergo vacuum permeation treatment. In a vacuum environment, the amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and / or sugar solution are encouraged to penetrate the sweet potato tissue.

[0029] Amylase, saccharifying enzyme, and sugar solution can be used in one or a combination of these methods. The specific treatment method depends on the desired flavor of the roasted sweet potato. Amylase and saccharifying enzyme have good saccharification effects but are expensive. However, after PEF treatment, the amount of added enzymes can be reduced by 40-50% while achieving the same higher sugar content. Vacuum syrup permeation can increase sweetness but mask the original aroma. After PEF treatment, the sugar solution permeation time can be shortened from 30 minutes to 10 minutes, and the required syrup concentration can be reduced to 15%.

[0030] Example 3: A method for preparing a food product The preparation method for this food includes the following steps: (1) The food to be processed is processed by a pulsed electric field device to form electroporation on the food to be processed. The food to be processed is sweet potato. When the sweet potato is processed by the pulsed electric field device, the electroporation is a nanoscale temporary channel formed instantaneously on the cell membrane of the sweet potato cell to enhance the permeability of the cell membrane, and the sweet potato cell still remains active.

[0031] In this embodiment, the electrode of the pulsed electric field device is a coaxial cylindrical electrode.

[0032] The sweet potatoes are treated with a PEF device after washing and grading, and before being processed by the pulsed electric field device, while the surface of the sweet potatoes remains moist. Different pulsed electric field parameters are set for sweet potatoes of different sizes after grading. In this step, a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 2 kV / cm is applied to large sweet potatoes; pulse width: 80 μs; pulse frequency: 70 Hz; total processing time: 0.7 seconds. A medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 2 kV / cm is applied to small sweet potatoes; pulse width: 60 μs; pulse frequency: 70 Hz; total processing time: 0.7 seconds.

[0033] (2) The sweet potatoes after being treated by the pulse electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment.

[0034] In this step, large potatoes are saccharified at 56℃ for 55 minutes; small potatoes are saccharified at 56℃ for 50 minutes.

[0035] (3) Roast the sweet potatoes after they have been saccharified by heat preservation.

[0036] Example 4: A method for preparing a food product The preparation method for this food includes the following steps: (1) The food to be processed is processed by a pulsed electric field device to form electroporation on the food to be processed. The food to be processed is sweet potato. When the sweet potato is processed by the pulsed electric field device, the electroporation is a nanoscale temporary channel formed instantaneously on the cell membrane of the sweet potato cell to enhance the permeability of the cell membrane, and the sweet potato cell still remains active.

[0037] In this embodiment, the electrode type of the pulsed electric field device is a parallel plate electrode.

[0038] The sweet potatoes are treated with a PEF device after washing and grading, and before being processed by the pulsed electric field device, while the surface of the sweet potatoes remains moist. Different pulsed electric field parameters are set for sweet potatoes of different sizes after grading. In this step, a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 1 kV / cm is applied to large sweet potatoes; pulse width: 60 μs; pulse frequency: 200 Hz; total processing time: 0.5 seconds. A medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 1 kV / cm is applied to small sweet potatoes; pulse width: 10 μs; pulse frequency: 200 Hz; total processing time: 0.5 seconds.

[0039] (2) The sweet potatoes after being treated by the pulse electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment.

[0040] In this step, large potatoes are saccharified at 53℃ for 58 minutes; small potatoes are saccharified at 53℃ for 52 minutes.

[0041] (3) Roast the sweet potatoes after they have been saccharified by heat preservation.

[0042] Example 5: A method for preparing a food product The preparation method for this food includes the following steps: (1) The food to be processed is processed by a pulsed electric field device to form electroporation on the food to be processed. The food to be processed is sweet potato. When the sweet potato is processed by the pulsed electric field device, the electroporation is a nanoscale temporary channel formed instantaneously on the cell membrane of the sweet potato cell to enhance the permeability of the cell membrane, and the sweet potato cell still remains active.

[0043] In this embodiment, the electrode type of the pulsed electric field device is a parallel plate electrode.

[0044] The sweet potatoes are treated with a PEF device after washing and grading, and before being processed by the pulsed electric field device, while the surface of the sweet potatoes remains moist. Different pulsed electric field parameters are set for sweet potatoes of different sizes after grading. In this step, a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 2.5 kV / cm is applied to large sweet potatoes; pulse width: 90 μs; pulse frequency: 200 Hz; total processing time: 0.1 seconds. A medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 2.5 kV / cm is applied to small sweet potatoes; pulse width: 50 μs; pulse frequency: 200 Hz; total processing time: 0.1 seconds.

[0045] (2) The sweet potatoes after being treated by the pulse electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment.

[0046] In this step, large potatoes are saccharified at 50℃ for 60 minutes; small potatoes are saccharified at 50℃ for 55 minutes.

[0047] (3) Roast the sweet potatoes after they have been saccharified by heat preservation.

[0048] Based on the above embodiments, it can be seen that the method for making this food is a process of roasting sweet potatoes, which has the following effects: 1. Improved Saccharification Efficiency: PEF treatment opens up pathways in sweet potatoes, allowing endogenous amylases to move more easily from the cytoplasm to the starch granules. Simultaneously, it facilitates the rapid diffusion of hydrolyzed sugars (glucose, maltose) out of the cells, preventing localized sugar accumulation and inhibiting the reaction, thus significantly improving saccharification efficiency and uniformity. Compared to ordinary sweet potatoes, PEF-treated sweet potatoes have a higher total sugar content and more uniform sugar distribution, avoiding the "bland center, sweet edges" problem common in traditional roasted sweet potatoes. Following PEF pulsed electric field treatment with subsequent heat preservation saccharification further enhances saccharification efficiency.

[0049] 2. Reduced roasting time and improved production efficiency: The electroporation process created by PEF treatment disrupts some of the cell wall-cell membrane barriers in sweet potatoes, reducing resistance to water and heat transfer and allowing the center of the sweet potato to heat up faster. At a roasting temperature of 200℃, conventional segmented roasting takes approximately 90-120 minutes, while sweet potatoes treated with PEF only need about 70-95 minutes to be cooked. The reduced roasting time lowers electricity / gas consumption, and coupled with the extremely low energy consumption of the PEF equipment itself (approximately 1-2 kWh per ton of sweet potatoes processed), the overall energy consumption reduction is considerable.

[0050] 3. Improved texture and reduced roasting losses: PEF pretreatment softens the sweet potato tissue slightly, resulting in a denser texture after roasting and reducing the likelihood of a hard core. Traditional roasting of sweet potatoes often causes severe cracking of the skin due to internal steam pressure. PEF pretreatment makes the release of moisture and gas more uniform, reducing the cracking rate and increasing the yield. By appropriately controlling PEF parameters (low pulse number), the water-holding capacity of the sweet potato cell walls can be increased, resulting in stable moisture content after roasting and preventing the sweet potato core from becoming dry.

[0051] Therefore, by pretreating sweet potatoes with a PEF pulsed electric field, the sweet potatoes can form electroporation, which can significantly improve the saccharification effect with lower energy consumption and shorter time, while shortening the baking time, reducing cracking loss, and improving the taste. It is very suitable for roasted sweet potato factories that pursue differentiation and high-efficiency production.

[0052] Example 6: A method for preparing a food product In the preparation method of this food, the food to be processed is treated with a pulsed electric field device to create electroporation holes on the food. The food to be processed is hot pot meatballs. Because the hot pot meatballs have electroporation holes after being treated with the pulsed electric field device by the PEF processing equipment, they can absorb the soup through the electroporation holes during the cooking process, creating a bursting effect and a unique taste.

[0053] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains, and terms such as those defined in a common dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art. It should also be understood that the above is a description of the disclosure and should not be considered as a limitation thereof. Although several exemplary embodiments of the disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will readily understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims, and will not be detailed here.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a food product, characterized in that, include: The food to be processed is sweet potato, which is processed by a pulsed electric field device to create electroporation on the food. When sweet potatoes are treated by the pulsed electric field device, the electroporation is a nanoscale temporary channel that is formed instantaneously on the cell membrane of sweet potato cells to enhance cell membrane permeability, while the sweet potato cells remain active. The sweet potatoes treated with the pulsed electric field device are then subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment. The sweet potatoes, after undergoing heat preservation and saccharification treatment, are then roasted.

2. The method for preparing the food according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Before the sweet potatoes treated by the pulsed electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification treatment, the sweet potatoes treated by the pulsed electric field device are also subjected to amylase, saccharifying enzyme and / or sugar solution vacuum permeation treatment.

3. The method for preparing the food according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pulsed electric field device applies a medium-intensity rectangular wave pulsed electric field of 1-3 kV / cm to the sweet potato. Pulse width: 10-100μs; Pulse frequency: 50-200Hz; Total processing time: 0.1-1 second.

4. The method for preparing the food according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pulsed electric field strength applied to the sweet potato by the pulsed electric field device is 1.5-2.5kV / cm; the pulse width is 20-50μs.

5. The method for preparing the food according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode type of the pulsed electric field device is a parallel plate electrode or a coaxial cylindrical electrode.

6. The method for preparing the food according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before processing the sweet potatoes with the pulsed electric field device, the surface of the sweet potatoes is kept moist.

7. The method for preparing the food according to claim 1, characterized in that: When sweet potatoes are processed by the pulsed electric field device, different pulsed electric field parameters are set according to the size difference of the sweet potatoes after grading. Specifically, the pulsed electric field intensity, pulse width, pulse frequency and / or total processing time are increased when processing large sweet potatoes, and decreased when processing small sweet potatoes.

8. The method for preparing the food according to claim 1, characterized in that: When sweet potatoes treated with the pulsed electric field device are subjected to heat preservation saccharification, the heat preservation saccharification is carried out at 50-60℃ for 50-70 minutes.

9. The method for preparing the food according to claim 8, characterized in that: When sweet potatoes treated by the pulsed electric field device are subjected to heat preservation and saccharification, they are graded according to their size differences, and the temperature and / or duration of heat preservation and saccharification for large sweet potatoes are greater than that for small sweet potatoes.

10. A method for preparing a food product, characterized in that: The food to be processed is treated with a pulsed electric field device to create electroporation holes on the food. The food to be processed is hot pot meatballs, so that during the cooking process, the hot pot meatballs absorb the soup through the electroporation holes to create a bursting effect.