A method for constant-temperature synergistic steaming of fructus aurantii

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of methods for constant temperature cooperation of fructus aurantii immaturi, steps include fresh fruit harvesting, low-temperature fixation, wood fire low-temperature baking drying, storage aging, water separation, constant temperature slow boiling, two types of products are separated during the process of steaming: aromatic volatile oil diffuses to form indoor natural orange fragrance with steam, water-soluble flavonoids are condensed to form distilled liquid that can be directly used;The process can be compatible with 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and more than 5 years of natural aging of fructus aurantii immaturi, low year dry fruit, high year dry fruit, low bitterness of distillate, and warm taste;Solve the defects that the existing steaming and distillation process only adapts to single raw material and cannot recover two types of products simultaneously, adapt to home, business and other scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing and discloses a method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel. Background Technology

[0002] Huajuhong (Citrus reticulata peel) is a valuable medicinal and edible raw material. Its peel is rich in volatile oils and flavonoid polyphenols. The volatile oils possess a natural citrus aroma, and the flavonoids are water-soluble nutrients. Existing processing and extraction technologies for Huajuhong suffer from the following drawbacks: Limited raw material compatibility: Traditional steaming and distillation processes are designed only for fresh Huajuhong fruit or dried fruit aged for a single age, failing to accommodate dried Huajuhong fruit aged for 1, 3, 5, or 10 years. Significant differences exist in the bitter substances, aroma components, and flavonoid dissolution characteristics within different aged dried fruits. Uniform steaming parameters cannot match the release patterns of various aged raw materials, resulting in a narrow range of applicable raw materials. Limited product variety and low resource utilization: Existing distillation equipment only collects the distillate, with low-boiling-point aromatic volatile oils being directly released into the air with the steam during the steaming process, resulting in complete waste of natural aroma components; or it simply heats and incense without collecting the flavonoid distillate, failing to simultaneously recover and utilize both types of effective components, leading to low overall output value of the raw materials. Pre-treatment process defects: Most processing methods use electric heating or coal-fired high-temperature drying of fresh fruit. High temperatures easily damage the oxidase system of the fruit peel, causing a large amount of volatile oils and flavonoids to decompose and be lost. There is no supporting pre-treatment of low-temperature blanching followed by low-temperature controlled roasting over a wood flame, resulting in significant loss of effective components during dried fruit storage. Inappropriate steaming methods: Traditional steaming involves directly immersing the raw materials in hot water, causing a large amount of bitter impurities from the fruit peel to dissolve into the water. Simultaneously, the violent boiling of the water creates an impact that damages the porous structure of the fruit peel, resulting in uneven release of volatile oils. The resulting distillate is bitter and has a short-lived aroma release, making it difficult to balance aroma diffusion and the drinking taste of the distillate.

[0003] In summary, the existing technology lacks a complete distillation process that can be adapted to aged tangerine peel of various ages and simultaneously separate and recover volatile oils for spatial fragrance and drinkable flavonoid distillate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing steaming processes for Huajuhong (Citrus reticulata) such as narrow range of raw material compatibility, single effective product, easy loss of active substances during pretreatment, damage to raw material structure during steaming, and inability to simultaneously recover and utilize aroma and flavonoid components, this paper proposes a method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Huajuhong to simultaneously obtain aroma volatiles and drinking distillate. This method is compatible with multi-gradient storage and aging of dried Huajuhong fruit, and simultaneously produces natural spatial aroma and low-bitter, high-flavonoid drinking distillate, thereby improving the comprehensive utilization rate of raw materials.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel, comprising the following steps: S1 Raw material harvesting: Harvest fully ripe Huajuhong fresh fruit; S2 Low-temperature blanching treatment: Wash the mature tangerine peel fresh fruit, and use low-temperature blanching to inactivate the oxidase in the peel, lock in the volatile oil and flavonoid active substances in the peel, and inhibit the premature oxidation and decomposition of the effective ingredients. S3 Wood-based open flame low-temperature controlled baking and drying: After blanching, the fresh fruit is sent into the drying room and slowly baked at low temperature with wood as the single heat source to remove free moisture and obtain dried tangerine peel. S4 Natural Storage Aging: The dried fruit of Huajuhong is stored and aged at room temperature to obtain aged Huajuhong fruit with different aging periods of 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years; S5 Raw material isolation and packaging: Select tangerine peel of any aging period and place it in the hollow independent material bin of the steaming equipment. The material bin is equipped with water-proof isolation components so that the tangerine peel does not come into contact with the bottom heating water at all. S6 Constant Temperature Slow Boiling Co-steaming: Pure water is added to the bottom cavity of the steaming equipment, and the temperature is continuously controlled to keep the water in a gentle, slow boiling state without violent churning and impact; water vapor is continuously generated and penetrates upward through the pores of the peel of the dried tangerine peel, and the moist heat slowly relaxes the peel fiber tissue. S7 Two-way simultaneous separation and recovery of substances: (1) Low-boiling-point aromatic volatile oils are vaporized with steam and released outward through the equipment's gas dissipation channel, diffused to form a natural citrus fragrance; (2) When the steam carries the aromatic components and water-soluble flavonoids together, they are cooled and condensed. All the effective substances are fused in the condensed water to form an integrated orange-red essence liquid, which can be directly consumed after being collected.

[0006] Further optimization plan: The low-temperature blanching temperature in step S2 is 60-75℃, and the blanching time is 3-8 minutes.

[0007] Further optimization plan: Step S3: Control the temperature of open flame baking with wood at 40-60℃, and slowly increase the temperature in stages.

[0008] Further optimization plan: Step S6: Gently boil the water at a temperature of 98-100℃. The bubbles generated by the boiling water will impact the stainless steel hopper, but will not impact the dried tangerine peel inside the hopper.

[0009] Further optimization plan: Step S4: The aging environment is a normal temperature, light-proof warehouse, and natural aging for 1 to 10 years.

[0010] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: Wide range of raw material compatibility: The process is compatible with dried tangerine peel aged from 1 to 10 years. Younger-aged fruit produces a fresh aroma after steaming, while older-aged fruit has a rich aroma and significantly reduced bitterness in the distillate. Raw materials can be flexibly selected according to home, business, and beverage processing scenarios, reducing raw material production costs and adapting to the development of multiple product grades. Simultaneous recovery of dual products, maximizing raw material utilization: Two types of products are produced simultaneously in the same steaming process. The diffusion of volatile oils improves the indoor air environment, and the condensed distillate is rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, which can be consumed directly or diluted to prepare beverages. There is no waste of effective components, significantly increasing the added value of dried tangerine peel processing. Pre-treatment process protects active ingredients: Low-temperature blanching deactivates oxidases, combined with low-temperature segmented wood-fired roasting, unlike high-temperature electric or coal-fired roasting, avoids the high-temperature decomposition of volatile oils and flavonoids, ensuring that the dried fruit retains sufficient active substances even after long-term storage. Water-boiling slow-boiling distillation improves product quality: Raw materials are not soaked in hot water, reducing the dissolution of bitter impurities; the water is gentle and the gentle boiling prevents impact, allowing the pores of the fruit peel to slowly expand, resulting in a uniform and sustained release of volatile oils and a lasting aroma; the distillate made from highly aged raw materials has low irritating bitterness and a smooth, palatable taste. The process is simple and easily industrialized: the entire process requires no complex high-pressure equipment, using ambient temperature and pressure distillation, resulting in low equipment investment and standardized operation procedures, suitable for both small household distillation equipment and large-scale factory distillation. Detailed Implementation

[0011] Example 1: A method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel, comprising the following steps: Raw material harvesting: Harvest ripe tangerine peel fruits; Blanching process: Clean the fresh tangerine peel and use a low-temperature blanching process (60℃ for 8 minutes) to deactivate the oxidase inside the peel, lock in the volatile oils and flavonoids contained in the peel, and prevent the effective ingredients from decomposing and being lost in advance. Traditional wood-fired controlled drying method: After blanching, the Huajuhong (a type of tangerine peel) is transferred to a drying room and slowly dried using a wood heat source at a low temperature (pre-drying at 40℃ for 4 hours, then gradually increasing the temperature to 50℃ until free moisture is removed). Unlike electric or coal-fired heating methods, this method gently increases the temperature to gradually remove excess free moisture from the raw material. After controlled drying, dried Huajuhong fruit is obtained. The dried fruit is then naturally aged (1 year), but it can also be processed into raw materials with different aging periods, such as 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years. The internal composition and aroma components of raw materials with different aging periods are significantly different, and the corresponding aging period can be selected according to the usage scenario and flavor requirements. Raw material packaging: Select dried Huajuhong fruit with a 1-year aging period and place it in an independent hollow hopper inside the steaming equipment. The hopper is equipped with a water-proof isolation component so that the Huajuhong raw material is not directly immersed in the heated water. Constant temperature slow boiling steaming: The bottom cavity of the equipment is filled with pure water and continuously heated to keep the water at a gentle, slow boiling state of 98℃. The bubbles generated by the boiling water will impact the stainless steel hopper but will not impact the dried tangerine peel inside the hopper. The water vapor will continuously penetrate the pores of the dried tangerine peel. Under the continuous action of humid heat penetration, the pores of the peel will slowly expand. The total steaming time is 40 minutes. Two-way release and separation of effective substances: The peel of Huajuhong fruit is continuously moistened by hot steam. The volatile aromatic oil in the peel is released upward with the steam and released into the external space through the gas dissipation channel of the equipment; the non-volatile water-soluble flavonoid active substances are condensed with the steam and collected to form Huajuhong condensate distillate, which is collected in a special collection container; under the same steaming conditions, there are obvious differences in the release rate of volatile oil, aroma level and flavonoid dissolution of dried Huajuhong fruit with different aging years. Material transformation and collection: During the steaming process, some of the aromatic volatile components in the peel diffuse into the room with the steam through the ventilation channel to form a natural orange aroma; another part of the aromatic components and water-soluble flavonoids are simultaneously condensed and fused into the water with the steam to form an integrated orange peel condensed essence, which is collected in a unified manner and can be consumed directly.

[0012] Example 2 Steps S1 to S3 are the same as in Example 1; S4 Natural Storage Aging: 5 years of natural aging in a cool, dark place; S5 The raw material isolation and packaging steps are the same as in Example 1; S6 Constant Temperature Slow Boiling Co-steaming: Pure water temperature controlled at 99℃ for gentle boiling, water bubbles only impact the stainless steel hopper and do not come into contact with the dried fruit, and steaming continues for 50 minutes. S7 Material Transformation and Collection: Some aromatic volatiles diffuse into the room to form a rich orange fragrance; the remaining aromatic substances and flavonoids condense and fuse into an integrated essence, which is collected and consumed directly.

[0013] Example 3 Steps S1 to S3 are the same as in Example 1; S4 Natural Storage Aging: Natural aging for 10 years in a cool, dark place; S5 The raw material isolation and packaging steps are the same as in Example 1; S6 Constant Temperature Slow Boiling Co-steaming: Pure water temperature controlled at 100℃ for gentle boiling, water bubbles only impact the stainless steel hopper and do not come into contact with the dried fruit, and steaming continues for 60 minutes. S7 Material Transformation and Collection: A small amount of mild aromatic substances slowly diffuse into the room; a large amount of aromatic components and flavonoids condense and fuse into a low-bitterness integrated essence, which is collected and consumed directly.

[0014] Experimental Example Experiment Example 1: Comparative Experiment on the Steaming Effect of Dried Fruits with Different Aging Years Experimental conditions: The processing parameters S2-S6 were uniform. The dried fruits aged for 1 year, 5 years and 10 years in Examples 1, 2 and 3 were steamed respectively. The duration of indoor aroma, sensory evaluation of the flavor of the condensed essence, and estimated content of flavonoids and dissolved volatiles were recorded.

[0015] Evaluation criteria: 1. Duration of aroma: from the start of steaming until the noticeable orange scent is no longer present in the room; 2. Serum bitterness rating: 1-10 points, 1 point is almost no bitterness, 10 points is very bitter; 3. Sensory flavor: Classified into two categories: fresh and mellow.

[0016] Table 1. Comparison of the effects of steaming tangerine peel with different aging years.

[0017] After being dried in wood ovens and aged in storage, the dried Huajuhong fruit undergoes a slow expansion of its peel structure under the continuous, gentle steam. Huajuhong contains two key types of substances: volatile components, namely volatile oils, which have a low boiling point and vaporize with the moist steam, releasing them into the indoor air through the equipment's exhaust channel to form a natural citrus-scented aerosol that is evenly dispersed in the space; and water-soluble components, namely flavonoid polyphenols, which are difficult to volatilize directly. These substances dissolve upon contact with the peel by water vapor, which then condenses upon cooling, eventually forming a condensed distillate.

[0018] The raw materials undergo long-term storage and aging, during which the bitter components gradually transform. The steaming results from dried tangerine peel of different aging years exhibit distinct characteristics: younger-aged fruit produces a fresh aroma, while older-aged fruit yields a mellow and smooth aroma, with a lower bitterness in the distillate and a more mellow flavor. Users can flexibly select tangerine peel of different aging periods for steaming according to their specific needs.

[0019] The volatile oil components released into the air and the natural citrus fragrance substances diffuse evenly, improving the odor environment of the indoor space; the natural components of the volatile oils continue to be dispersed in the air.

[0020] The collected condensed distillate dissolves water-soluble active substances such as flavonoids from tangerine peel; the distillate obtained by steaming dried fruits of high aging years has a significantly reduced irritating bitterness, and the liquid has a mild taste, which can be consumed directly or diluted twice before use.

[0021] This process is compatible with dried tangerine peel that has been naturally aged for 1, 3, 5 years and many years. Relying on a water-spreading slow-boiling steaming system, it is adapted to the release characteristics of active substances in different aged dried fruits. On the one hand, it allows for flexible selection of raw materials according to market positioning, differentiating product grades and controlling production costs. On the other hand, it enables differentiated output of aroma and distillate flavor, adapting to diverse home and business use scenarios.

Claims

1. A method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1 Raw Material Harvesting: Harvest mature tangerine peel fruits; S2 blanching treatment: Fresh tangerine peel fruits are cleaned and blanched at low temperature to deactivate the oxidizing enzymes inside the peel and lock in the volatile oils and flavonoids contained in the peel. S3 Wood-based open-flame traditional controlled baking and drying: After blanching, the Huajuhong (a type of tangerine peel) is transferred to a drying room and slowly baked and dried using a wood heat source at a low temperature to remove excess free moisture from the raw material and obtain dried Huajuhong fruit. S4 Natural Storage Aging: Natural storage and aging of dried tangerine peel to produce dried tangerine peel with different aging years; S5 Raw Material Packaging: Select dried tangerine peel with a specified aging period and place it in an independent hollow hopper inside the steaming equipment. The hopper is equipped with a water-proof isolation component so that the raw tangerine peel is not directly immersed in the heated water. S6 constant temperature slow boiling steaming: The bottom cavity of the steaming equipment is filled with pure water, which is continuously heated and controlled to keep the water at a gentle boil without violent churning and impact. The water vapor rises and continuously penetrates the pores of the dried tangerine peel, and the moist heat penetrates and expands the pores of the peel. During the S7 steaming process, some of the aromatic volatile components in the peel diffuse into the external space with the steam through the gas dissipation channel; the other part of the aromatic components and water-soluble flavonoid active substances are condensed and fused into the water with the steam to form an integrated orange peel condensed essence, which can be collected and consumed directly.

2. The method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dried tangerine peel mentioned above can be any one of the dried tangerine peels that have undergone natural storage and aging for different years.

3. The method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The traditional open-fire controlled drying method uses wood as a heat source, which is different from electric or coal-fired heating methods, and gently raises the temperature to dehydrate the wood.

4. The method for constant-temperature co-steaming of Citrus reticulata peel according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the raw materials are packaged, the dried tangerine peel is placed in a hollow hopper and separated from the bottom heating water body by an isolation and waterproof component, so it is not directly immersed in water.

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