Preparation process of fresh fruit betel nut

Abstract

This invention discloses a processing method for fresh areca nuts, relating to the field of food processing technology. The invention includes the following steps: Step S1: Take fresh green areca nuts, put them into a bubbling washing machine, add electrolyzed water, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 5.5-6.5, heat to 20-30℃, and bubble wash for 8-12 minutes. The advantages are: The core technology solution, which uses a natural gel buffer system to replace traditional strong alkaline lime for gentle pickling, combined with independent herbal brine granules, systematically optimizes the entire process from raw material processing and flavor modulation to final shaping. Compared with existing technologies, it effectively overcomes the shortcomings of traditional processing methods, such as high irritation, monotonous flavor, easy saliva contamination, and loss of original flavor. It also brings a clean and convenient consumer experience, which is of positive significance for promoting the upgrading of areca nut products towards health and high-end products, and has broad application prospects in the snack food field.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing technology, and in particular to a process for producing fresh areca nuts. Background Technology

[0002] Fresh areca nut specifically refers to a type of areca product made from fresh, green areca nuts through processes such as washing, pitting, and flavoring, intended for direct chewing. Compared to traditional smoked and dried areca nut, its biggest advantage is that it retains the crisp and tender texture and some of the original flavor of the fresh fruit. With the upgrading of consumption and the improvement of health awareness, the market has placed higher demands on the taste, convenience, and consumption experience of areca nut products, thereby driving the continuous evolution of its processing technology.

[0003] Traditional fresh betel nut production typically involves pickling in a highly alkaline brine with quicklime as the main component. However, the strong alkalinity significantly irritates the oral mucosa, posing a health risk. Secondly, to neutralize the excessively astringent taste and impart flavor, large amounts of saccharin, flavorings, and other seasonings are often added, which severely masks the natural aroma of betel nut. Furthermore, to mimic the traditional way of consumption, some products still require consumers to add betel leaves or similar substances, resulting in a large amount of red saliva after chewing, which is both unsightly and pollutes the environment, limiting consumption scenarios.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a production process for fresh areca nuts. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a process for producing fresh areca nuts, which solves the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A process for producing fresh areca nuts includes the following steps: Step S1: Take fresh areca nuts, put them into a bubble washing machine, add electrolyzed water, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 5.5-6.5, heat to 20-30℃, bubble wash for 8-12 minutes, take out the fresh areca nuts, rinse with running water for 2-4 minutes, drain, and you will get clean areca nuts. Step S2: Spray the clean green fruit surface with 75wt% edible alcohol solution, dry it, cut it in half along the long axis of the clean green fruit, remove the kernel, and obtain areca nut segments; Step S3: Add the colloidal solution to the calcium ion source solution and stir at 1600-2000 rpm for 2-4 minutes to obtain a gel buffer matrix. Add the sweetener, herbal extract and natural flavoring to the gel buffer matrix and stir at 500-700 rpm for 3-6 minutes. Add citric acid to adjust the pH to 6.5-7.5 to obtain the brine. Step S4: Put the areca nut petals and brine into a vacuum variable track tumbler, vacuum to -0.08MPa to -0.09MPa, speed 8-10rpm, tumble for 40-50min, cool to 4-6℃, let stand for 1-3h, take out, air dry, and get pickled fruit. Use aluminum foil composite PE packaging bags to individually package each pickled fruit to get packaged fruit. Step S5: Add menthol, dried tangerine peel powder, vitamin C, and natural gardenia yellow to maltitol powder, stir at 80-100 rpm for 16-20 minutes, add deionized water, stir for 8-12 minutes, heat to 30-45℃, dry for 1-2 hours, pass through a 30-mesh sieve to obtain brine granules, package them in PE bags to obtain bagged granules, each bag containing 0.2g of brine granules, and pack the packaged fruit and bagged granules into an outer packaging bag to obtain the fresh fruit betel nut finished product; This process uses electrolyzed water and edible alcohol for deep cleaning to ensure the safety of raw materials. A gel buffer matrix replaces traditional lime, greatly reducing oral irritation while incorporating natural herbal flavors. Vacuum tumbling and low-temperature settling techniques ensure even flavoring and preserve the crisp texture of fresh fruit. Combined with chewable brine granules, it completely solves the problem of spitting out red liquid, resulting in a more refreshing, convenient, and environmentally friendly eating experience. The overall process improves the health and flavor profile of the product while achieving standardized and efficient production.

[0007] Furthermore, the preparation method of the colloidal liquid in step S3 is as follows: Add sodium alginate to deionized water, heat to 60-70℃, stir at 300-400 rpm for 30-40 minutes to obtain a colloidal solution; The mass ratio of sodium alginate to deionized water is 1:90-100; This step uses sodium alginate to form a colloidal liquid of appropriate concentration, which can efficiently form a mild buffer gel with calcium ions, and is easy to mix and penetrate in the future, effectively improving the uniform adhesion and smooth taste of the final product.

[0008] Furthermore, the preparation method of the calcium ion source solution in step S3 is as follows: Add calcium lactate, xylitol and salt to deionized water, stir at 300-400 rpm for 30-40 minutes to obtain calcium ion source solution; The mass ratio of calcium lactate, xylitol, salt and deionized water is 1:1.8-2:0.6-0.8:120-140.

[0009] Furthermore, in step S3, the mass ratio of the colloidal solution, calcium ion source solution, sweetener, herbal extract, and natural flavoring is 1:0.9-1.1:0.03-0.04:0.01-0.02:0.008-0.01. The scientific ratio in this step can precisely control the calcium ion release rate and gel strength, ensuring the formation of a stable and mild buffer system. The reasonable ratio of xylitol and salt effectively coordinates the sweet and salty flavors, enhancing the taste profile.

[0010] Furthermore, the sweetener in step S3 is composed of mogroside and erythritol, the herbal extract is composed of honeysuckle extract and licorice extract, and the natural flavor is composed of peppermint oil microemulsion and citrus oil.

[0011] Furthermore, the mass ratio of mogroside to erythritol is 1:1-2, the mass ratio of honeysuckle extract to licorice extract is 1:0.6-0.8, and the mass ratio of peppermint oil microemulsion to citrus oil is 1:0.6-0.8.

[0012] Furthermore, in step S5, the mass ratio of menthol, tangerine peel powder, vitamin C, natural gardenia yellow, maltitol powder, and deionized water is 1:3-4:1-2:0.2-0.3:160-180:8-10.

[0013] In summary, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides a processing method for fresh areca nuts. By using a natural gel buffer system to replace traditional strong alkaline lime for gentle pickling, combined with a core technology of independent herbal brine granules, the entire process from raw material processing and flavor modulation to final shaping is systematically optimized. Compared with existing technologies, this method effectively overcomes the shortcomings of traditional processing methods, such as high irritation, monotonous flavor, easy saliva contamination, and loss of original taste. It also brings a clean and convenient consumer experience, which is of positive significance for promoting the upgrading of areca nut products towards health and high-end products, and has broad application prospects in the snack food industry. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the production process of fresh areca nuts proposed in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0016] Example 1: Preparation of colloidal solution Add 10g of sodium alginate to 900g of deionized water, heat to 70℃, stir at 300rpm for 40min to obtain a colloidal solution.

[0017] Example 2: Preparation of colloidal solution Add 10g of sodium alginate to 950g of deionized water, heat to 65℃, stir at 350rpm for 35min to obtain a colloidal solution.

[0018] Example 3: Preparation of colloidal solution Add 10g of sodium alginate to 1000g of deionized water, heat to 60℃, stir at 400rpm for 30min to obtain a colloidal solution.

[0019] Example 4: Preparation of calcium ion source solution Add 10g of calcium lactate, 18g of xylitol and 8g of salt to 1200g of deionized water, stir at 400rpm for 30min to obtain calcium ion source solution.

[0020] Example 5: Preparation of calcium ion source solution Add 10g of calcium lactate, 19g of xylitol and 7g of salt to 1300g of deionized water, stir at 350rpm for 35min to obtain calcium ion source solution.

[0021] Example 6: Preparation of calcium ion source solution Add 10g of calcium lactate, 20g of xylitol and 6g of salt to 1400g of deionized water, stir at 300rpm for 40min to obtain calcium ion source solution.

[0022] Example 7: Preparation of Fresh Areca Nuts S1: Take fresh areca nuts, put them into a bubble washing machine, add electrolyzed water, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 5.5-6.5, heat to 20℃, bubble wash for 12 minutes, take out the fresh areca nuts, rinse with running water for 2 minutes, drain, and you will get clean areca nuts. S2: Spray the clean green fruit surface with 75wt% edible alcohol solution, dry it, cut it in half along the long axis of the clean green fruit, remove the kernel, and obtain areca nut segments; S3: Add 1000g of colloidal solution to 900g of calcium ion source solution, stir at 2000rpm for 2min to obtain a gel buffer matrix. Add 40g of sweetener, 10g of herbal extract and 10g of natural flavoring to the gel buffer matrix, stir at 500rpm for 6min, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 6.5-7.5 to obtain the brine. S4: Put the areca nut petals and brine into a vacuum variable track tumbler, vacuum to -0.08MPa, speed 10rpm, tumble for 40min, cool to 6℃, let stand for 1h, take out, air dry, and get pickled fruit. Use aluminum foil composite PE packaging bags to individually package the pickled fruit to get packaged fruit. S5: Add 10g of menthol, 30g of dried tangerine peel powder, 20g of vitamin C, and 2g of natural gardenia yellow to 1800g of maltitol powder. Stir at 80rpm for 20min. Add 80g of deionized water and stir for 12min. Heat to 45℃ and dry for 2h. Pass through a 30-mesh sieve to obtain brine granules. Pack them into PE bags to obtain bagged granules. Pack the packaged fruit and bagged granules into an outer packaging bag to obtain the fresh fruit areca nut product.

[0023] Example 8: Preparation of fresh areca nuts S1: Take fresh areca nuts, put them into a bubble washing machine, add electrolyzed water, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 5.5-6.5, heat to 25℃, bubble wash for 10 minutes, take out the fresh areca nuts, rinse with running water for 3 minutes, drain, and you will get clean areca nuts. S2: Spray the clean green fruit surface with 75wt% edible alcohol solution, dry it, cut it in half along the long axis of the clean green fruit, remove the kernel, and obtain areca nut segments; S3: Add 1000g of colloidal solution to 1000g of calcium ion source solution, stir at 1800rpm for 3min to obtain a gel buffer matrix. Add 35g of sweetener, 15g of herbal extract and 9g of natural flavoring to the gel buffer matrix, stir at 600rpm for 4min, and add citric acid to adjust the pH to 6.5-7.5 to obtain the brine. S4: Put the areca nut petals and brine into a vacuum variable track tumbler, vacuum to -0.085MPa, speed 9rpm, tumble for 45min, cool to 5℃, let stand for 2h, take out, air dry, and get pickled fruit. Use aluminum foil composite PE packaging bags to individually package the pickled fruit to get packaged fruit. S5: Add 10g of menthol, 35g of dried tangerine peel powder, 15g of vitamin C, and 2.5g of natural gardenia yellow to 1700g of maltitol powder. Stir at 90rpm for 18min. Add 90g of deionized water and stir for 10min. Heat to 37℃ and dry for 1.5h. Pass through a 30-mesh sieve to obtain brine granules. Pack them into PE bags to obtain bagged granules. Pack the packaged fruit and bagged granules into an outer packaging bag to obtain the fresh fruit areca nut product.

[0024] Example 9: Preparation of fresh areca nuts S1: Take fresh areca nuts, put them into a bubble washing machine, add electrolyzed water, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 5.5-6.5, heat to 30℃, bubble wash for 8 minutes, take out the fresh areca nuts, rinse with running water for 4 minutes, drain, and you will get clean areca nuts. S2: Spray the clean green fruit surface with 75wt% edible alcohol solution, dry it, cut it in half along the long axis of the clean green fruit, remove the kernel, and obtain areca nut segments; S3: Add 1000g of colloidal solution to 1100g of calcium ion source solution, stir at 1600rpm for 4min to obtain a gel buffer matrix. Add 30g of sweetener, 20g of herbal extract and 8g of natural flavoring to the gel buffer matrix, stir at 700rpm for 3min, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 6.5-7.5 to obtain the brine. S4: Put the areca nut petals and brine into a vacuum variable track tumbler, vacuum to -0.09MPa, speed 8rpm, tumble for 50min, cool to 4℃, let stand for 3h, take out, air dry, and get pickled fruit. Use aluminum foil composite PE packaging bags to individually package the pickled fruit to get packaged fruit. S5: Add 10g of menthol, 40g of dried tangerine peel powder, 10g of vitamin C, and 3g of natural gardenia yellow to 1600g of maltitol powder. Stir at 100rpm for 16min. Add 100g of deionized water and stir for 8min. Heat to 30℃ and dry for 1h. Pass through a 30-mesh sieve to obtain brine granules. Pack them into PE bags to obtain bagged granules. Pack the packaged fruit and bagged granules into an outer packaging bag to obtain the fresh fruit betel nut finished product.

[0025] Comparative Example 1: Compared with Example 7, this comparative example only reduces the rotation speed in step S3 from 2000 rpm to 200 rpm. All other steps and parameters are the same, and will not be repeated here. Fresh areca nuts were finally obtained.

[0026] Comparative Example 2: This comparative example differs from Example 7 only in that it does not involve vacuuming in step S4; all other steps and parameters are identical. Therefore, this comparative example will not be repeated here. The final product is fresh areca nut.

[0027] Fresh areca nuts prepared in Examples 7-9 and Comparative Examples 1-2 were tasted and scored on appearance, color, flavor harmony, irritation upon entry, smoothness of mouth, and chewing persistence (total score 10 points).

[0028] Table 1 Sensory Rating Table Sample number Appearance and color Flavor harmony Irritating to the taste Smoothness of texture Chewing persistence Example 7 9 8.8 9.2 8.7 8.5 Example 8 8.8 9.0 9.0 8.8 8.7 Example 9 8.5 8.7 8.9 8.5 8.8 Comparative Example 1 7.5 7.0 8.5 6.0 7.8 Comparative Example 2 8.8 6.5 9.0 8.5 7.0 Data Analysis: As can be seen from Table 1, the fresh areca nuts prepared in Examples 7-9 of this invention exhibit excellent and stable performance in core sensory indicators such as appearance color, flavor harmony, mouth stimulation, mouth smoothness and chewing persistence, proving the comprehensive advantages of this process system in achieving excellent sensory quality, stability and health of the product. In contrast, Comparative Example 1 reduced the high-speed emulsification speed from 2000 rpm to 200 rpm in step S3, resulting in uneven formation of the gel buffer matrix. This significantly reduced the smoothness of the texture and the harmony of the flavor. The reason is that the low-speed mixing cannot make sodium alginate and calcium ions cross-link instantly and evenly. The resulting gel network is rough and has a grainy texture. This not only brings an uncomfortable "gritty" feeling when chewing, but also prevents sweeteners and herbal flavor substances from being evenly loaded and released, resulting in local flavors that are too strong or too weak, and the overall harmony is destroyed. In contrast, Comparative Example 2, due to the lack of vacuuming in step S4, suffered from insufficient penetration efficiency and depth of the brine, resulting in poor flavor harmony and chewing persistence. This was because, under normal pressure, the brine could not effectively expel air from the pores of the areca fiber and achieve rapid and deep penetration, leading to uneven flavor absorption. The flavor was acceptable in the early stages of chewing but quickly became bland in the later stages, resulting in a poor flavor release curve and overall poor harmony. At the same time, because the internal fibers did not fully interact with the brine, the texture changed too quickly in the middle and later stages of chewing, reducing chewiness and resulting in insufficient persistence.

[0029] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A processing method for fresh areca nuts, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Take fresh areca nuts, put them into a bubble washing machine, add electrolyzed water, add citric acid to adjust the pH to 5.5-6.5, heat to 20-30℃, bubble wash for 8-12 minutes, take out the fresh areca nuts, rinse with running water for 2-4 minutes, drain, and you will get clean areca nuts. Step S2: Spray the clean green fruit surface with 75wt% edible alcohol solution, dry it, cut it in half along the long axis of the clean green fruit, remove the kernel, and obtain areca nut segments; Step S3: Add the colloidal solution to the calcium ion source solution and stir at 1600-2000 rpm for 2-4 minutes to obtain a gel buffer matrix. Add the sweetener, herbal extract and natural flavoring to the gel buffer matrix and stir at 500-700 rpm for 3-6 minutes. Add citric acid to adjust the pH to 6.5-7.5 to obtain the brine. Step S4: Put the areca nut petals and brine into a vacuum variable track tumbler, vacuum to -0.08MPa to -0.09MPa, speed 8-10rpm, tumble for 40-50min, cool to 4-6℃, let stand for 1-3h, take out, air dry, and get pickled fruit. Use aluminum foil composite PE packaging bags to individually package the pickled fruit to get packaged fruit. Step S5: Add brine powder, menthol, cooling agent, tangerine peel powder, coffee powder, and natural gardenia yellow to maltitol powder, pulverize, mix, and pass through a 60-mesh sieve. Stir at 80-100 rpm for 16-20 minutes, add deionized water, stir for 8-12 minutes, heat to 30-45℃, and dry for 1-2 hours to obtain brine granules. Pack the granules into PE bags to obtain bagged granules. Pack the packaged fruit and bagged granules into an outer packaging bag to obtain the fresh fruit betel nut finished product.

2. The processing method for fresh areca nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preparation method of the colloidal solution in step S3 is as follows: Add sodium alginate to deionized water, heat to 60-70℃, stir at 300-400 rpm for 30-40 minutes to obtain a colloidal solution; The mass ratio of sodium alginate to deionized water is 1:90-100.

3. The processing method for fresh areca nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for preparing the calcium ion source solution in step S3 is as follows: Add calcium lactate, xylitol and salt to deionized water, stir at 300-400 rpm for 30-40 minutes to obtain calcium ion source solution; The mass ratio of calcium lactate, xylitol, salt and deionized water is 1:1.8-2:0.6-0.8:120-140.

4. The processing method for fresh areca nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the colloidal liquid, calcium ion source liquid, sweetener, herbal extract and natural flavor in step S3 is 1:0.9-1.1:0.03-0.04:0.01-0.02:0.008-0.

01.

5. The processing method for fresh areca nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sweetener in step S3 is composed of mogroside and erythritol, the herbal extract is composed of honeysuckle extract and licorice extract, and the natural flavor is composed of peppermint oil microemulsion and citrus oil.

6. The processing method for fresh areca nuts according to claim 5, characterized in that, The mass ratio of mogroside to erythritol is 1:1-2, the mass ratio of honeysuckle extract to licorice extract is 1:0.6-0.8, and the mass ratio of peppermint oil microemulsion to citrus oil is 1:0.6-0.

8.

7. The processing method for fresh areca nuts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of menthol, tangerine peel powder, vitamin C, natural gardenia yellow, maltitol powder and deionized water in step S5 is 1:3-4:1-2:0.2-0.3:160-180:8-10.

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