A method for removing the calyx of fructus aurantii by directional processing

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of traditional Chinese medicine processing technology, and discloses a method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying with wheat bran. The method involves washing the Citrus aurantium raw material and placing it in a directional softening box. Under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, the pith preferentially absorbs water and expands, loosening the layer bound to the mesocarp. Then, an arc-shaped flexible peeling knife is used to directionally slide and peel away the pith along the inner surface of the mesocarp. After removing the pith, the product undergoes pre-stir-frying with wheat bran, slicing, formal stir-frying with wheat bran, sieving, and cooling to obtain the finished stir-fried Citrus aurantium. This method utilizes the difference in tissue structure between the pith and the mesocarp to achieve directional separation, reducing damage to the mesocarp, improving the accuracy of pith removal, and enhancing the processing effect through two stir-frying processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of traditional Chinese medicine processing, and specifically relates to a net processing method for directionally removing the pulp sacs of bran-fried Fructus Aurantii. Background Art

[0002] Fructus Aurantii is the dried immature fruit of Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties in the Rutaceae family. It is bitter, pungent, sour and slightly cold in nature, and acts on the spleen and stomach meridians. It has the effects of regulating qi to alleviate middle energizer stagnation, promoting qi circulation to resolve stagnation and distension, and is a commonly used qi-regulating traditional Chinese medicinal material in clinical traditional Chinese medicine. The traditional processing specification of Fructus Aurantii requires "removing the pulp before use", that is, removing the pulp sac (also known as pulp vesicle) part inside the fruit. The pulp sac is the segment tissue inside the Fructus Aurantii fruit, which is composed of the pulp sac wall and juice vesicles, with loose texture and strong water absorption. If the pulp sac remains in the decoction pieces, on the one hand, it will dilute the concentration of active ingredients per unit mass of the decoction pieces and reduce the efficacy of the decoction pieces; on the other hand, it is prone to moisture absorption and mildew during storage, affecting the quality stability and storage period of the decoction pieces. In addition, the residual pulp sac will also aggravate the bitter and astringent taste of the decoction pieces and make the visual properties non-uniform, which does not meet the processing specification requirements of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces.

[0003] The existing processes for removing the pulp sac of Fructus Aurantii mainly include the following methods: The first one is traditional manual pulp removal, which involves moistening Fructus Aurantii thoroughly and then digging out the internal pulp sac with a small knife or spoon. This method relies on the experience of operators, with unstable pulp removal accuracy, prone to problems such as residual pulp sac or excessive excavation of the mesocarp, and has low production efficiency and high labor intensity, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production. The second one is mechanical drilling and removing the pulp, which uses a rotating drill bit to drill in from the cut of Fructus Aurantii, crush the pulp sac and then discharge it. This method belongs to destructive removal. The drill bit cannot identify the boundary between the pulp sac and the mesocarp during the drilling process, which is very easy to damage the mesocarp tissue, resulting in the loss of the area enriched with active ingredients, and the crushed pulp sac debris is easy to remain on the surface of the mesocarp. The third one is scraping with a spiral scraper, which uses a spiral inner scraper to extend into the interior of Fructus Aurantii and rotate to scrape off the pulp sac. Although this method is improved compared with the drilling method, the scraper is in rigid contact with the inner surface of the mesocarp, and the scraping pressure is difficult to control accurately, there is still a risk of scratching or scraping through the mesocarp. Moreover, for individual Fructus Aurantii with irregular shapes, the scraper cannot adaptively fit the curvature of the inner surface, resulting in incomplete removal of the pulp sac.

[0004] Besides the aforementioned shortcomings in the scooping process, the existing processing techniques for Citrus aurantium (Zhi Ke) typically treat the scooping and stir-frying with wheat bran as two independent steps, lacking process synergy. The traditional process sequence is "scooping - slicing - stir-frying with wheat bran," where the inner surface of the Zhi Ke after scooping is directly exposed to the air. During slicing and while waiting for stir-frying, the fresh tissue on the inner surface is prone to oxidative browning, resulting in uneven color of the processed slices. At the same time, the wheat bran fumes mainly contact the outer surface of the Zhi Ke slices during stir-frying, making it difficult to fully penetrate the inner surface formed after scooping, affecting the uniformity of stir-frying and the processing effect. Furthermore, the overall moisture level of the Zhi Ke after scooping is inconsistent in the traditional process, easily leading to uneven slice thickness and a high fragmentation rate during slicing, further affecting the quality of the processed slices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a cleaning and processing method for directional removal of the pith from bitter orange peel by stir-frying with wheat bran. This method effectively solves the problems of existing bitter orange peel de-peeling processes, which cannot accurately distinguish the boundary between the pith and the mesocarp, easily causing pith residue or excessive damage to the mesocarp. Furthermore, the de-peeling process lacks coordination with the stir-frying process, and the inner surface is prone to oxidation and browning after de-peeling, uneven penetration of stir-frying smoke, unstable slice quality, and poor stability of processed slice quality.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for cleaning and processing bitter orange peel by directional removal of the pleural lobes, comprising the following steps: placing the bitter orange peel raw material in a washing tank for washing; placing the washed bitter orange peel raw material in a directional softening box for directional softening treatment under the control of a temperature controller and a humidity controller, so that the pleural lobes of the bitter orange peel raw material preferentially absorb water and swell while the mesocarp maintains its structural toughness, and the bonding layer between the pleural lobes and the mesocarp is loose; placing the softened bitter orange peel raw material on a directional peeling table, fixing it with a flexible clamp, and using an arc-shaped peeling knife. The prickles are removed by directional sliding along the inner surface of the mesocarp, and the removed prickles are collected in a prickle collection box. The prickled bitter orange peel is placed in a pre-wheat frying pan, and wheat bran is added for pre-frying, allowing the wheat bran fumes to penetrate into the inner surface after prickle removal and form an adhering layer. The pre-fried bitter orange peel is sliced ​​using a slicer to obtain bitter orange peel slices. The bitter orange peel slices are placed in a formal wheat frying pan, and formal wheat frying is carried out with the cooperation of a stirring mechanism and a temperature sensor. The formally fried bitter orange peel slices are sieved through a screening mechanism to remove wheat bran, and then placed on a cooling plate to cool, obtaining the finished product of wheat bran-fried bitter orange peel.

[0007] Preferably, the temperature of the directional softening treatment is 35℃~55℃, the relative humidity is 75%~95%, and the softening time is 20min~60min; during the softening process, the trifoliate orange peel raw material is laid flat in a single layer on the material rack of the directional softening box with the cut side facing upwards; these parameters allow the pith to absorb water and expand preferentially while the mesocarp remains tough, and the binding layer is loosely separated, providing a physical basis for directional peeling; the flat single layer and the cut side facing upwards ensure uniform contact of steam and a uniform softening effect.

[0008] Preferably, the directional softening box is equipped with a steam generator, which supplies saturated steam into the directional softening box at a pressure of 0.03MPa to 0.1MPa, causing the pith of the trifoliate orange peel raw material to preferentially absorb water and expand, increasing the volume of the pith by 15% to 30%, while the mesocarp only absorbs water on the surface and maintains its structural strength inside; the saturated steam is evenly distributed through the steam distribution plate, increasing the volume of the pith by 15% to 30%, while the mesocarp only absorbs water on the surface and maintains its structural strength inside, thus ensuring that the bonding layer is loose and avoiding excessive softening and deformation of the mesocarp.

[0009] Preferably, the blade of the arc-shaped peeling knife is a flexible silicone blade with a Shore hardness of 35HA to 55HA and a blade curvature of R15mm to R30mm, matching the curvature of the inner surface of the trifoliate orange peel. During peeling, the blade slides along the inner surface of the mesocarp from the bottom towards the cut direction at a sliding speed of 5mm / s to 12mm / s, keeping the blade in close contact with the inner surface of the mesocarp. The flexible silicone blade, in accordance with the matching curvature, slides along the inner surface at 5 to 12mm / s, adaptively conforming to different curvatures. When encountering irregular protrusions, it deforms adaptively, removing only the arils without damaging the mesocarp.

[0010] Preferably, the peeling process of the arc-shaped peeling knife is completed in two steps: first, it slides along the inner surface of one side of the trifoliate orange peel from the bottom towards the cut, and second, it slides along the inner surface of the other side from the bottom towards the cut. When peeling, the blade adapts to the irregular protrusions on the inner surface of the mesocarp and slides along the protruding surface without damaging the mesocarp. The two-step sliding better controls the fit between the blade and the inner surface, avoiding poor fit or citrus residue caused by excessive stroke in one step, ensuring thorough removal of the citrus and intact mesocarp.

[0011] Preferably, the flexible gripper includes two opposing arc-shaped grippers. The inner surface of each arc-shaped gripper is provided with an elastic buffer layer with a thickness of 3mm to 5mm, which is made of silicone or sponge. The gripping pressure is 0.1MPa to 0.25MPa. During gripping, the elastic buffer layer adheres to the outer surface of the trifoliate orange peel, fixing the trifoliate orange peel raw material so that it does not shift during the peeling process. The 3-5mm elastic buffer layer, combined with the 0.1-0.25MPa gripping force, can adapt to different fruit shapes without damaging the outer peel. The sponge buffer layer is more suitable for large fruits, with a large contact area and uniform pressure, ensuring peeling and positioning accuracy.

[0012] Preferably, the pre-stir-frying temperature is 120℃~150℃, the stir-frying time is 2min~5min, and the amount of wheat bran is 5%~10% of the weight of the bitter orange peel. During the stir-frying process, the bitter orange peel is turned over every 20s~40s to ensure that all surfaces of the bitter orange peel are heated evenly and that the wheat bran smoke penetrates evenly into the inner surface. The wheat bran smoke penetrating into the inner surface forms a uniform coating layer, which not only isolates the air to prevent oxidation and browning, but also provides a uniform processing basis for the formal stir-frying. At the same time, the bitter orange peel becomes slightly brittle, and the fragmentation rate of the slices is reduced.

[0013] Preferably, the temperature of the formal bran-frying process is 150℃~180℃, the frying time is 3min~8min, and the amount of wheat bran used is 10%~20% of the mass of the bitter orange peel slices; the formal bran-frying pot is a drum-type stir-frying machine with a drum speed of 8r / min~15r / min, and a temperature sensor monitors the pot temperature in real time and provides feedback control to keep the pot temperature fluctuation within the set value ±5℃; the drum spiral guide plate drives the bitter orange peel slices to turn evenly, and the temperature sensor controls the temperature ±5℃; because the pre-bran-frying on the inner surface has formed an adhesion layer, the processing reaction on the inner and outer surfaces is synchronized, and the wheat bran smoke penetrates evenly.

[0014] Preferably, the slicer cuts the pre-fried bitter orange peel transversely along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fruit into slices with a thickness of 2mm to 4mm; the slicer is a reciprocating slicer with a cutting frequency of 30 to 50 times / min; the pre-fried bitter orange peel has a slightly brittle texture, a low fragmentation rate, and a forming rate of over 90%; the transversely cut slices of bitter orange peel are of uniform thickness and have neat edges, which is conducive to uniform heating of the inner and outer surfaces during the formal frying.

[0015] Preferably, the screening mechanism is a vibrating screen with a screen mesh size of 3mm to 5mm, a vibration frequency of 20Hz to 35Hz, and a screening time of 1min to 3min; the cooling plate is provided with ventilation holes with a diameter of 2mm to 3mm, the ambient temperature during cooling is 15℃ to 25℃, and natural ventilation or forced ventilation is used for cooling for 10min to 20min; the vibrating screen effectively separates wheat bran fragments from whole medicinal slices; the ventilation holes of the cooling plate promote uniform heat dissipation, quickly remove residual heat to prevent over-processing, and at the same time accelerate the dissipation of moisture to a safe content.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention utilizes the structural differences between the pleura and mesocarp to preferentially loosen the binding layer through targeted softening. The pleura has thin walls, large intercellular spaces, and strong water absorption. Under specific temperature, humidity, and saturated steam conditions, it preferentially absorbs water and swells, increasing its volume by 15%–30%. In contrast, the mesocarp has dense fibers and relatively weak water absorption, absorbing water only on its surface while maintaining good toughness and structural strength internally. This causes the membrane binding layer between the pleura and mesocarp to loosen and separate under expansion stress, significantly reducing the binding force between them and providing a physical basis for subsequent targeted peeling. This method differs from traditional overall wetting processes, enabling selective softening of the pleura, which is beneficial for improving peeling accuracy, while avoiding excessive softening of the mesocarp that could lead to deformation during slicing.

[0017] This invention employs an arc-shaped peeling blade that slides directionally along the inner surface of the mesocarp to remove the pleural tract. The blade's curvature matches the inner surface curvature of the trifoliate orange peel, and a flexible silicone blade with a Shore hardness of 35HA to 55HA is used. During peeling, the blade slides along the inner surface of the mesocarp from the bottom towards the cut at a speed of 5mm / s to 12mm / s, adaptively conforming to inner surfaces with different curvatures. When encountering irregular protrusions on the inner surface of the mesocarp, the flexible blade undergoes adaptive deformation, sliding along the protruding surface without damaging the mesocarp, removing only the pleural tract tissue while preserving the integrity of the mesocarp. This method solves the problem of traditional rigid blades easily damaging the mesocarp, which is beneficial for preserving the mesocarp tissue rich in effective components and improving the quality of the processed medicinal slices.

[0018] This invention employs a two-stage synergistic process of pre-frying and formal frying. The dried bitter orange peel, after removing the outer shell, undergoes a low-temperature, short-time pre-frying. The smoke generated by the heated wheat bran penetrates the fresh inner surface formed after removing the outer shell, creating a uniform wheat bran smoke coating. This coating isolates the fresh inner surface tissue from air, preventing oxidative browning during subsequent slicing and waiting. Furthermore, the components in the wheat bran smoke undergo a preliminary processing reaction with the inner surface tissue, providing a uniform processing foundation for the subsequent formal frying. The pre-fried bitter orange peel is then sliced ​​for formal frying. At this point, both the inner and outer surfaces of the slices have a base for wheat bran smoke contact, resulting in more uniform processing during the formal frying process. This two-stage synergistic process solves the problems of uneven smoke penetration and easy oxidation of the inner surface caused by traditional single-stage frying.

[0019] This invention uses a flexible clamp to fix the trifoliate orange peel. The inner surface of the arc-shaped clamp is provided with a silicone or sponge elastic buffer layer with a thickness of 3mm to 5mm. The clamping pressure is 0.1MPa to 0.25MPa. When clamped, the elastic buffer layer fits against the outer surface of the trifoliate orange peel, which can adapt to individual trifoliate orange peels of different sizes and shapes. The clamping is stable and will not damage the outer peel of the trifoliate orange peel. This helps to ensure the positioning accuracy of the trifoliate orange peel during the peeling process and improves the consistency of the peeling operation.

[0020] The process parameters for each step of this invention are clearly defined. The temperature, time, and wheat bran dosage range for directional softening, pre-frying, and formal frying are all clearly defined. Formal frying uses a drum-type frying machine with a temperature sensor for real-time temperature control. The temperature fluctuation of the pan is controlled within ±5℃ of the set value, which facilitates quality control in industrial production and helps improve the stability and uniformity of the quality of the medicinal slices. In addition, the process sequence of pre-frying followed by slicing makes the trifoliate orange peel tissue brittle after preliminary heating, reducing the fragmentation rate during slicing and improving the quality of the slices. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0022] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the overall process flow of the present invention for the directional removal of the pith from stir-fried bitter orange peel; Figure 2 This is a detailed block diagram of the directional softening process of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a detailed block diagram of the directional peeling of the goat's bladder step in this invention; Figure 4 This is a detailed block diagram of the two-stage bran-frying synergistic processing steps of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Raw material: Citrus aurantium; 2. Washing tank; 3. Directional softening box; 4. Temperature controller; 5. Humidity controller; 6. Steam generator; 7. Directional peeling table; 8. Flexible clamp; 9. Arc-shaped peeling knife; 10. Pouch collection box; 11. Pre-braised frying pan; 12. Wheat bran; 13. Slicer; 14. Citrus aurantium slices; 15. Formal frying pan; 16. Stirring mechanism; 17. Temperature sensor; 18. Screening mechanism; 19. Cooling tray; 20. Finished product: Fried Citrus aurantium. Detailed Implementation

[0023] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] In existing technologies, the removal of the pith from bitter orange peel is carried out using three methods: manual digging, mechanical drilling, or spiral scraping. Manual removal is inaccurate and inefficient; mechanical drilling is a destructive process that easily damages the mesocarp and leaves debris behind; and spiral scraping involves rigid contact and makes pressure difficult to control, easily scratching irregular fruits or resulting in incomplete removal of the pith. In addition, removing the pith and stir-frying with wheat bran are performed independently without coordination, and the inner surface is prone to oxidation and browning after removal, making it difficult for wheat bran fumes to penetrate evenly into the inner surface, thus affecting the processing effect.

[0026] Based on this, this application proposes a cleaning and processing method for directional removal of the pith from Citrus aurantium during stir-frying. By using directional softening treatment, the difference in tissue structure between the pith and mesocarp is utilized to cause the pith to preferentially absorb water and swell, and the binding layer to loosen. The pith is then removed by directionally sliding an arc-shaped flexible peeling knife along the inner surface of the mesocarp. The two synergistic treatments of pre-stir-frying and formal stir-frying allow the wheat bran smoke to evenly penetrate into the inner and outer surfaces, achieving the effect of precise directional removal of the pith, complete preservation of the mesocarp, and uniform processing of the inner and outer surfaces. This solves the problems of insufficient pith removal precision, easy damage to the mesocarp, lack of synergy between pith removal and stir-frying, and unstable slice quality in the existing technology.

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Example 1:

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith and rinds during stir-frying, using unripe Citrus aurantium fruits from a certain region as raw material. The specific steps are as follows: Step 1: Raw material selection and cleaning Immature sour oranges from a certain region, harvested within 7 days, were selected as raw material 1 for trifoliate orange peel. The transverse diameter of the fruit was 3cm-5cm, the longitudinal diameter was 2.5cm-4cm, and the weight of a single fruit was 15g-30g. During the selection process, unqualified fruits with mold, insect infestation, rot, or severe mechanical damage were removed. The fruits were then divided into two grades according to their transverse diameter: 3cm-4cm and 4cm-5cm. These grades were processed separately to ensure the adaptability of the process parameters.

[0030] The selected and graded bitter orange peel raw material 1 is placed in the washing tank 2, which is made of stainless steel and equipped with a bubbling device with a bubbling pressure of 0.02MPa to 0.04MPa. First, it is soaked in room temperature running water for 2 minutes to loosen the mud and impurities on the surface. Then, the bubbling device is turned on, and it is rinsed with running water for 3 minutes while bubbling, using the agitation of the bubbles to enhance the cleaning effect. After rinsing, the bitter orange peel raw material 1 is taken out of the washing tank 2 and placed on a drain rack to drain the surface water for 5 minutes, until there are no obvious water droplets running on the surface of the fruit.

[0031] Step 2: Targeted softening treatment like Figure 2 As shown, the drained bitter orange peel raw material 1 is laid flat in a single layer on the material rack of the directional softening box 3, with the fruit cut-side facing upwards. A gap of 5mm to 10mm is left between adjacent fruits to ensure that the steam can evenly contact the surface and cut of each fruit. The directional softening box 3 is a stainless steel sealed box, which is equipped with multi-layer material racks, temperature controller 4, humidity controller 5 and steam generator 6. The temperature controller 4 uses PT100 platinum resistance temperature measurement with a temperature control accuracy of ±1℃. The humidity controller 5 uses a capacitive humidity sensor with a humidity control accuracy of ±3%RH. The steam generator 6 is an electrically heated steam generator with a steam production capacity of 5kg / h to 10kg / h.

[0032] Start the directional softening chamber 3, set the temperature inside the chamber to 45℃ using the temperature controller 4, and set the relative humidity inside the chamber to 85% using the humidity controller 5. The steam generator 6 supplies saturated steam into the chamber at a pressure of 0.05MPa. The steam is evenly distributed through the steam distribution plate at the bottom of the chamber to maintain the set temperature and humidity conditions inside the chamber. Under these conditions, the softening process lasts for 40 minutes. The temperature and humidity inside the chamber are recorded every 10 minutes during the softening process to ensure that the parameters are stable.

[0033] During the softening process, the pleural tissue of the trifoliate orange peel raw material 1, due to its thin walls, large intercellular spaces, and strong water absorption, preferentially absorbs moisture from the steam and expands, increasing the volume of the pleural tissue by 15% to 25%. In contrast, the mesocarp tissue has dense fibers and relatively weak water absorption, absorbing only a small amount of water on the surface, while maintaining good toughness and structural strength inside. After the pleural tissue absorbs water and expands, the septum binding layer between the pleural tissue and the mesocarp is loosened by the expansion stress, and the binding force between the pleural tissue and the mesocarp is significantly reduced. The loosening between the pleural tissue and the mesocarp can be felt by lightly pressing the pleural tissue with a finger, providing a physical basis for subsequent directional peeling.

[0034] After softening, open the directional softening box 3, take out the trifoliate orange peel raw material 1, and gently absorb the condensed water droplets on the surface with clean sterile gauze to avoid excessive surface moisture causing slippage during subsequent peeling; after absorbing the surface moisture, the pectin can be seen to bulge slightly at the cut of the trifoliate orange peel raw material 1, and the mesocarp still maintains good hardness and elasticity.

[0035] Step 3: Targeted peeling to remove the goiter cyst like Figure 3 As shown, the softened bitter orange peel raw material 1 is placed on the directional peeling table 7, which is a stainless steel operating table with positioning grooves and drainage holes on the table surface. The bitter orange peel raw material 1 is fixed by a flexible clamp 8, which includes two arc-shaped grippers arranged opposite each other. The opening and closing of the arc-shaped grippers is driven by a cylinder. The inner surface of the grippers is provided with a 3mm thick food-grade silicone elastic buffer layer, and the surface of the buffer layer is provided with anti-slip texture. The clamping pressure is set to 0.1MPa~0.2MPa. When clamping, the elastic buffer layer is in contact with the outer surface of the bitter orange peel, which can ensure that the bitter orange peel does not shift or rotate during the peeling process, and will not damage the outer pericarp tissue.

[0036] After the trifoliate orange peel is fixed, with the cut facing upwards, the curved peeling knife 9 extends into the inside of the trifoliate orange peel from the cut. The handle of the curved peeling knife 9 is made of stainless steel, and the blade is made of flexible food-grade silicone with a Shore hardness of 40HA~50HA and a blade curvature of R15mm~R25mm, which matches the average curvature of the inner surface of the trifoliate orange peel. The blade is connected to the handle through a quick-change connector, which makes it easy to change blades with different curvatures according to the size of the fruit.

[0037] During peeling, the blade of the arc-shaped peeling knife 9 first reaches the center of the bottom of the trifoliate orange peel, and then slowly slides along the inner surface of the mesocarp from the bottom towards the cut, with a sliding speed of 5mm / s to 10mm / s. During the sliding process, the blade remains in contact with the inner surface of the mesocarp, and the entire gourd is peeled off from the inner surface by utilizing the loose bonding layer between the gourd and the mesocarp. Since the gourd has been separated from the mesocarp through directional softening, the force required for peeling is small, and the blade only needs to slide along the interface to completely remove the gourd without applying a large scraping pressure.

[0038] During the peeling process, when the blade encounters irregular protrusions on the inner surface of the mesocarp (such as vascular bundle protrusions or septum residue), the flexible silicone blade can adapt and slide along the protruding surface without causing rigid scratches to the mesocarp. At the same time, because the blade curvature matches the inner surface curvature, the blade can evenly conform to various areas of the inner surface, ensuring that the pleura is completely removed.

[0039] After peeling, the arc-shaped peeling knife 9 is removed from the trifoliate orange peel, the flexible clamp 8 is released, the trifoliate orange peel is inverted, and the pouches naturally pour out from the cut and are collected in the pouch collection box 10 for centralized processing; the pouch collection box 10 is a plastic box with a lid, and the collected pouches can be used for feed processing or composting.

[0040] After removing the seeds, the trifoliate orange peel is visually inspected. The inner surface is smooth and intact, the mesocarp tissue is well preserved, there are no obvious scratches or perforations, and the seed residue rate is less than 5%. For individual fruits with more seed residue, an arc-shaped peeling knife is used to remove the seeds to ensure that the quality is up to standard.

[0041] Step 4: Pre-frying the wheat bran like Figure 4 As shown, the peeled and qualified bitter orange peel is placed in the pre-wheat frying pan 11. The pre-wheat frying pan 11 is an electric heating flat-bottomed frying pan with a diameter of 40cm and a wall thickness of 3mm. The outside of the pan is equipped with a heat insulation layer. Wheat bran 12 is added. Wheat bran 12 is fresh wheat bran, free from mold and odor. The amount of wheat bran 12 is 8% of the weight of bitter orange peel.

[0042] Turn on the electric heater and raise the pot temperature to 135℃. Once the temperature stabilizes, start timing and stir-fry at this temperature for 3 minutes. During the stir-frying process, use a wooden spatula to slowly turn the bitter orange peel every 30 seconds to ensure that all surfaces of the peel are heated evenly and to avoid local overheating and burning. Be careful not to damage the inner surface after removing the pith when turning.

[0043] During the pre-frying process, wheat bran 12 is heated to produce wheat bran smoke, which contains volatile components such as aldehydes, ketones, and phenols. These volatile components penetrate the fresh inner surface formed after removing the husk, forming a uniform wheat bran smoke coating layer on the inner surface. This coating layer can isolate the air from contact with the fresh inner surface tissue, preventing oxidative browning during subsequent slicing and waiting. On the other hand, the components in the wheat bran smoke can undergo a preliminary processing reaction with the inner surface tissue, causing preliminary changes in the color and odor of the inner surface tissue, providing a uniform processing basis for the subsequent formal frying.

[0044] After the pre-braised pork is cooked, remove the bitter orange peel from the pre-braised pork fryer 11 and use a stainless steel sieve to remove the wheat bran 12 and debris adhering to the surface. At this time, the outer surface of the bitter orange peel is light yellow-brown, the inner surface is light yellow, there are no obvious brown spots, and it has a faint wheat bran aroma. The bitter orange peel after pre-braised pork is slightly brittle, which makes it easier to slice later.

[0045] Step 5: Slice The pre-fried bitter orange peel is sliced ​​using a slicer 13. The slicer 13 is a reciprocating herb slicer with a stainless steel blade that is sharp and has a cutting frequency of 30 to 50 times per minute. The bitter orange peel is fed into the feed inlet of the slicer 13 with the cut side facing down and is sliced ​​transversely along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fruit to form slices 14 with a thickness of 3 mm.

[0046] During the slicing process, the jujube is slightly brittle after being pre-fried with wheat bran, resulting in a low fragmentation rate and a slicing success rate of over 90%. The sliced ​​jujube slices 14 are irregular arc-shaped thin slices, with the outer arc surface being the outer pericarp (light yellowish-brown) and the inner arc surface being the inner surface of the mesocarp after removing the seeds (pale yellow). The slices are of uniform thickness and have neat edges.

[0047] After slicing, use a stainless steel sieve to remove the debris and powder produced during slicing. The debris is collected and processed separately. The sieved whole slices of bitter orange peel are spread on a stainless steel tray and await formal stir-frying. The thickness of the spread slices should not exceed 3cm to avoid piling up and generating heat.

[0048] Step Six: Formal Wheat frying process The screened bitter orange peel slices 14 are placed in the formal bran frying pan 15. The formal bran frying pan 15 is a drum-type frying machine with a drum diameter of 50cm and a length of 80cm. The inner wall of the drum is equipped with a spiral guide plate as a stirring mechanism 16, which turns and conveys the bitter orange peel slices 14 as the drum rotates. A temperature sensor 17 is installed in the formal bran frying pan 15. The temperature sensor 17 is a PT100 platinum resistance thermometer, which is inserted into the center of the material inside the drum to monitor the temperature of the material inside the pan in real time.

[0049] Add wheat bran 12, the amount of which is 15% of the mass of the bitter orange peel slices 14; turn on the heating and the drum to rotate, the drum speed is 8r / min to 12r / min, raise the pot temperature to 165℃, and start timing after the temperature stabilizes, stir-fry at this temperature for 5 minutes.

[0050] During the frying process, the stirring mechanism 16 (spiral guide plate) drives the trifoliate orange peel slices 14 to continuously tumble and move axially as the drum rotates, so that the inner and outer surfaces of the trifoliate orange peel slices 14 are in full contact with the wheat bran 12 and hot air, avoiding local overheating or uneven frying; the temperature sensor 17 monitors the material temperature in real time and feeds it back to the control system, and maintains the pot temperature stable within the range of 165℃±5℃ by adjusting the heating power.

[0051] Since a layer of wheat bran smoke has been formed on the inner surface of the bitter orange peel slice 14 during the pre-frying stage, the processing reaction of the inner and outer surfaces can proceed simultaneously during the formal frying process. The wheat bran smoke penetrates evenly on the inner and outer surfaces of the bitter orange peel slice 14, resulting in a uniform processing effect. After the formal frying is completed, the bitter orange peel slice 14 is dark yellow to brownish-yellow with uniform charred spots on the surface, has a strong wheat bran aroma, and is easily broken when rubbed between the fingers.

[0052] Step 7: Sieving and Cooling After the initial roasting, the sliced ​​bitter orange peel 14 is removed from the roasting pan 15 and immediately sieved through the screening mechanism 18 to remove the wheat bran 12 and debris. The screening mechanism 18 is a vibrating screen with a stainless steel screen mesh, a mesh size of 4 mm, a vibration frequency of 20 Hz to 30 Hz, and a screening time of 2 min. During the screening process, the wheat bran 12 and debris are discharged through the screen and collected in the container below, while the sliced ​​bitter orange peel 14 remains on the screen surface.

[0053] The sieved bitter orange peel slices 14 are immediately placed on a cooling tray 19 for cooling. The cooling tray 19 is a stainless steel tray with ventilation holes of 2 mm in diameter evenly distributed on the surface of the tray. The ventilation holes are spaced 10 mm apart, and the ventilation hole rate is about 3%. The bitter orange peel slices 14 are spread thinly on the cooling tray 19, with a thickness not exceeding 2 cm, to ensure uniform heat dissipation.

[0054] The ambient temperature during cooling was 20℃, and natural ventilation was used for cooling for 15 minutes. During the cooling process, the slices of bitter orange peel 14 were turned over every 5 minutes to promote even heat dissipation. After cooling until the temperature of the slices of bitter orange peel 14 dropped to room temperature (below 25℃), the bran-fried bitter orange peel product 20 was collected.

[0055] The bran-fried Citrus aurantium product 20 prepared in this embodiment is an irregular arc-shaped strip with a thickness of 3 mm. The surface is dark yellow to brownish-yellow with uniform charred spots. It is brittle, fragrant, and has a slightly bitter and pungent taste. The pectin residue rate is less than 5%, the mesocarp integrity rate is higher than 90%, the slice formation rate is higher than 90%, and the moisture content is 8% to 12%, which meets the quality requirements of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces.

[0056] Example 2:

[0057] This embodiment provides another method for the targeted removal of pith from stir-fried bitter orange peel, using unripe sour oranges from another local region as raw material. The difference from Embodiment 1 lies in the adjustment of raw material specifications, cleaning method, process parameters, and some equipment details. The specific steps are as follows: Step 1: Raw material selection and cleaning Immature sour oranges from another region were selected as raw material 1 for trifoliate orange peel. The fruit diameter was 4cm-6cm, the longitudinal diameter was 3cm-4.5cm, and the weight of a single fruit was 25g-45g. The trifoliate orange peel from another region had a thicker peel and a larger fruit size, which differed from the trifoliate orange peel from the first region in terms of tissue structure. Therefore, the process parameters needed to be adjusted accordingly. During selection, unqualified fruits were removed, and the fruits were divided into two grades according to their diameter: 4cm-5cm and 5cm-6cm.

[0058] The selected and graded bitter orange peel raw material 1 is placed in the washing tank 2. First, it is soaked in edible salt water with a mass fraction of 0.5% for 2 minutes. The salt water removes part of the wax layer and pesticide residue on the surface through the penetration of the salt water. At the same time, the salt water has a certain antibacterial effect. After soaking, it is rinsed with running water for 5 minutes. During the rinsing process, it is combined with brushing. The surface of the fruit is gently brushed with a soft brush to remove the wax layer and stubborn impurities. After rinsing, it is taken out and drained of surface water for 8 minutes.

[0059] Step 2: Targeted softening treatment The drained bitter orange peel raw material 1 is laid flat in a single layer on the material rack of the directional softening box 3, with the cut side facing upwards, and a gap of 8mm to 12mm is left between adjacent fruits; the temperature controller 4 inside the directional softening box 3 sets the temperature inside the box to 50℃, the humidity controller 5 sets the relative humidity inside the box to 90%, and the steam generator 6 supplies saturated steam at a pressure of 0.08MPa. The softening treatment time is 30min.

[0060] This embodiment uses a higher softening temperature and humidity, combined with a shorter softening time, which is suitable for another type of trifoliate orange peel raw material 1 from a certain place with larger fruit and thicker peel. Under these conditions, the fruit can quickly absorb water and expand, while the mesocarp, due to its greater thickness, only absorbs water on the surface in a short time, while the interior still maintains its structural strength. This ensures that the binding layer between the fruit and the mesocarp is loose, and also avoids the mesocarp from being over-softened, which could lead to deformation during peeling or misshapen slices.

[0061] During the softening process, the volume of the mesocarp increases by 20% to 30%, and the surface of the mesocarp absorbs water but the interior still maintains good hardness. After softening, take out the raw material 1 of the trifoliate orange peel, and blow away the condensed water droplets on the surface with compressed air (pressure 0.1MPa) to keep the surface relatively dry and avoid slipping during subsequent peeling.

[0062] Step 3: Targeted peeling to remove the goiter cyst The softened bitter orange peel raw material 1 is placed on the directional peeling table 7 and fixed by the flexible clamp 8; in this embodiment, the inner surface of the arc-shaped gripper 8 is provided with a 5mm thick sponge elastic buffer layer with a sponge density of 30kg / m³. 3 ~40kg / m 3The clamping pressure is 0.15MPa~0.25MPa; the deformation capacity of the sponge buffer layer is better than that of silicone, which can better adapt to the larger and irregular outer surface of the trifoliate orange peel from another region. When clamping, the contact area is larger, the pressure distribution is more uniform, and it is not easy to leave indentations on the peel surface.

[0063] After fixing, the arc-shaped peeling knife 9 extends from the cut; the blade of the arc-shaped peeling knife 9 in this embodiment is a flexible food-grade silicone blade with a Shore hardness of 35HA to 45HA (softer than in Example 1, to adapt to the irregular inner surface of larger fruits), and the blade curvature is R20mm to R30mm, which is adapted to the curvature of the inner surface of larger fruits.

[0064] During peeling, the curved peeling blade 9 slides in two stages from the bottom of the trifoliate orange peel towards the cut: the first stage slides along one inner surface from the bottom towards the cut at a speed of 8 mm / s to 12 mm / s; after rotating the trifoliate orange peel 180°, the second stage slides along the other inner surface from the bottom towards the cut at the same speed; for larger fruits, peeling in two stages can better control the adhesion between the blade and the inner surface, avoiding poor adhesion or residue of the fruit pulp due to excessive blade travel during a single peeling.

[0065] During the peeling process, due to the relatively soft blade (Shore hardness 35HA~45HA), the blade has a stronger adaptive deformation ability to deal with the larger protrusions and septum residue on the inner surface of the mesocarp, and can slide along complex curved surfaces without damaging the mesocarp; at the same time, because the mesocarp of another local trifoliate orange is thicker, the blade can apply slightly greater adhesion pressure to ensure that the sac is completely removed.

[0066] After peeling, the pleura is poured out from the incision and collected in the pleura collection box 10; the trifoliate orange peel after removing the pleura is visually inspected and found to have a smooth inner surface, intact mesocarp, no scratches or punctures, and a pleura residue rate of less than 5%.

[0067] Step 4: Pre-frying the wheat bran Place the peeled and inspected bitter orange peels into a pre-wheat frying pan 11, add wheat bran 12, the amount of wheat bran 12 is 10% of the weight of the bitter orange peel (increased compared to Example 1, to meet the requirements of smoke penetration for thicker peels); raise the pan temperature to 145°C, and fry for 4 minutes, turning the bitter orange peels every 30 seconds during the frying process.

[0068] This embodiment uses a higher pre-frying temperature and a longer frying time, along with a larger amount of wheat bran 12. It is suitable for another local bitter orange peel raw material 1 with a thicker pericarp. This allows the wheat bran smoke to penetrate more fully into the inner surface of the thicker mesocarp, forming a more uniform and firm adhesion layer. After the pre-frying is completed, the bitter orange peel is taken out and the wheat bran 12 and debris are sieved out. At this time, the outer surface of the bitter orange peel is yellowish-brown, the inner surface is light yellowish-brown, there are no brown spots, and the aroma of wheat bran is stronger than that in Example 1.

[0069] Step 5: Slice The pre-fried bitter orange peel is sliced ​​using a slicer 13 into slices 14 with a thickness of 2.5 mm (thinner than in Example 1, to meet the uniformity requirements of processing larger fruits); the slicing frequency of the slicer 13 is 35 times / min to 55 times / min.

[0070] Since the fruit of the raw material 1 of the bitter orange peel in this embodiment is relatively large, the arc length of the sliced ​​bitter orange peel 14 is relatively long, which is 4cm to 6cm and the width is 1cm to 1.5cm. After slicing, the debris is removed by sifting, and the whole bitter orange peel slices 14 are spread out to wait for formal stir-frying.

[0071] Step Six: Formal Wheat frying process The selected Citrus aurantium slices 14 were placed in the formal bran frying pan 15, and wheat bran 12 was added. The amount of wheat bran 12 was 18% of the mass of Citrus aurantium slices 14 (increased compared to Example 1 to meet the processing requirements of thinner slices and larger surface area). The drum speed was 10 r / min to 15 r / min, the pan temperature was raised to 175℃, and the frying time was 6 min. The temperature sensor 17 monitored the temperature in real time and maintained the pan temperature within the range of 175℃ ± 5℃.

[0072] This embodiment uses a higher formal frying temperature and a longer frying time, along with a larger amount of wheat bran 12 and a faster drum speed, which is suitable for thinner slices of bitter orange peel 14 with a larger surface area. This ensures that the processing is thorough and uniform, while avoiding excessive breakage of the thin slices during the frying process. After the formal frying is completed, the bitter orange peel slices 14 are brownish-yellow with uniform charred spots and a rich wheat bran aroma.

[0073] Step 7: Sieving and Cooling After being properly stir-fried, the slices 14 of the bitter orange peel are sieved through a sieving mechanism 18 to remove the wheat bran 12. The sieving mechanism 18 is a vibrating screen with a screen aperture of 3.5 mm (smaller than in Example 1, to meet the sieving requirements of thinner slices), a vibration frequency of 25 Hz to 35 Hz, and a sieving time of 1.5 min.

[0074] The sieved Citrus aurantium slices 14 are placed on a cooling tray 19. The diameter of the ventilation holes in the cooling tray 19 is 3 mm, the spacing between the ventilation holes is 8 mm, and the ventilation porosity is about 11% (higher than in Example 1, to enhance heat dissipation capacity). The ambient temperature during cooling is 18°C, and forced ventilation cooling is used with a wind speed of 1 m / s to 2 m / s and a cooling time of 10 min. Forced ventilation can quickly remove the residual heat of the Citrus aurantium slices 14, preventing over-processing due to residual heat, and at the same time accelerating the dissipation of moisture, so that the slices can quickly reach a safe moisture content.

[0075] After cooling, the bran-fried bitter orange peel product 20 was obtained. The bran-fried bitter orange peel product 20 prepared in this embodiment is an irregular arc-shaped strip with a thickness of 2.5 mm. The surface is brownish-yellow with uniform charring spots. It is brittle and easily broken, with a strong aroma and a slightly bitter and pungent taste. The pectin residue rate is less than 5%, the mesocarp integrity rate is higher than 88%, the slice forming rate is higher than 88%, and the moisture content is 7% to 11%.

[0076] The main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that, considering the larger size and thicker peel of the trifoliate orange fruit from another region, the directional softening parameters (increasing temperature and humidity, shortening time), peeling method (peeling twice, using a softer blade), pre-roasting and formal roasting parameters (increasing temperature, extending time, increasing the amount of wheat bran), and cooling method (forced ventilation) were adjusted to match the process parameters with the characteristics of the raw materials, thus ensuring the processing quality of trifoliate oranges from different regions.

[0077] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The raw material (1) of bitter orange peel was placed in the washing tank (2) for washing; The cleaned bitter orange peel raw material (1) is placed in a directional softening box (3) and directional softening is carried out under the control of a temperature controller (4) and a humidity controller (5), so that the saccharides of the bitter orange peel raw material (1) preferentially absorb water and expand while the mesocarp maintains structural toughness, and the bonding layer between the saccharides and the mesocarp is loose. The softened bitter orange peel raw material (1) is placed on the directional peeling table (7) and fixed by the flexible clamp (8). The pleural sac is removed by directional sliding of the arc-shaped peeling knife (9) along the inner surface of the mesocarp. The peeled pleural sac is collected in the pleural sac collection box (10). Place the peeled bitter orange peel in a pre-wheat frying pan (11), add wheat bran (12) for pre-wheat frying, so that the wheat bran smoke penetrates into the inner surface after peeling to form an adhering layer; The pre-fried bitter orange peel is sliced ​​using a slicer (13) to obtain bitter orange peel slices (14); the bitter orange peel slices (14) are placed in the formal frying pan (15) and formally fryed with the help of a stirring mechanism (16) and a temperature sensor (17). The whole-braised bitter orange peel slices (14) are sieved through a sieve (18) to remove the wheat bran (12), and then placed on a cooling plate (19) to cool, thus obtaining the whole-braised bitter orange peel product (20).

2. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature of the directional softening treatment is 35℃~55℃, the relative humidity is 75%~95%, and the softening time is 20min~60min. During the softening process, the raw material of bitter orange peel (1) is laid flat in a single layer on the material rack of the directional softening box (3) with the cut side facing up.

3. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 2, characterized in that, The directional softening box (3) is equipped with a steam generator (6). The steam generator (6) supplies saturated steam to the directional softening box (3) at a pressure of 0.03MPa to 0.1MPa, so that the bladder of the trifoliate orange peel raw material (1) preferentially absorbs water and expands, increasing the volume of the bladder by 15% to 30%, while the mesocarp only absorbs water on the surface and maintains its structural strength inside.

4. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blade of the arc-shaped peeling knife (9) is a flexible silicone blade with a Shore hardness of 35HA to 55HA and a blade curvature of R15mm to R30mm, which matches the curvature of the inner surface of the trifoliate orange peel. During peeling, the blade slides along the inner surface of the mesocarp from the bottom to the cutting direction at a sliding speed of 5mm / s to 12mm / s, and the blade remains in contact with the inner surface of the mesocarp.

5. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 4, characterized in that, The peeling process of the arc-shaped peeling knife (9) is completed in two steps: the first step is to slide along the inner surface of one side of the trifoliate orange peel from the bottom to the cut direction, and the second step is to slide along the inner surface of the other side from the bottom to the cut direction. When the blade encounters the irregular protrusions on the inner surface of the mesocarp during peeling, it undergoes adaptive deformation and slides along the protruding surface without damaging the mesocarp.

6. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible clamp (8) includes two arc-shaped grippers arranged opposite each other. The inner surface of the arc-shaped grippers is provided with an elastic buffer layer with a thickness of 3mm to 5mm. The elastic buffer layer is made of silicone or sponge. The clamping pressure is 0.1MPa to 0.25MPa. When clamping, the elastic buffer layer is attached to the outer surface of the bitter orange peel to fix the bitter orange peel raw material (1) so that it does not move during the peeling process.

7. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature of the pre-braised processing is 120℃~150℃, the frying time is 2min~5min, and the amount of wheat bran (12) is 5%~10% of the weight of the bitter orange peel. During the frying process, the bitter orange peel is turned over once every 20s~40s so that the surface of the bitter orange peel is heated evenly and the wheat bran smoke evenly penetrates into the inner surface.

8. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature of the formal bran frying process is 150℃~180℃, the frying time is 3min~8min, and the amount of wheat bran (12) is 10%~20% of the mass of the bitter orange peel (14). The formal bran frying pot (15) is a drum-type frying machine with a drum speed of 8r / min~15r / min. The temperature sensor (17) monitors the pot temperature in real time and provides feedback control so that the pot temperature fluctuation is controlled within the set value ±5℃ range.

9. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slicer (13) cuts the pre-fried bitter orange peel transversely along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fruit into slices (14) with a thickness of 2mm to 4mm; the slicer (13) is a reciprocating medicine slicer with a cutting frequency of 30 times / min to 50 times / min.

10. The method for cleaning and processing Citrus aurantium by directional removal of its pith during stir-frying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screening mechanism (18) is a vibrating screen with a screen aperture of 3mm to 5mm, a vibration frequency of 20Hz to 35Hz, and a screening time of 1min to 3min. The cooling plate (19) is provided with ventilation holes with a diameter of 2mm to 3mm. The ambient temperature during cooling is 15℃ to 25℃, and natural ventilation or forced ventilation is used for cooling for 10min to 20min.

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