An engineered production equipment system for high-texture pickled vegetables
By combining ultra-high pressure pretreatment and natural enzyme inhibitors, an engineered production equipment system was constructed, which solved the problems of long pickling time and texture degradation in traditional pickling of vegetables, and achieved a high-efficiency and high-texture pickling effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUAZHONG AGRI UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Traditional pickling processes for vegetables are time-consuming, result in decreased texture and quality, low pickling efficiency, and lack of engineered production equipment systems.
By employing ultra-high pressure pretreatment combined with natural enzyme inhibitors, an engineered production equipment system consisting of an ultra-high pressure treatment instrument, pickling tank, draining and drying device, dissolving tank, and brining tank is used to activate pectin methyl esterase and inhibit polygalacturonase, thereby improving the texture of vegetables.
It significantly shortens pickling time, improves the firmness, crispness, and chewiness of vegetables, enhances texture, and improves taste.
Smart Images
Figure CN224572201U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of agricultural product processing and production technology. Specifically, it relates to a production equipment for pickling vegetables, and more particularly to a high-quality engineered production equipment system for pickling vegetables. Background Technology
[0002] Traditional pickled vegetables are generally made using high-salt, high-sugar, and high-osmotic conditions. These pickling methods not only inhibit the metabolic activity of vegetables and the growth of spoilage microorganisms, thus extending the shelf life of vegetables, but also enhance the flavor of vegetables, giving them a salty, fragrant, crisp, and tender texture, increasing people's appetite. They have become one of the most popular side dishes.
[0003] Currently, traditional vegetable pickling and processing methods are time-consuming. Taking Xiangyang pickled mustard greens as an example, their traditional processing typically requires "three picklings, five brine treatments, and six sun-dryings," a complex production process with a pickling cycle of over six months. The textural quality deteriorates during pickling, restricting the quality of Xiangyang pickled mustard greens and reducing pickling efficiency. The inventors previously developed a method to improve the textural quality of traditionally pickled mustard greens (patent publication number CN114831292A). This method includes the following steps: 1) Raw material pretreatment: After trimming and washing the mustard greens, drain the water and perform ultra-high pressure pretreatment; 2) Traditional three-stage pickling: Pickle the ultra-high pressure pretreated mustard greens using the traditional three-stage pickling method, with salt at a ratio of 2.5%-4.5% of the fresh mustard greens' weight; 3) Five brine treatments and six sun-dryings: In the traditional five-brine treatment and six-sun-drying process, after the second brine treatment and the third sun-drying, add pectin methyl esterase inhibitors and polygalacturonase inhibitors (epigallocatechin gallate + phytic acid). This method improves the traditional "three pickling, five brine, and six sun-drying" process of Xiangyang pickled mustard greens by using ultra-high pressure pretreatment and natural enzyme inhibitors, thereby significantly improving the texture quality of the pickled mustard greens and solving the problem of texture deterioration during the pickling process.
[0004] A search of existing technologies both domestically and internationally revealed that there is currently no engineered production equipment system for preparing high-quality pickled vegetables using ultra-high pressure pretreatment assisted by natural enzyme inhibitors. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system that improves pickling efficiency by using ultra-high pressure pretreatment to assist natural enzyme inhibitors.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the inventors conducted extensive experiments and research and made continuous improvements, ultimately obtaining the following technical solution: a high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system, comprising a washing machine, an ultra-high pressure processor, a pickling tank, a first draining and drying device, a dissolving tank, a brine tank, and a vacuum packaging machine, wherein the discharge end of the washing machine is connected to the inlet end of the ultra-high pressure processor, and the discharge end of the ultra-high pressure processor is connected to the inlet end of the pickling tank;
[0007] The discharge end of the pickling tank is connected to the inlet end of the first draining and drying device, and the discharge end of the first draining and drying device is connected to the inlet end of the braising tank.
[0008] The discharge end of the braising tank is connected to a second draining and drying device, and the inlet end of the braising tank is equipped with a dissolving tank. The discharge end of the second draining and drying device is connected to the inlet end of the vacuum packaging machine.
[0009] It should be noted that, based on previous findings regarding the changes in texture and pectin substances during the pickling process of Chinese cabbage, the inventors proposed the main influencing factors on the changes in vegetable texture at different pickling stages: In the early stages of pickling, during the first, second, and third sun-drying processes, under the action of pectin methyl esterase (PME), the degree of pectin esterification gradually decreases, and more low-esterification pectin is produced, further forming chelated pectin with more branched structures, thus restoring the vegetable texture to some extent. As pickling continues, under the continuous action of polygalacturonase (PG) and PME, pectin substances degrade, more water-soluble pectin is generated, cell wall substances dissociate, and cell tissue rigidity is disrupted, resulting in a continuous decline in the texture of Chinese cabbage in the later stages of pickling.
[0010] To better control the texture of pickled mustard greens, the inventors proposed selecting different methods at different pickling stages. In the early pickling stage, increasing PME enzyme activity produces more low-esterification pectin; in the later pickling stage, inhibiting PME and PG enzyme activity and reducing the degradation of pectin and cell wall substances are effective methods to inhibit the softening of the texture of pickled mustard greens. Ultra-high pressure treatment can effectively activate PME enzyme and reduce the esterification degree of pectin in the cell wall of pickled mustard greens. Therefore, the inventors chose to use ultra-high pressure pretreatment to assist in the addition of natural pectinase inhibitors in the later pickling stage (after three sun-drying stages), significantly improving the texture quality of Xiangyang pickled mustard greens. Specifically, ultra-high pressure can effectively activate the activity of vegetable pectin methyl esterase (PME) and reduce the activity of polygalacturonase (PG), thereby reducing the esterification degree of vegetable pectin, reducing the degradation of pectin substances, and effectively improving the texture of pickled vegetables. Therefore, based on traditional engineering production equipment, this utility model adds an ultra-high pressure pretreatment device to vegetables and a dissolving tank to add PME and PG inhibitors, which helps to reduce the degradation of pectin and cell wall substances in the later stage of pickling, resulting in better hardness, crispness, chewiness, texture and taste of pickled vegetables.
[0011] A further preferred embodiment is that the ultra-high pressure processing instrument includes a high pressure processing chamber, a booster generator disposed on the high pressure processing chamber and connected to the inner cavity of the high pressure processing chamber, a hydraulic pump disposed on the high pressure processing chamber and connected to the high pressure processing chamber, and a PLC controller disposed on the outside of the high pressure processing chamber.
[0012] The PLC controller is connected to the booster generator and the hydraulic pump;
[0013] The feed end of the high-pressure treatment chamber is connected to the discharge end of the cleaning machine.
[0014] A further preferred embodiment is that both the first and second draining and drying devices include a closed outer shell, with a mesh conveyor belt and a side fan inside; the inlet and outlet ends of the first and second draining and drying devices are located on the symmetrical side walls of the outer shell and at both ends of the mesh conveyor belt.
[0015] A further preferred embodiment is that the dissolving tank includes a tank body, a feed port and a water inlet located at the top of the tank body, a discharge port located at the bottom of the tank body, a stirring motor located at the top of the tank body, and stirring blades located inside the tank body and connected to the stirring motor.
[0016] A further preferred embodiment is that the cleaning machine includes one or more combinations of a bubble cleaning machine, a brush cleaning machine, a vortex cleaning machine, and a drum friction cleaning machine.
[0017] A further preferred embodiment is that a heating mesh is fixed to the air outlet of the side fan of the draining and drying device, and a control switch connected to the heating mesh is provided on the outer shell.
[0018] A further preferred embodiment is that a water level observation window is provided on the side wall of the tank.
[0019] Compared with existing vegetable pickling equipment, this invention has positive effects: the structure of this invention is reasonably designed, and through the ultra-high pressure processor, pickling tank, draining and drying device, dissolving tank, and brine tank, it helps to shorten the pickling time and improve the efficiency of pickling. Furthermore, by adding pectin methylesterase inhibitors and polygalacturonase inhibitors in the dissolving tank, it helps to reduce the degradation of pectin and cell wall substances in the later stage of pickling, thereby improving the textural quality of pickled vegetables, and thus improving the hardness, crispness, and chewiness of pickled vegetables, resulting in a better taste. Attached Figure Description
[0020] To make the content of this utility model easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0021] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;
[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the production process of this utility model.
[0023] Figure reference numerals: 1. Washing machine; 2. Ultra-high pressure processor; 21. High pressure treatment chamber; 22. Pressure booster; 23. Hydraulic pump; 24. PLC controller; 3. Pickling tank; 4. First draining and drying device; 5. Dissolving tank; 51. Tank body; 52. Feed port; 53. Water inlet; 54. Discharge port; 55. Stirring motor; 56. Water level observation window; 6. Brine tank; 7. Second draining and drying device; 8. Vacuum packaging machine; 9. Outer shell; 10. Mesh conveyor belt; 11. Side fan; 12. Heating net. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0025] Example 1
[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a high-quality engineered production equipment system for pickled vegetables includes a washing machine 1, an ultra-high pressure processor 2, a pickling tank 3, a first draining and drying device 4, a dissolving tank 5, a braising tank 6, a second draining and drying device 7, and a vacuum packaging machine 8. During assembly, the discharge end of the washing machine 1 is connected to the inlet end of the ultra-high pressure processor 2, and the discharge end of the ultra-high pressure processor 2 is connected to the inlet end of the pickling tank 3. The discharge end of the pickling tank 3 is connected to the inlet end of the first draining and drying device 4, and the discharge end of the first draining and drying device 4 is connected to the inlet end of the braising tank 6. The inlet end of the braising tank 6 is equipped with the dissolving tank 5. The discharge end of the braising tank 6 is connected to the second draining and drying device 7, and the discharge end of the second draining and drying device 7 is connected to the inlet end of the vacuum packaging machine 8.
[0027] In this embodiment, the cleaning machine 1 includes one or more combinations of a bubble cleaner, a brush cleaner, a vortex cleaner, and a drum friction cleaner. This is a conventional structure in the prior art, mainly used for cleaning vegetables to ensure the effectiveness of subsequent pickling.
[0028] The ultra-high pressure treatment device 2 includes a high-pressure treatment chamber 21, a booster generator 22 disposed on the high-pressure treatment chamber 21 and communicating with the inner cavity of the high-pressure treatment chamber 21, a hydraulic pump 23 disposed on the high-pressure treatment chamber 21 and communicating with the high-pressure treatment chamber 21, and a PLC controller 24 disposed on the outside of the high-pressure treatment chamber 21; the PLC controller 24 is connected to the booster generator 22 and the hydraulic pump 23; the feed end of the high-pressure treatment chamber 21 is connected to the discharge end of the cleaning machine 1. The pressure inside the high-pressure treatment chamber 21 is 300-500 MPa.
[0029] When in use, it treats the washed vegetables under high pressure for 15-30 minutes, providing a solid foundation for subsequent pickling.
[0030] Furthermore, both the first draining and drying device 4 and the second draining and drying device 7 include a closed outer shell 9, inside which is installed a mesh conveyor belt 10 and a side fan 11. The inlet and outlet ends of the first draining and drying device 4 and the second draining and drying device 7 are located on the symmetrical side walls of the outer shell 9 and at both ends of the mesh conveyor belt 10. They are mainly used to drain excess water from vegetables and simultaneously sun-dry them, making them softer and easier for subsequent operations. The draining and sun-drying time is no less than 3 days. A heating net 12 is fixed to the outlet end of the side fan 11 of the first draining and drying device 4 and the second draining and drying device 7. A control switch connected to the heating net 12 is provided on the outer shell 9. Heating can be applied as needed to achieve hot air and improve the sun-drying effect. The temperature of the heating net 12 is between 10-30 degrees Celsius, and does not need to be too high.
[0031] The dissolving tank 5 includes a tank body 51, which is a conventional structure in the prior art, simply applied. It has a feed port 52 and a water inlet 53 at the top, a discharge port 54 at the bottom, a stirring motor 55 at the top, and stirring blades inside the tank connected to the stirring motor 55. Its main function is to dissolve pectin methyl esterase inhibitors and polygalacturonase inhibitors to form an enzyme inhibitor solution, which is then transported to the halogenation tank 6 via pipeline. The dissolving tank 5 can be equipped with a stirring device to aid dissolution, and the dissolution time can be 1 hour. A water level observation window 56 is provided on the side wall of the tank body 51 for easy observation of the water level.
[0032] Pickling tank 3 is a conventional structure in existing technology, mainly using salt pickling, with the salt ratio configured at 2.5%-4.5% of the weight of fresh vegetables, and the time is 48 hours.
[0033] A conventional brine jar 6 is used to soak and pickle the pickled and sun-dried vegetables in brine with a salt concentration of 15-18°Be for no less than 20 days.
[0034] The conventional vacuum packaging machine 8 is mainly used to vacuum-pack pickled vegetables to extend their shelf life.
[0035] Example 2
[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the engineered production equipment system for pickled vegetables in Example 1 includes the following steps in its engineered production process:
[0037] 1) Washing: Fresh Xiangyang pickled mustard greens are selected and then transported to washing machine 1 for 15 minutes.
[0038] 2) Ultra-high pressure: After cleaning, the cabbage is subjected to ultra-high pressure treatment. The conditions are set as follows: pressure 400MPa, treatment time 20min.
[0039] 3) Pickling: Place the pre-treated fresh cabbage into pickling tank 3, and add salt in the manner of layering cabbage and salt. The ratio of salt used is 4% of the weight of fresh cabbage. Pickle for 48 hours.
[0040] 4) Pickling: After the first pickling of the cabbage is done, it is transferred to another spare tank. When transferring the cabbage, salt is added in a layering manner, with each layer of cabbage and salt added. The salt ratio is 4% of the weight of the fresh cabbage. Pickling time is 48 hours.
[0041] 5) Pickling: Transfer the pickled cabbage to the second tank. Add salt by layering cabbage and salt. The salt ratio is 4% of the weight of the fresh cabbage. Pickle for 48 hours.
[0042] 6) Sun-drying: After the fresh pickled cabbage has been pickled three times, it is drained and sun-dried for 3 days. This is the first sun-drying.
[0043] 7) Dissolving: Add the natural enzyme inhibitor (0.1% epigallocatechin gallate and 0.5% phytic acid) to dissolving tank 5, start the stirring device to aid dissolution, and mix the enzyme inhibitor solution thoroughly for 1 hour;
[0044] 8) Braising: Soak the dried pickled mustard greens in brine for 20 days. The brine used for braising has a salt concentration of 15°Be. This is the initial brine.
[0045] 9) Sun-drying: After braising, the pickled mustard greens are drained and then sun-dried for 3 days. This is the second sun-drying process.
[0046] 10) Braising: After the cabbage has been dried twice, it is soaked in brine for 20 days. The brine used for braising has a salt concentration of 16°Be. This is the second braising.
[0047] 11) Sun-drying: After the second braising, the pickled mustard greens are taken out and drained, and then sun-dried for 3 days. This is the third sun-drying.
[0048] 12) Braising: After the cabbage has been sun-dried three times, it is soaked in brine for 20 days. The brine used for braising is a salt concentration of 17°Be and a solution of dissolved enzyme inhibitors. This is called the third braising.
[0049] 13) Sun-drying: After the cabbage has been braised three times, it is taken out and drained, and then sun-dried for 3 days. This is the fourth sun-drying process.
[0050] 14) Braising: After the cabbage has been sun-dried four times, it is soaked in brine for 20 days. The brine used for braising is a salt concentration of 18°Be and a solution of dissolved enzyme inhibitors. This is called the fourth braising.
[0051] 15) Sun-drying: After the cabbage has been braised four times, it is taken out and drained, and then sun-dried for 3 days. This is the fifth sun-drying process.
[0052] 16) Braising: After the pickled mustard greens have been sun-dried five times, they are soaked in brine for 20 days. The brine used for braising has a salt concentration of 18°Be and a solution of dissolved enzyme inhibitors. This is called the five-stage brine.
[0053] 17) Sun-drying: After the cabbage has been braised five times, it is taken out and drained, and then sun-dried for 3 days. This is the sixth sun-drying process.
[0054] 18) Packaging: The pickled mustard greens after "three picklings, five brine treatments, and six sun-dryings" are conveyed to vacuum packaging machine 8 for bagging;
[0055] 19) Packing and random inspection: Products are packaged to facilitate subsequent storage, transportation, and sales. Before leaving the warehouse, products should be randomly inspected to test relevant quality indicators to ensure food safety. Products can be released from the warehouse after passing the test.
[0056] A comparative analysis of the hardness, crispness, and chewiness of pickled mustard greens produced by traditional and improved methods was conducted. The results showed that the vegetables treated with ultra-high pressure (400 MPa, 20 min) combined with natural enzyme inhibitors (0.1% epigallocatechin gallate and 0.5% phytic acid) exhibited better hardness, crispness, and chewiness. Therefore, the pickled mustard greens processed by the engineered production system of this invention have higher texture and better taste.
[0057] The standard parts used in this embodiment can be purchased directly from the market, and the non-standard structural parts described in the instruction manual can also be processed without any doubt based on existing technical common sense. At the same time, the connection methods of each component adopt mature conventional methods in the existing technology, and the machinery, parts and equipment all adopt conventional models in the existing technology, so they will not be described in detail here.
[0058] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating this utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all embodiments here. However, these obvious variations or modifications derived from the essential spirit of this utility model still fall within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A high-quality engineered production equipment system for pickled vegetables, comprising a washing machine, an ultra-high pressure processor, a pickling tank, a first draining and drying device, a dissolving tank, a brine tank, and a vacuum packaging machine, characterized in that: The discharge end of the cleaning machine is connected to the inlet end of the ultra-high pressure processor, and the discharge end of the ultra-high pressure processor is connected to the inlet end of the pickling tank. The discharge end of the pickling tank is connected to the inlet end of the first draining and drying device, and the discharge end of the first draining and drying device is connected to the inlet end of the braising tank. The discharge end of the braising tank is connected to a second draining and drying device, and the inlet end of the braising tank is equipped with a dissolving tank. The discharge end of the second draining and drying device is connected to the inlet end of the vacuum packaging machine.
2. The high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultra-high pressure processing instrument includes a high pressure processing chamber, a booster generator installed on the high pressure processing chamber and connected to the inner cavity of the high pressure processing chamber, a hydraulic pump installed on the high pressure processing chamber and connected to the high pressure processing chamber, and a PLC controller installed on the outside of the high pressure processing chamber. The PLC controller is connected to the booster generator and the hydraulic pump; The feed end of the high-pressure treatment chamber is connected to the discharge end of the cleaning machine.
3. The high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first and second draining and drying devices include a closed outer shell, with a mesh conveyor belt and a side fan inside; the inlet and outlet ends of the first and second draining and drying devices are located on the symmetrical side walls of the outer shell and at both ends of the mesh conveyor belt.
4. The high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dissolving tank includes a tank body, a feed port and a water inlet located at the top of the tank body, a discharge port located at the bottom of the tank body, a stirring motor located at the top of the tank body, and stirring blades located inside the tank body and connected to the stirring motor.
5. The high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning machine includes one or more combinations of bubble cleaning machines, brush cleaning machines, vortex cleaning machines, and drum friction cleaning machines.
6. The high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both the first and second draining and drying devices have heating nets fixed to the air outlet of the side fan, and the outer shell is equipped with a control switch connected to the heating net.
7. The high-quality pickled vegetable engineering production equipment system according to claim 4, characterized in that: A water level observation window is provided on the side wall of the tank.