Method for preparing freshly steamed sea cucumber and use thereof

Abstract

A method for preparing a low-temperature fresh sea cucumber, which method comprises cutting a live sea cucumber open, and removing the viscera; and blanching the sea cucumber at 60°C to 85°C for 10-30 min to inactivate enzymes, and cooling same to room temperature to obtain a low-temperature fresh sea cucumber, wherein the method does not comprise a salting step. The present invention further relates to a method for preparing a freshly steamed sea cucumber, which method comprises cutting a live sea cucumber open, and removing the viscera; blanching the sea cucumber at 60°C to 85°C for 10-30 min to inactivate enzymes, and cooling same to room temperature to obtain a low-temperature fresh cucumber; and sealing and packaging the prepared low-temperature fresh cucumber, and then steaming same at 105°C to 121°C for 5-30 min for cooking and sterilization to obtain the freshly steamed sea cucumber, wherein the method does not comprise a salting step. The above-described methods can significantly improve the retention rate of nutrients, such as proteins or saponins, in a sea cucumber.

Description

A Preparation Method of Fresh-steamed Sea Cucumber and Application Thereof Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of food processing, and particularly relates to a preparation method of fresh-steamed sea cucumber and application thereof. Background Art

[0002] Sea cucumber has a long history of being consumed as food in China. In *Wu Zaju* written by Xie Zhaozhe during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, the origin of the name "sea cucumber" is recorded: "It is warming in nature, comparable to ginseng, hence the name sea cucumber". Named for its tonic effect, traditional Chinese medicine holds that sea cucumber has the effects of tonifying kidney and replenishing essence, benefiting qi and nourishing blood, can boost energy, regulate immunity and improve physical fitness. Modern scientific research has also found that active ingredients in sea cucumber, such as sea cucumber saponins, polysaccharides and chondroitin, have physiological functions including delaying aging and anti-cancer. With the popularization of public awareness of the nutritional value of sea cucumber, it has gradually become a common ingredient on the tables of ordinary people.

[0003] There are various enzymes in the body of sea cucumber, which can be activated under specific conditions, leading to the decomposition of components such as proteins and polysaccharides, thus triggering the "autolysis" phenomenon. Affected by the seasonal harvesting of sea cucumber and its autolysis property, under traditional processes, after fresh sea cucumber is caught, it needs to be immediately blanched at high temperature for enzyme deactivation, and then processed into salted sea cucumber for preservation. According to subsequent production requirements, salted sea cucumber can be further processed into two types of products: one type is original-form products including dried sea cucumber, freeze-dried sea cucumber, instant-activation sea cucumber, frozen ready-to-eat sea cucumber, freshly stewed sea cucumber, fresh-steamed sea cucumber, etc.; the other type is non-original-form products including sea cucumber powder, sea cucumber oral liquid, sea cucumber peptide and the like.

[0004] Dried sea cucumber, ready-to-eat sea cucumber and freshly stewed sea cucumber are the main types of existing sea cucumber products. Among them, dried sea cucumber adopts the most traditional processing method. After purchasing dried sea cucumber, consumers need to complete a series of operations such as screening, soaking and processing by themselves before it is ready for consumption, and the soaking process is extremely cumbersome. Compared with dried sea cucumber, although ready-to-eat sea cucumber and freshly stewed sea cucumber solve the problem of complicated soaking and are more convenient to eat, they undergo long-time high-temperature cooking and flavoring treatment, resulting in a low nutrient retention rate. Meanwhile, after existing sea cucumber products are subjected to high-temperature blanching for enzyme deactivation, a water cooking process is further required, and packaging and sterilization are carried out after water cooking is completed, which further leads to nutrient loss and an additional decrease in the nutrient retention rate of sea cucumber.

[0005] Protein and saponin are important nutrients in sea cucumber. According to reports from previous studies, the total nutrient loss rate of fresh sea cucumber after blanching in boiling water is as high as 30%; after blanching combined with water cooking (or blanching combined with steaming), the protein content of sea cucumber decreases from 51.56% to 24.75% to 30.14%, and the saponin content decreases from 0.97% to 0.19% to 0.22%.

[0006] Therefore, how to prepare sea cucumber products that are both convenient to eat and have a high nutrient retention rate remains an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In response to the shortcomings of existing technologies, the inventors speculate that the main reasons for the loss of nutrients in sea cucumbers may be the 100°C high-temperature blanching to inactivate enzymes, salting, and prolonged high-temperature boiling before packaging, which are commonly used in traditional sea cucumber processing.

[0008] Based on the above problems, this invention aims to propose a method for preparing fresh steamed sea cucumber. By optimizing the enzyme inactivation process, removing the salting process, and post-processing the cooking process (i.e., integrating cooking and sterilization after sea cucumber packaging), an innovative processing technology for fresh steamed sea cucumber has been developed, which better locks in the nutrients of sea cucumber and solves the problem of low nutrient retention rate of sea cucumber products.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, on the one hand, the present invention provides a method for preparing low-temperature fresh ginseng with improved nutrient retention rate, the preparation method comprising the following steps:

[0010] S1. Cut open the live sea cucumber and remove its internal organs;

[0011] S2. Blanch at 60℃~85℃ for 10-30 minutes to inactivate enzymes, then cool to room temperature to obtain low-temperature fresh ginseng.

[0012] Furthermore, fresh ginseng prepared at low temperatures can undergo further processing; if no further processing is required, it should be stored at -20℃.

[0013] Furthermore, the preparation method does not include a salting step.

[0014] Furthermore, the nutrients include proteins or saponins.

[0015] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for preparing freshly steamed sea cucumber with improved nutrient retention rate, the preparation method comprising the following steps:

[0016] S1. Cut open the live sea cucumber and remove its internal organs;

[0017] S2. Blanch at 60℃~85℃ for 10-30 minutes to inactivate enzymes, then cool to room temperature to obtain low-temperature fresh ginseng; for example, the blanching and enzyme inactivation temperature is 60℃, 65℃, 70℃, 75℃, 80℃ or 85℃, and the blanching and enzyme inactivation time is 10min, 15min, 20min, 25min or 30min.

[0018] S3. After sealing and packaging the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber obtained in step S2, steam it at 105℃~121℃ for 5-30 minutes to obtain the steamed sea cucumber; for example, the steaming temperature is 105℃, 106℃, 107℃, 108℃, 109℃, 110℃, 111℃, 112℃, 113℃, 114℃, 115℃, 116℃, 117℃, 118℃, 119℃, 120℃ or 121℃; the steaming time is 5min, 10min, 15min, 20min, 25min or 30min.

[0019] Furthermore, the preparation method does not include a salting step.

[0020] Furthermore, step S2 also includes the step of removing the sand spout.

[0021] Furthermore, after removing the sand mouthpiece, a rinsing step is also included.

[0022] Furthermore, step S1, after removing the internal organs, also includes a rinsing step.

[0023] Furthermore, the nutrients include proteins or saponins.

[0024] Thirdly, the present invention provides the application of the preparation method described above in improving the retention rate of nutrients in sea cucumbers.

[0025] Furthermore, the nutrients mentioned include proteins or saponins.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0027] (1) The present invention optimizes the enzyme inactivation process in the pretreatment of live sea cucumbers, reduces the traditional enzyme inactivation temperature of 100℃ to 60℃~85℃, and omits the salting process, and finds that the nutritional retention rate of the prepared low-temperature fresh sea cucumbers is significantly improved.

[0028] (2) The present invention moves the cooking process of the sea cucumber product to the post-process, changing the traditional low-temperature long-term cooking before packaging (e.g., cooking and sterilizing at 95-100℃ for 60-90 minutes) to high-temperature short-time cooking and sterilization treatment after packaging (steaming and cooking at 105-121℃ for 5-30 minutes). It was found that the optimized process sequence and specific steaming and cooking sterilization process conditions not only simplify the preparation steps, but also improve the nutrient retention rate of the prepared fresh steamed sea cucumber.

[0029] (3) This invention detects the protein and saponins in sea cucumber raw materials and finished products after different processing techniques, and compares the nutrient retention of sea cucumber under different processing techniques, aiming to provide a basis for the development of fresh steamed sea cucumber processing techniques. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates the preparation method of freshly steamed sea cucumber in Example 3 of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the concept and technical effects of the present invention to fully understand its purpose, features, and effects. Unless otherwise specified, all methods described are conventional methods. Unless otherwise specified, all materials are available from publicly available commercial sources. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0032] The live sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus Selenka) used in this experiment were all purchased from Wafangdian, Dalian, Liaoning Province, and all weighed no less than 140g.

[0033] Because the nutrient content varies among different sea cucumber individuals, the experiment used nutrient retention rate (rather than nutrient content) as a metric to reduce the impact of differences in the original nutrients of sea cucumbers.

[0034] Example 1: Screening of enzyme inactivation temperature in the preparation of low-temperature fresh ginseng

[0035] Live sea cucumbers were cut open along the ventral line, their internal organs removed, and rinsed. The rinsed live sea cucumbers were divided into several equal portions. One portion was not blanched and was directly stored at -20℃ for testing. The other nine portions were blanched at 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100℃ for 30 minutes to inactivate enzymes. After blanching, they were placed at room temperature, the sand mouth was removed, and they were rinsed to obtain raw materials for different treatment groups. These were stored at -20℃ for testing.

[0036] Protein content was measured in unblanched sea cucumbers and sea cucumbers treated at different temperatures. The results showed that at 40℃, the protein retention rate was only 57.69%; within the enzyme inactivation temperature range of 45–55℃, the protein retention rate increased to 66.24%–76.92%; when the enzyme inactivation temperature was further increased to 100℃, the protein retention rate showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, with retention rates of 89.74%, 90.17%, 85.47%, 81.20%, and 77.34% at 60℃, 70℃, 80℃, 90℃, and 100℃, respectively. A study on the protein retention rate at 85℃ showed a retention rate of 88.15%, indicating that the protein retention rate was above 85% within the enzyme inactivation temperature range of 60℃–85℃. Therefore, 60℃–85℃ was chosen as the enzyme inactivation temperature range for low-temperature fresh sea cucumber processing. The protein retention rates of fresh ginseng obtained after blanching at different temperatures are shown in Table 1.

[0037] Table 1. Protein retention rate in sea cucumbers after blanching at different temperatures.

[0038] Example 2: Preparation of Low-Temperature Fresh Ginseng

[0039] The live sea cucumber is cut open along the ventral line, the internal organs are removed and it is rinsed; the rinsed live sea cucumber is blanched at 85℃ for 30 minutes to inactivate enzymes, and after blanching, it is placed at room temperature, the sand mouth is removed and it is rinsed to obtain low-temperature fresh sea cucumber.

[0040] Example 3: Preparation of Steamed Sea Cucumber

[0041] The low-temperature fresh ginseng prepared in Example 2 was sealed and packaged, then steamed at 110°C for 30 minutes to cook and sterilize. After the process, it was stored at 0-4°C for testing.

[0042] Example 4: Preparation of Steamed Sea Cucumber

[0043] The low-temperature fresh ginseng prepared in Example 2 was sealed and packaged, then steamed at 105°C for 20 minutes to cook and sterilize. After the process, it was stored at 0-4°C for testing.

[0044] Example 5: Preparation of Steamed Sea Cucumber

[0045] The low-temperature fresh ginseng prepared in Example 2 was sealed and packaged, then steamed at 121°C for 5 minutes to cook and sterilize. After the sterilization, it was stored at 0-4°C for testing.

[0046] Comparative Example 1: Preparation of Salted Sea Cucumber

[0047] Cut open the live sea cucumber along the ventral line, remove the internal organs and rinse. Blanch the rinsed live sea cucumber at 100℃ for 30 minutes to inactivate the enzymes. After blanching, place it at room temperature and salt it by layering sea cucumber and salt. After salting, remove the sand mouth and rinse. Desalinate it three times at 4℃ to obtain salted sea cucumber.

[0048] Comparative Example 2: Preparation of Salted Stewed Sea Cucumber

[0049] The salted sea cucumbers prepared in Comparative Example 1 were cooked at 100℃ for 90 minutes. After cooking, they were sealed and packaged, sterilized at 100℃ for 20 minutes, and then stored at 0-4℃ for testing.

[0050] Comparative Example 3: Preparation of Salted Ready-to-Eat Sea Cucumber

[0051] The salted sea cucumbers prepared in Comparative Example 1 were sterilized at 100℃ for 90 minutes, then soaked at 0-4℃ for 48-72 hours. After soaking, they were sealed and packaged, and stored at -20℃ for testing.

[0052] Comparative Example 4: Preparation of Salted Dried Sea Cucumber Samples for Home Cooking

[0053] The salted sea cucumbers prepared in Comparative Example 1 were subjected to cold air drying to obtain dried sea cucumbers. Subsequently, they were rehydrated and softened, sand mouth removed, and washed using a simulated home cooking method. After being cooked at 100℃ for 90 minutes, they were soaked at 0-4℃ for 48-72 hours, sealed in packaging, and stored at -20℃ for testing.

[0054] Preparation of freshly stewed sea cucumber (Comparative Example 5)

[0055] The low-temperature fresh ginseng prepared in Example 2 was cooked at 100℃ for 90 minutes. After cooking, it was sealed and packaged, sterilized at 100℃ for 20 minutes, and then stored at 0-4℃ for testing.

[0056] Comparative Example 6: Preparation of Ready-to-Eat Sea Cucumber

[0057] The low-temperature fresh ginseng prepared in Example 2 was sterilized at 100℃ for 90 min, then soaked at 0-4℃ for 48-72 h. After soaking, it was sealed and packaged and stored at -20℃ for testing.

[0058] Preparation of Comparative Example 7: Dried Sea Cucumber Samples for Home Cooking

[0059] The fresh sea cucumber prepared in Example 2 was subjected to cold air drying to obtain dried sea cucumber. Then, it was rehydrated and softened, sand mouth removed, and washed in a simulated home cooking method. After being cooked at 100℃ for 90 minutes, it was soaked at 0-4℃ for 48-72 hours, sealed and packaged, and stored at -20℃ for testing.

[0060] Performance testing methods

[0061] 1. Protein detection

[0062] The detection of protein in sea cucumbers was carried out according to the first method, Kjeldahl method, in the national standard GB 5009.5-2016 "Determination of Protein in Food".

[0063] 2. Detection of saponins

[0064] Sample preparation and saponin detection methods refer to the national standard GB / T 33108-2016 Determination of sea cucumber saponins in sea cucumber and its products by high performance liquid chromatography.

[0065] Performance Test Example 1: Nutrient Retention Tests of Different Pretreatment (Enzyme Inactivation) Processes

[0066] Table 2 shows the comparison of nutrient retention between the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber prepared in Example 2 and the salted sea cucumber prepared in Comparative Example 1.

[0067] Table 2. Nutritional Comparison of Low-Temperature Fresh Sea Cucumber and Salted Sea Cucumber

[0068] It can be seen that the protein content of live sea cucumber is 4.13g / 100g. After low-temperature fresh sea cucumber processing, the protein content is 3.64g / 100g, with a protein retention rate of 88.14%. However, after salting, the protein content decreases from 3.94g / 100g to 3.05g / 100g, with a protein retention rate of only 77.41%.

[0069] The saponin content of live sea cucumbers was 73.15 mg / kg. After low-temperature treatment, the saponin content decreased to 44.62 mg / kg, with a relatively high saponin retention rate of 61.00%. However, salting treatment reduced the saponin content from 71.95 mg / kg to 14.22 mg / kg, with a saponin retention rate of only 19.76%.

[0070] It can be seen that the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber process can better preserve the protein and saponins in sea cucumber, and has obvious advantages in terms of nutrient preservation. Therefore, the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber preparation method of the present invention has broad application prospects in terms of nutritional enhancement of sea cucumber products or sea cucumber raw materials.

[0071] Performance Test Example 2: Nutrient Retention Tests of Different Curing Processes

[0072] Example 2 prepared fresh steamed sea cucumber. Compared with the salted stewed sea cucumber, salted ready-to-eat sea cucumber, salted dried sea cucumber home cooking samples prepared in Comparative Examples 2-7, the cooking process was placed later. The nutritional retention of the sea cucumber was compared with that of the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber or salted sea cucumber before processing. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0073] Table 3. Nutritional Comparison Results of Steamed Sea Cucumber, Stewed Sea Cucumber, Ready-to-Eat Sea Cucumber, and Dried Sea Cucumber Samples from Home Cooking

[0074] Table 3 shows that, compared with the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber prepared in Example 2, the retention rates of sea cucumber protein and saponins after fresh steaming were as high as 94.74% and 99.21%, respectively.

[0075] Compared to the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber prepared in Example 2, the protein retention rates of the fresh stewing process, ready-to-eat process, and home cooking process for dried sea cucumber in Comparative Examples 5-7 were all lower than those of the fresh steaming process.

[0076] Compared to the salted sea cucumbers prepared in Comparative Example 1, the protein retention rates of the sea cucumbers processed using the ready-to-eat and home cooking methods in Comparative Examples 3-4 were also above 90%, but still lower than those processed using the fresh steaming method, and the saponin retention rates were only 61.46% and 73.15%, respectively. In contrast, the protein and saponin retention rates were the lowest after the fresh stewing process, at 81.69% and 49.64%, respectively.

[0077] This demonstrates that the steaming process in Example 3 has virtually no impact on the protein and saponin content of fresh sea cucumbers prepared at low temperatures, exhibiting excellent nutrient retention. In contrast, the preparation methods for stewed sea cucumbers, ready-to-eat sea cucumbers, and dried sea cucumbers used in home cooking all involve prolonged high-temperature processing, which is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also results in significant nutrient loss. This application, by postponing the cooking process and innovating with a steaming process, better preserves the nutrients in sea cucumbers.

[0078] Performance Test Example 3: Nutrient Retention Test of Different Sea Cucumber Products

[0079] The nutritional content of the salted fresh stewed sea cucumber, salted ready-to-eat sea cucumber, and salted home-cooked sea cucumber prepared in Example 3 and Comparative Examples 2-4 was calculated. The nutrient retention relative to live sea cucumber raw materials is shown in Table 4.

[0080] Table 4. Nutritional Comparison Results of Home-Cooked Sea Cucumber Samples: Steamed Sea Cucumber, Salted Stewed Sea Cucumber, Salted Ready-to-Eat Sea Cucumber, and Salted Dried Sea Cucumber

[0081] It is evident that steamed sea cucumbers retained 83.50% of their protein and 60.52% of their saponins compared to live sea cucumbers. Among the samples of salted stewed sea cucumbers, ready-to-eat salted sea cucumbers, and dried salted sea cucumbers used in home cooking, the protein retention rates ranged from 63.24% to 72.40% compared to live sea cucumbers, while the saponin retention rates for all three did not exceed 15%.

[0082] Calculations show that the protein retention rates of freshly steamed sea cucumbers were 1.32 times, 1.15 times, and 1.18 times that of salted stewed sea cucumbers, salted ready-to-eat sea cucumbers, and salted dried sea cucumbers used in home cooking, respectively. The saponin retention rates of freshly steamed sea cucumbers were 6.17 times, 4.99 times, and 4.19 times that of salted stewed sea cucumbers, salted ready-to-eat sea cucumbers, and salted dried sea cucumbers used in home cooking, respectively.

[0083] It is evident that the present invention, by optimizing the enzyme inactivation process, omitting the salting process, and placing the cooking process after packaging, produces a freshly steamed sea cucumber product with a significantly higher nutrient retention rate than existing conventional sea cucumber products. Therefore, the freshly steamed sea cucumber preparation method of the present invention has broad application prospects in enhancing the nutritional value of sea cucumber products.

[0084] The embodiments described above are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing low-temperature fresh ginseng with improved nutrient retention rate, characterized in that, The preparation method includes the following steps: S1. Cut open the live sea cucumber and remove its internal organs; S2. Blanch at 60℃~85℃ for 10-30 minutes to inactivate enzymes, then cool to room temperature to obtain low-temperature fresh ginseng; The preparation method does not include a salting step.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nutrients include proteins or saponins.

3. A method for preparing freshly steamed sea cucumber with improved nutrient retention rate, characterized in that, The preparation method includes the following steps: S1. Cut open the live sea cucumber and remove its internal organs; S2. Blanch at 60℃~85℃ for 10-30 minutes to inactivate enzymes, then cool to room temperature to obtain low-temperature fresh ginseng; S3. After sealing and packaging the low-temperature fresh sea cucumber obtained in step S2, steam it at 105℃-121℃ for 5-30 minutes to cook and sterilize it, thus obtaining the steamed sea cucumber. The preparation method does not include a salting step.

4. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Step S2 also includes the step of removing the sand spout.

5. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The procedure of removing the internal organs and / or removing the sand mouth also includes a rinsing step.

6. The preparation method according to any one of claims 4-5, characterized in that, The nutrients include proteins or saponins.

7. The application of the preparation method according to any one of claims 1-6 in improving the retention rate of nutrients in sea cucumbers.

8. The application according to claim 7, characterized in that, The nutrients mentioned include proteins or saponins.

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