Processed Vegetable Preservation via Sugar Diffusion and Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food processing methods for root and fruit vegetables fail to simultaneously retain the original taste, shape, and storage properties of the vegetables.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heat-treating, immersing in a sugar solution, shaping, and drying to create miniaturized processed root and fruit vegetables that maintain their original taste and shape, with optional surface coating to match the peel color, and subsequent packing and retorting for distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional food processing methods are used to preserve vegetables, then storage properties are improved, but original taste and shape are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling heat treatment temperature (90-100°C for 10-40 minutes) and sugar solution concentration (10-40 Brix) to preserve vegetable characteristics while enabling storage. The moisture content regulation (30-50% by weight) and drying temperature control allow the processed vegetables to maintain original taste and shape while achieving improved storage properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining vegetables with sugar solution to create a preserved product. The sugar solution acts as a preserving medium that maintains the vegetable's original characteristics while enabling long-term storage without refrigeration.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If vegetables are processed to improve storage properties, then shelf life is extended, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing into distinct sequential steps: heat treatment, sugar solution immersion, paste preparation, shaping, coating, and drying. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently while maintaining overall process simplicity and enabling extended shelf life.
3Productivity
If vegetables are miniaturized for convenience, then packing efficiency is improved, but original shape retention becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by heat-treating the vegetables before processing to soften them, making them easier to form into miniaturized shapes. The subsequent shaping step creates miniaturized forms (0.5-8 cm length) that retain the original vegetable characteristics while improving packing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating miniaturized replicas of the original vegetables through shaping the paste into the original shape. The coating step with materials matching the peel color further replicates the appearance, allowing miniaturized forms to retain the visual characteristics of the original vegetables.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively miniaturizes root and fruit vegetables while preserving their taste, shape, and color, enhancing convenience in manufacturing and distribution, allowing for year-round availability and storage at room temperature.
Implementation Method 1
a) heat-treating vegetables selected from the group consisting of root vegetables and fruit vegetables; The heat-treatment in operation a) may be performed in water at a temperature of 90 to 100° C. for 10 to 40 minutes.
Implementation Method 2
b) immersing the heat-treated vegetables in a sugar solution; The sugar solution in operation b) may be prepared by dissolving powdered sugar or white sugar in water in a concentration of 10 to 40 Brix.
Implementation Method 3
b) immersing the heat-treated vegetables in a sugar solution; The immersing of the heat-treated vegetables in the sugar solution in operation b) is performed at a temperature of 90 to 100° C. for 10 to 30 minutes.
Implementation Method 4
f) drying the spread or coated shaped paste.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of preparing processed root vegetables or fruit vegetables including: a) heat-treating vegetables selected from the group consisting of root vegetables and fruit vegetables; b) immersing the heat-treated vegetables in a sugar solution; c) preparing a paste of the heat-treated vegetables that are immersed in the sugar solution; d) shaping the paste into the original shape of the vegetables; e) spreading or coating a material having a similar color to the peel color of the original vegetables onto the surface of the shaped paste; and f) drying the spread or coated shaped paste.