Supercooled Vegetable Freezing Method for Texture Preservation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vegetables with high moisture levels face texture deterioration during freezing due to ice crystal growth, leading to tissue breakage and loss of crunchy texture upon thawing, and existing supercooling methods are difficult to control and costly, failing to maintain the innate texture of vegetables and fruit.
Innovation Solution
A method involving moderate heat treatment followed by cooling to induce a supercooled state, which is then released, allowing for freezing without destroying cell tissues, thereby retaining the texture of vegetables and fruit after thawing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If quick freezing method is used, then freezing speed is improved, but texture retention deteriorates due to ice crystal growth and tissue breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter profile by introducing a supercooling phase where vegetables are cooled below their freezing point without immediate ice crystal formation, then rapidly warmed to trigger controlled freezing. This parameter change allows the vegetables to undergo freezing while maintaining cellular structure integrity, thus preserving texture despite fast freezing speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary heat treatment (blanching) before freezing to deactivate enzymes and prepare cell structures. Additionally, the supercooling phase serves as a preliminary action that prepares the vegetable tissues for controlled ice crystal formation, preventing random crystal growth that would damage tissues during conventional quick freezing.
2Reliability
If blanching treatment is applied, then enzyme deactivation is improved, but texture softening occurs due to heat treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial blanching treatment that is sufficient to deactivate enzymes but controlled to minimize tissue softening. The subsequent supercooling and controlled freezing process compensates for any texture loss by forming ice crystals in a way that maintains cellular structure, achieving the desired enzyme deactivation while preserving texture firmness.
3Stability of the object's composition
If supercooling method is used, then texture retention is improved, but control difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the natural supercooling phenomenon that occurs when vegetables are cooled below freezing point without immediate ice crystal formation. The system allows vegetables to self-supercool during the cooling phase, then triggers controlled freezing by simply warming the temperature, eliminating the need for complex external intervention or specialized equipment to maintain and control the supercooled state.
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 preserves the crunchy texture of vegetables and fruit by controlling the supercooled state release, resulting in superior texture retention compared to conventional quick freezing methods.
Implementation Method 1
Blanching is heat treatment such as boiling or steaming conducted during preparation of frozen vegetables. Changes in nutrient components and hue are suppressed by deactivating enzymes in vegetables through such preliminary heat treatment.
Implementation Method 2
cooling the vegetables or fruit of step (i), thereby allowing the vegetables or fruit to become in a supercooled state
Implementation Method 3
quick freezing technique is a technique for suppressing texture deterioration of food by allowing food to pass through the maximum ice crystal production zone (−1 to −5° C.) in which ice crystal growth rate in food is slow
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for freezing vegetables or fruit. The method of the present invention is a method for freezing vegetables or fruit, including (i) subjecting vegetables or fruit to heat treatment; (ii) cooling the vegetables or fruit of step (i), thereby allowing the vegetables or fruit to become in a supercooled state, and subsequently releasing the supercooled state; and (iii) freezing the vegetables or fruit of step (ii). Here, the heat treatment of (i) is heat treatment to the extent at which cell tissues of the vegetables or fruit are not destroyed even after freezing treatment of (iii).