The kiwifruit fruit pods are typically sliced, but due to their small size, numerous seeds, and uneven ripening, the resulting slices are often irregular in shape—thicker around the edges and concave in the middle. Most of these preserved fruits contain a ring of black seeds, which significantly reduces their market value. By integrating traditional kiwifruit preservation techniques with methods used for dense dates, a new product known as candied wild monkey macaques has been developed. This innovation effectively addresses these issues and opens up new possibilities for the utilization of wild kiwifruit resources.
First, let's explore the quality characteristics of this new product:
1. **Minimal Nutrient Loss**: During the candying process, the kiwifruit comes into limited contact with external liquids, which helps preserve its nutrients more effectively than other preservation methods.
2. **Attractive Appearance**: The fruit retains its natural shape and color, with a translucent texture that enhances its visual appeal. Green-fleshed varieties maintain a dark green hue, while yellow-fleshed ones take on a golden, eye-catching color.
3. **Delicious Flavor**: With a sugar content of about 25%, water content between 20% and 22%, and total acidity below 1%, the candied kiwifruit offers a balanced sweet and sour taste, with a soft yet firm texture that highlights the unique flavor of wild kiwifruit.
4. **Long Shelf Life**: When packed in plastic bags and stored at room temperature, the product can last over a year without significant changes in color or flavor. Vacuum packaging combined with low-temperature storage further extends its shelf life.
Second, here is the detailed processing procedure:
**Processing Steps**: Raw material selection – sorting – peeling – cutting – blanching – sugaring – candying – drying – packaging.
1. **Raw Material Selection and Sorting**: Wild kiwifruit is harvested when its sugar content reaches 7.5%-8%, ensuring optimal ripeness. Fruits are sorted to remove any damaged, diseased, or rotten pieces, and grouped by size for uniform processing.
2. **Peeling with Lye**: A 14%-16% sodium hydroxide solution is prepared and boiled. Kiwifruit is immersed for 40-60 seconds, then removed, peeled using a bamboo basket, and rinsed thoroughly. A neutralization step follows using 0.8% hydrochloric acid or 1.5%-2% citric acid to avoid excessive acidity or alkalinity, which could affect texture and appearance.
3. **Cutting Slits**: The fruit is cut lengthwise with a 2-3 mm wide slit, reaching one-third of the fruit’s diameter to expose the pulp. To prevent discoloration, the sliced fruit is kept in a 1%-2% salt solution.
4. **Blanching**: Sliced fruit is briefly boiled for 2-3 minutes to inactivate enzymes that cause browning. It is then quickly cooled in cold water.
5. **Sugaring**: After draining, the fruit is soaked in a sugar solution (about 40% of the fruit’s weight) for 24 hours. The sugar is distributed in layers (5:3:2 ratio) to ensure even absorption.
6. **Candying**: The sugared fruit is cooked in a syrup until the concentration reaches 50%, then additional sugar is added in two stages. After about 10 minutes of boiling, the second addition is made, and the process continues until the syrup reaches 70%-75%. The fruit is ready when the flesh becomes translucent.
7. **Drying**: The candied fruit is placed on a bamboo screen and dried at 50°C initially, then increased to 55°C-58°C once it is half-dried. Drying takes approximately 20 hours, resulting in a product that is slightly sticky and elastic.
8. **Packaging**: Once dry, the fruit is packaged promptly in food-grade plastic bags or cellophane to prevent moisture absorption. Packaging specifications are adjusted based on market demand.
Finally, several factors influence the final quality of the product:
1. **Fruit Ripeness**: If the fruit is underripe, it won’t absorb sugar properly, leading to an astringent taste. Overripe fruit, on the other hand, may become too soft during cooking and have excessive sugar content.
2. **Drying Temperature**: The initial drying temperature must be carefully controlled. Too high a temperature can result in a hard outer shell while the inside remains moist, affecting both taste and shelf life.
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Zhoushan Junwei Aquatic Products Co., Ltd. , https://www.junweiaquatic-intl.com