| 摘要 |
Fibrous fruit substance, e.g. citrus peel flaredo or albedo, pomes, coconut meat, cranberries, pineapples, is preserved by adding it to an equal, or preferably 3 to 4 times, the quantity of a heated syrup comprising glycerol alone, or glycerol plus corn syrup solids, and vacuum hydrodistilling the mixture (preferably breaking the vacuum at least once during this step) at 40 DEG C. to 130 DEG C. to reduce the water content to 16% or less (preferably less than 8%) before removing the fruit from the syrup, e.g. by draining, centrifuging, vibration screening, the syrup being filtered for re-use. The heated syrup may comprise, by weight, 15 to 40% corn syrup solids, up to 40% of dextrose monohydrate, and up to 20% of propylene glycol as a part substitute for the glycerol; in addition natural food flavours and colouring may be incorporated in the syrup, in particular when citrus peel albedo which has been completely separated from flaredo is being preserved. The peel may or may not be removed from the fruit before preservation, the flaredo being pricked if desired to remove recoverable excess essential oil; it is then cut into small pieces, e.g. 1/4 inch cubes, for preservation. The soft preserved peel contains 10% or more corn syrup solids, at least 22% of glycerol and less than 16% moisture, and, if a free-flowing dry peel is desired, it may be coated with starch, pectin, vegetable gums such as locust bean, acacia, guar, soluble dextrin or carboxy methyl cellulose. Peel which has been initially treated with glycerol alone may be subsequently impregnated with corn syrup solids/glycerol solution by a follow-on process. The distillate may be treated to separate out any volatile oil it may contain, and this may be added to the dehydrated citrus peel before it is cut down to size. |
