Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B7/00—Preservation or chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
  • A23B7/14—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by groups A23B7/08 or A23B7/10
  • A23B7/144—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by groups A23B7/08 or A23B7/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
  • A23B7/148—Preserving or ripening with chemicals not covered by groups A23B7/08 or A23B7/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B7/00—Preservation or chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
  • A23B7/04—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
  • A23B7/0425—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the material not being transported through or in the apparatus, with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powder, granules or flakes
  • A23B7/0433—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the material not being transported through or in the apparatus, with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powder, granules or flakes with packages or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L19/03—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof consisting of whole pieces or fragments without mashing the original pieces
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
  • A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of banana processing, and particularly a method of banana processing wherein the banana is subject to a series of steps of vacuum-packing down to a predetermined degree of vacuum, cool-aging, quick-freezing and freeze-storing after being sterilized, washed and peeled.
• the discoloration of the banana flesh may be remarkably reduced even after a long-term storage without using artificial food colors and preservatives, and a taste may also be maintained uniform by controlling the degree of vacuum during the vacuum-packing step and dispersing the juice generated during the cool-aging step into the flesh uniformly, along with an eminent improvement in a flavor and a saccharinity of the frozen banana.
• a banana which is originated from tropical Asia, has a botanical name of Musa, and belongs to the banana species, plantain family. The fruits belong to berry family, and stairs-shaped fruits are hung on the fruit chamber. There are more than
• banana 400 species of banana which may be roughly divided into a common banana and a cooking banana (plantain banana).
• the former being eaten uncooked, is produced in Asia, South America and Central America, specifically in Brazil, India, Philippine, Indonesia and Ecuador.
• the latter is plantain banana produced for the use of cooking in Africa, South America and Asia.
• Species of banana may be divided into Cavendish, Gros Michel and others.
• Banana fruit in general contains 25% of hydrocarbons and 92 kcal per 100 g, and is rich in vitamins A and C.
• bananas are widely used in food industry for salads, snacks, dried bananas, banana powders, banana liquors, banana soda pops and banana purees.
• the sweetness of fruits which is mainly due to the presence of glucose and fructose in the fruit, increases as the temperature of the fruit decreases, while a sour taste decreases with the decrease in its temperature.
• the sweetness at 5 0 C is 20% higher than the sweetness at 30 0 C.
• a preferred cooling temperature is about 10 °C because the flavor of fruits may disappear and a tongue may be insensible at an extremely low temperature. It is preferable to store a fruit in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours prior to eating. However, some fruits may lose the taste at a low temperature of about 0-10 0 C. For example, black spots are generated on banana skin and banana flesh becomes dark during the storage in a refrigerator. This is an adverse effect due to abnormal cooling of bananas, which is accommodated to tropical circumstances in growing condition and taste or other optimum condition. There has been a need for a long-term storage of banana, tropical fruits, regardless of temperature change without lowering the typical taste and texture.
• the present inventors have attempted to develop a processing method for preparing tropical fruits, particularly cooled and non-freeze-stored bananas that may maintain a taste, a texture and a shape, while decreasing the discoloration of the flesh.
• the present invention has been completed by finding that the discoloration of the banana flesh may be remarkably reduced even after a long-term storage, juice generated during the vacuum-packing may be uniformly dispersed in the flesh in the course of cool-aging step, thereby forming a uniform taste, and both the taste and the saccharinity may be improved by performing a series of steps of vacuum-packing peeled banana down to 85-95% of the degree of vacuum, cool-aging, quick-freezing and freeze-storing.
• the present invention aims to provide a method of preparing a banana that is easily stored for a long period of time and superior in taste and saccharinity.
• Figure 1 is a photograph comparing a banana (left) cool-aged for 24 hours and vacuum-frozen according to Example 1 herein and a banana (right) frozen according to a conventional method.
• Figure 2 is a photograph comparing a banana (a) processed in Example 1 herein and stored for 3 months and a banana (b) processed according to a general freezing method and stored for 3 months.
• Figure 3 is a photograph comparing a banana (a) processed in Example 1 herein and stored for 6 months and a banana (b) processed according to a general freezing method in Comparative Example 1 and stored for 6 months.
• Figure 4 is a photograph of a banana processed in Example 2 herein and stored for 12 months.
• the present invention relates to a method of banana processing, which comprises the steps of (a) vacuum-packing a peeled banana down to 85-95% of the degree of vacuum, (b) cool-aging the vacuum-packed banana at 0-25 0 C, (c) quick-freezing the cool-aged banana down to -70 0 C to -20 0 C and (d) freeze-storing the quick-frozen banana at -20 0 C to -5 0 C.
• the present invention relates to a method of processing a tropical fruit, especially a banana, which shows a definite discoloration of the flesh during a long-term storage and is difficult to process, wherein the method comprises the steps of vacuum-packing down to a predetermined degree of vacuum, cool-aging, quick-freezing and freezing.
• a banana in the present invention includes without limitation a raw banana, a baked banana and a steamed banana depending on the taste of each person.
• the steamed banana is prepared using steam, and the steaming process may be performed at about 90-110 0 C for 5-30 minutes, preferably 10-15 minutes.
• the present invention shows superior effect when an unprocessed banana is used.
• an unprocessed banana with a maturity of 60-65% may be smoothly eaten, it is preferred to select a banana with a maturity of higher than 80% considering saccharinity and nutrition.
• it is difficult to store the unprocessed banana showing the aforementioned range of maturity because it is easily spoiled.
• the processing method of the present invention can resolve the storage-related problem and it is preferable to use an unprocessed banana with a maturity of 80-85% having a superior taste.
• a washing detergent for vegetables and fruits containing sodium citrate and an amphoteric surfactant was used for the sterilization-washing step in Examples disclosed herein, however, the sterilization-washing step may be performed according to the conventional method. Then, the peeled banana is subject to vacuum-packing.
• Vacuum generally refers to a space that contains no material
• vacuum-packing is a process of wrapping up goods such as foods with a flexible plastic film and vacuuming the inner space while sealing the plastic film.
• Vacuum-packing is used for packing bacon, ham, sausage, crude goods of fish, kimchi, flavors, soybean paste, noodles, frozen foods, snacks, medical supplies, parts of precision machineries and optical devices.
• Vacuum packing is suitable for transportation, storage and thermal sterilization because the size after packing is relatively small and spoiling due to microorganisms and rust of metallic parts may be prevented because inner air is removed.
• vacuum-packing removes oxygen in the pack and retard the growth of aerobacteria and oxidation of fats, thus increasing storage. Furthermore, microorganism or meat cell consumes very small amount of remaining oxygen, and extremely decreases oxygen partial pressure. Thus, the storage period is 3-4 times longer than that prepared by normal airy packing.
• the material of the bag may be selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyethylene, poly(vinyl chloride), polyvinylidene resin, polyester, polypropylene and a mixture thereof.
• the degree of vacuum In vacuum-packing, it is preferable to maintain the degree of vacuum to 85-95%, more preferably to about 90%. If the degree of vacuum is below 85%, spoiling of banana and discoloration of banana flesh proceeds fast due to remaining oxygen in the pack. If the degree of vacuum is above 95%, a large quantity of juice may be generated from banana flesh, thus deteriorating the texture of banana. Then, the vacuum-packed banana is subject to a cool-aging process.
• the cool-aging disperses the juice generated during the vacuum-packing uniformly throughout the flesh, thereby producing a uniform taste, while inducing the dispersion of perfume and saccharinity. At this time, orange-colored juice forms a thin layer around the banana flesh.
• the cool-aging may be performed according to the conventional method without limitation.
• a nozzle method was used for vacuuming and cool-aging was performed for 24 hours.
• the cool-aging is performed at 0-25 0 C, preferably at 0-15 0 C, for 1-72 hours, preferably for 6-24 hours. If the temperature is below 0 0 C, the original shape may be maintained. However, if the temperature is above 25 0 C, the banana flesh may be deformed. If the process is executed for less than 1 hour, the banana may have a mouth-puckering taste. If the process is executed for more than 72 hours, the banana may lose its original shape. Then, the cool-aged banana is subject to a quick-freezing process.
• the quick-freezing may be performed according to the conventional method without limitation at a temperature of from -70 0 C to -20 0 C, preferably -40 0 C to -30 0 C, for 4-7 hours, preferably 4-5 hours.
• the quick-freezing process may be conducted at a temperature below -70 0 C, however, it would only incur a greater economic loss to maintain the temperature without generating any special effect. If the temperature is above -20 0 C, it takes relatively longer to freeze banana, thus reducing the water content of banana. If the quick-freezing is conducted for less than 4 hours, the desirable quick-freezing result may not be obtained. If the quick-freezing is conducted for more than 7 hours, it will increase the economic loss. Then, the quick-frozen banana is subject to a freeze-storing process.
• the freeze-storing may be performed according to the conventional method without limitation at below 0 0 C, preferably at a temperature of -20 0 C to -5 0 C.
• the discoloration of flesh does not happen even after a long-term storage and thus processed banana shows no change in taste, flavor and saccharinity without using any special artificial food colors or preservatives.
• the banana processed according to the present invention has L of 48.31-59.34, a of -2.27 to -2.78, b of 18.72-23.7, hardness of 0.32-0.39 g/cm 2 and saccharinity of
• the vacuum-pack banana was aged at 5 0 C for 24 hours, quick-frozen at -40 0 C for 4 hours and cool-stored at -6 0 C.
• FIG 1 A photograph of the aged banana is provided in Figure 1, which shows the surface of the banana was uniformly covered with the juice generated from the banana flesh.
• a banana was conventionally freeze-processed in a nylon bag without performing the vacuum-packing step.
• Figure 2 shows photographs of the bananas processed according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively, after 3 months.
• Figure 3 shows photographs of the bananas processed according to Example 1 and Comparative
• Example 1 respectively, after 6 months.
• the bananas processed according to the present invention were ascertained to have superiorities in maintaining the characteristic color as shown in Figures l(a) and 2(a).
• a banana was processed same as in Example 1 except by controlling the degree of vacuum to 90%.
• Figure 4 is a photograph of the processed banana after 12-month freeze-storage, which shows that there is no discoloration of the banana, especially within the flesh. Comparative Example 2
• a banana was processed same as in Example 1 except by freeze-storing the banana right after the vacuum-packing step.
• a banana was processed same as in Example 1 except the banana was aged at room temperature (about 25 0 C) for 24 hours and freeze-stored after the vacuum-packing step.
• the discoloration quickly progressed with the lapse of freeze-storage time in cases that a banana was subject to neither the freeze-aging step nor the quick-freezing step as in Comparative Example 2 and a banana was not subject to the quick-freezing step as in Comparative Example 3.
• the results of Hunter L, a, and b are provided in TABLE 1. Measurement was repeated 10 times per sample.
• a sample was divided equally and each part was attached closely to a plate with pressure.
• the hardness was measured with a rheometer (SUN RHEOMETER, CR-200D, SUN SCIENTIFIC CO., LTD, JAPAN) by repeating measurement 10 times per sample, and the averaged value was considered as the hardness of the sample.
• the freeze-stored banana was placed at room temperature for about 3 minutes before measuring hardness.
• the bananas processed according to the present invention showed lower hardness but equivalent surface colors and saccharinity.
• the processed bananas herein were superior in saccharinity and surface colors with similar hardness as compared to those of the processed bananas in Comparative Example 1.
• the aforementioned lowering of hardness in the processed bananas herein does not mean getting softened due to thawing, but rather a softening of texture caused by aging.
• a sensory evaluation was performed to compare a flavor, a taste, a color and texture of bananas processed in Example 1, 80% aged unprocessed banana and banana containing ice creams, and the results are provided in TABLE 2.
• the evaluation was performed by 100 adults at their 20-60's according to 5-point method.
• the figures in the parentheses indicate the number of the persons participated in the evaluation. ⁇ Evaluation standard>
• the unprocessed bananas were evaluated to have deficiency in uniformity and have tough texture despite the superior flavor and taste.
• the banana-containing ice cream was evaluated to have a strong banana flavor due to artificial additives and lack of natural taste and texture.
• bananas processed according to the present invention were evaluated to be crispier with a softer texture to the unprocessed bananas while maintaining uniform taste, flavor and colors.
• the processed bananas herein were ascertained to have superiorities in reduced discoloration, uniform flavor and improved taste and saccharinity even after long-term storage through a series of steps of vacuum-packing, cool-aging, quick-freezing and freeze-storing, thereby enabling the production of bananas that may be stored with remarkably reduced temperature sensitivity, which may be applied to various kinds of foods.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Storage Of Fruits Or Vegetables (AREA)
• Preparation Of Fruits And Vegetables (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38105750

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2006
  • 2006-09-14 KR KR1020060089100A patent/KR100680263B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-09-20 WO PCT/KR2006/003741 patent/WO2008032888A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events