Detailed explanation of the processing and production method of almond milk beverage

(1) Process flow: sweet almond (or bitter almond) → disinfection and washing → drying → crushing and oil pressing → grinding → blending → homogenization → pasteurization → canning and sealing → sterilization → cooling and can wiping → heat preservation → inspection → packaging → finished product.

(2) Key operation points:

① Almond disinfection: put the washed almonds into peracetic acid at a concentration of 0.35% for disinfection, soak for 10 minutes, then remove, rinse clean with clean water, remove and drain the water, then put the almonds into a drying room for drying. The drying room temperature is 65-70°C, and the drying time is 20-24 hours.

② Crushing and oil pressing: put the dried almonds into an oil press, crush and press oil to remove the oil in the almonds, then grind the oil-removed almonds into a paste with a colloid mill.

③ Blending: blending ratio: almond 5%, white granulated sugar 8%, citric acid in an appropriate amount, and the rest is water.

Blending process: mix the ground almond paste with warm water, stir evenly into almond liquid, filter through a 200-mesh sieve, then pump it into a steam pot with a beverage pump, add white granulated sugar, then add citric acid so that the pH value equals 7±0.2, then heat and boil, and remove the foam on the liquid surface.

④ Homogenization: after the prepared almond liquid is cooled, filter it again through a 200-mesh sieve, and use a homogenizer for two-stage homogenization. The first homogenization pressure is 30 MPa; the second homogenization pressure is 60 MPa.

⑤ Pasteurize the homogenized almond liquid. When the temperature in the middle of the almond liquid reaches 75-80°C for 5-10 minutes, fill it into cans while hot and cover and seal.

⑥ Sterilization: after the product is sealed, sterilize it at high temperature in time, at 121°C for 10-25 minutes, then cool to about 37°C and wipe the cans.

⑦ Heat preservation and inspection: store at room temperature for 5-7 days, finally inspect, and pick out unqualified products. Qualified products are packaged and put into storage.

(3) Quality standards: the finished almond milk beverage is milky white, with the unique fresh aroma of almond, and no other off-flavors. The juice is uniformly turbid; after standing, a small amount of sediment is allowed, but after shaking it still shows the original uniform turbid state. Soluble solids 8%-10%, or 11%-14% (by refractometer).

(4) Precautions:

① When using bitter almond for processing, special attention must be paid to debittering treatment, otherwise poisoning may be caused by the high content of amygdalin, with unimaginable consequences. The method for debittering bitter almond is to put the bitter almonds into hot water at 90-95°C and soak them so that the almond skin softens and the skin surface stretches flat, which takes 3-5 minutes. After removing, put them into a peeling machine for mechanical peeling, or rub off the skin by hand, then put the peeled almonds into water at about 50°C and soak. Change the water 1-2 times a day; after soaking for 5-6 days, they can be removed and sun-dried.

② It is best to add sucrose fatty acid emulsifier during blending in almond milk, with the amount being 1-3 grams of sucrose fatty acid emulsifier per kilogram of almond milk.