Processing Methods and Technical Points for Candied Lion's Mane Mushroom
1. Material selection and handling. Select fresh lion's mane mushrooms with normal shape, white or slightly yellow color, no mold, and no scars or damage as raw materials. Mycelium no more than 0.8 cm and diameter no greater than 5 cm is optimal. After harvesting, cut off the base, remove debris and impurities adhering to the spines, and immediately immerse in 2% saline solution; process as quickly as possible.
2. Blanching. Put clean water in a pot, add an appropriate amount of citric acid, place the lion's mane mushrooms in and boil for 5-6 minutes, then scoop out and quickly rinse with cold water. For larger specimens, cut them appropriately to make the mushroom bodies uniform, and remove fragments and severely damaged mushroom bodies.
3. Liquid immersion. Prepare a solution containing 0.2% sodium metabisulfite and add an appropriate amount of calcium chloride. After it dissolves, place the mushroom bodies in and soak for 6-8 hours, then scoop out and rinse clean with water.
4. Sugar curing. Based on the weight of the mushroom bodies, add 40% white sugar for curing. After 24 hours, filter out the sugar liquid, heat to boiling, and adjust the sugar liquid concentration to 50%. Pour it into a vat while hot, ensuring the sugar liquid submerges the mushroom bodies, and continue curing for 24 hours.
5. Heating and concentration. Pour the mushroom bodies together with the sugar liquid into a pot, heat to boiling, and gradually add sugar and an appropriate amount of invert sugar liquid. Cook the mushroom bodies until they have a transparent appearance and the sugar liquid concentration reaches 60% or more. Then pour the sugar liquid together with the mushroom bodies into a soaking vat, and after soaking, scoop out and drain off the sugar liquid.
6. Baking. Place the mushroom bodies with the sugar liquid drained off onto a tray, spread them flat, and send them into a drying room to bake at 60-65°C for 8-10 hours. If the moisture content of the mushroom bodies drops to 24%-26%, take out the baking tray, and after moisture equilibration for 16-24 hours, shape them by manually pressing the mushroom bodies into flat round mushroom slices, then send them into the drying room for a second baking. Control the temperature at 55-60°C, bake for about 6-8 hours, until the moisture content drops to 17%-19% and they no longer feel sticky to the touch, then they can be taken out of the drying room, and after moisture equilibration treatment they can be packaged.