How is carambola preserved? A detailed guide to the production method

This product is a preserved fruit and candied fruit food made from fresh raw materials. The processing technique is as follows:

1. Raw material preparation: After washing the fresh carambola, remove the ridges and cut lengthwise with a knife into 2-5 long strips.

2. Hardening and color protection: Use alum or calcium oxide as the hardening agent. If alum is used, 0.5% is needed, and the color-protecting agent is 0.1% sodium bisulfite. Mix the two additives together and soak the carambola strips for 8 hours, then remove them, rinse clean with clear water, and drain the water for later use.

3. Sugar solution preparation: The amount of white sugar used is 1:0.8, that is, 50 kg of raw material uses 40 kg of white sugar, with 60 kg of water added, to prepare a 40% sugar solution. Add 1% salt, 0.1% sodium bisulfite, and 0.05% potassium sorbate to the sugar solution. After the mixed liquid is boiled, soak the fresh carambola strips in it. Use a stainless steel container; avoid metal containers.

4. Sugar penetration process: Use the multiple sugar penetration method, and the raw material itself should avoid direct heating. After soaking in sugar, the sugar solution concentration drops the next day, to only about 20-22% sugar degree. Draw out the sugar solution and heat and concentrate it so that the sugar degree reaches 25-27%, that is, increase the sugar degree by about 5%, then soak the raw material in the sugar water again for 1-2 days, then draw out the sugar water and heat and concentrate it again, increase the concentration by another 5%, and soak the raw material again. Repeat this operation, and about 10-14 days of sugar penetration time is needed, raising the sugar degree to about 60%. The standard for sugar penetration is to observe whether the carambola strips are transparent. If sugar penetration is sufficient, the carambola strips become transparent. At this point, sugar penetration is finished. The time required for sugar penetration mainly depends on the thickness and size of the carambola strips.

5. Drying: After sugar penetration is finished, remove the carambola strips from the sugar solution, drain off the sugar solution, and send them to the drying room for drying.

6. Packaging: Pack in small composite film bags.

This product is golden yellow in appearance, transparent or semi-transparent. Taste and flavor: crisp mouthfeel, pleasantly sweet and sour, with carambola flavor. Sugar content 60-65%, acid content 0.3-0.8%, water content 25-26%, shelf life six months.