Processing method and production steps for candied persimmon slices

1. Raw materials. Choose persimmons whose skin has turned yellow and that have been de-astringented as the raw material. 90 kg of persimmons, 30 kg of granulated sugar, 20 kg of salt.

2. Raw material handling. Wash, peel, cut in half, remove the calyx, and rinse clean with water.

3. Soaking. Soak the persimmon fruit in a 5%-6% salt water solution made with 5 kg of salt and water for 12 hours; the water must submerge the persimmon fruit. To prevent the persimmon fruit from oxidizing and turning black, soak while processing.

4. Salting. Take the remaining 15 kg of salt and the persimmon fruit and pack them into a crock in alternating layers of persimmon fruit and salt, and brine for about 10 days.

5. Rinsing. After brining, cut the persimmon fruit into 3-4 cm thick thin slices with a stainless steel knife, and rinse with clean water to dilute the salt, then scoop out. Change the water once every 4 hours, for a total of 5-6 changes, and press out the water.

6. Sugar curing. Take the pressed-dry persimmon slices and all the granulated sugar and pack them into a large crock in alternating layers of persimmon slices (about 16 cm thick) and granulated sugar, and cure for 15 hours. To make the persimmon slices absorb the sugar evenly, the persimmon slices and sugar liquid can be transferred to another container. After that, transfer once each morning and afternoon every day. To prevent the product from graining (sugar crystallizing out), heat the remaining sugar liquid from curing the persimmon slices in a copper pot or stainless steel pot until it boils, put it into the crock, add 0.4% (calculated by the amount of granulated sugar) citric acid, stir evenly, and let it dissolve completely in the sugar liquid, cover well and keep at 90°C, then after 30 minutes cool it and continue sugar curing; this can prevent the graining phenomenon. After inversion, the reducing sugar content in the sugar liquid is about 20%.

7. Sun-drying. After 3 days of sugar curing, scoop out the persimmon slices and filter out the sugar liquid. Sun the persimmon slices for 6-8 hours, turning them once every 2 hours, then pour them into the used original sugar liquid, sugar-cure for 3 days by the above method, and sun them again for 6-8 hours. Repeat this 4-5 times; when all the sugar liquid has been absorbed and the persimmon slices are sun-dried to a thick gelatinous, semi-dry state, they are the finished product.