Detailed Explanation of the Processing Method for Schisandra Fruit Leather

1. Process flow: raw materials ―→ sorting ―→ washing ―→ pulping and seed removal ―→ boiling ―→ homogenizing ―→ blending ―→ concentrating ―→ spreading into sheets and baking ―→ slicing ―→ drying ―→ packaging ―→ finished product.

2. Technical key points

(1) Raw material handling: select fresh Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) fruits with good ripeness, remove impurities and moldy portions, wash them clean, crush them with a crusher while removing the seeds, and homogenize with a homogenizer or colloid mill for later use.

(2) Blending and concentrating: place the Schisandra pulp in a stainless steel pot or a jacketed kettle and concentrate by direct heating or steam heating; vacuum concentration or steam heating in a jacketed kettle is best. First evaporate part of the water, then add white granulated sugar. For 50 kg of raw material, add 25 kg or 40 kg of white sugar, and add 100 g of the thickener sodium alginate. The sodium alginate must first be made into a uniform colloid by adding water and heating, and according to how much acid the raw material contains, add an appropriate amount of citric acid so that the total acid content reaches 0.5%-0.8%, then heat and concentrate into a thick paste with a solid content of 55%-60%.

(3) Spreading into sheets and baking: pour the Schisandra paste into a 6 mm deep tempered glass tray. A layer of white cloth is laid in the tray beforehand, that is, pour the paste onto the white cloth to a thickness of about 2 mm, then place it in a baking room and bake at 60-70°C until semi-dry.

(4) Peeling while hot: after taking it out of the baking room, peel up the sheet of Schisandra paste while it is still hot; if it has cooled, it will not easily separate from the cloth.

(5) Slicing: cut into square or round cake shapes by hand or by machine.

(6) Drying: send the cut finished product back to the baking room for drying until the moisture content drops to 5%, which is the qualifying standard.