Processing Methods and Technical Key Points for Almond Cream
(I) Process flow
Raw materials → cleaning → shelling → sorting → soaking → peeling → rinsing → color protection → wet milling → debittering → draining → wet starch → drying → seasoning and flavoring → finished product
(II) Technical requirements
The preliminary processing of raw materials is the same as for canned almonds.
Wet milling: After color protection, rinse the almonds clean with water. Add 15 times the amount of water and grind into a slurry using a refiner.
Debittering: Use heat to debitter and detoxify. The heating temperature is 70-80°C. To make HCN volatilize rapidly and thoroughly, stir constantly, and use the Prussian blue method for qualitative testing until no more HCN is produced in the almond slurry. To prevent HCN poisoning, the debittering workshop must be well ventilated.
Draining and mixing with starch: Put the debittered almond slurry into a clean cloth and filter or press dry, or use a centrifuge to spin off excess water. Since almond slurry contains a relatively large amount of fat, direct drying would have a certain impact on the color, flowability and preservation of the product, so starch is added to reduce the fat content and improve drying conditions. The ratio of starch to almond slurry is 2:1, and mix evenly with a blender.
Drying: Use a forced-air drying oven, dry at 70°C to a moisture content of 7%-9%, for about 20 minutes.
Seasoning and flavoring: Add sucrose to the dried almond cream at 14% of the total weight after drying. If further highlighting the almond aroma is desired, add 0.14 mg/kg of almond flavoring, mix evenly to obtain the finished almond cream, then package according to certain specifications.
(III) Quality standards
1. Sensory standards
Color: white to cream yellow.
Form: uniform powder, no impurities.
Taste and odor: slightly sweet, with a rich almond aroma, no off-odor.
2. Physicochemical indicators (omitted)
3. Hygiene indicators (refer to malted milk)