Processing Method and Production Technique for Spiced Candied Carambola

This product is made by candying fresh carambola with spices. The processing technique is as follows:

1. Raw material preparation: After washing the fresh carambola, remove the ribs and cut it lengthwise into single segments, then slice into long petal-shaped thin pieces.

2. Hardening treatment: Use alum or calcium bisulfite as the hardening agent. Soak in a 3% alum solution or 0.2% calcium bisulfite solution for 6-8 hours, remove, drain off the water, and prepare for spiced candying.

3. Spiced candying: For every 50 kg of fresh carambola slices, add 1.6 kg of mixed powder made from equal amounts of clove, dried tangerine peel, and licorice ground together, and 40 kg of granulated sugar. First prepare the granulated sugar into a 50% concentration sugar solution, that is, add 40 kg of granulated sugar to 40 kg of water, add 800 g of the mixed spice powder and 40 g of sodium benzoate, heat in a stainless steel pot to dissolve the granulated sugar and bring to a boil, then add the carambola slices and heat together. After boiling for a few minutes, stop heating and continue candying for 1-2 days, then heat and concentrate again, then cool. Repeat this heating 3-4 times to let the raw material absorb the sugar solution, eliminating the trouble of drawing off the sugar solution and boiling it separately. This operation first requires fully hardening the carambola slices, so that they do not boil soft and lose their shape when cooked directly. This sugar penetration process involves multiple direct heatings, but the production cycle is shorter than the multiple sugar penetration method, and the purpose of sugar penetration can be achieved within a few days. For the final sugar boiling, the sugar solution concentration is required to reach above 60%. If the boiling point of the sugar solution is measured to reach 104°C, the carambola slices can be removed while hot, the excess sugar solution on the surface dripped off, and on a clean platform, 800 g of spice powder is mixed in so that each piece is coated with spice powder, and pressed into a uniform flat shape, then spread on baking trays and sent into the drying room for baking.

4. Baking: Bake at 65°C until the surface is dry, then spread out to cool.

5. Packaging: The finished product is sealed in small packages of 100-200 g using polyethylene bags or plastic trays.

The finished product has a moisture content of 22-24%. This product has the sweet and sour flavor of carambola and the mixed aroma of spices, with a crisp, tender and soft texture and a distinctive flavor.