Detailed Guide to the Processing Methods and Techniques of Shiitake Mushroom Instant Tea

Instant tea is a solid beverage made by extracting and concentrating the effective soluble substances in tea leaves that determine the color, aroma and taste of the tea infusion, and it is a popular beverage on the international market. Shiitake mushroom instant tea is produced by adding shiitake mushrooms with their unique flavor during the production of instant tea, significantly enhancing the health benefits of the tea without losing the proper flavor of tea; it retains the characteristics of dissolving instantly when brewed, leaving no residue, and being easy to adjust in strength, and it can also be brewed on its own and mixed with milk, fruit juice, honey, sugar, etc., making it deeply loved by consumers. Its production method is introduced as follows:

I. Raw Material Formula

Shiitake mushroom puree 8%, tea flavor puree 14%, maltodextrin 18%, fine sugar powder 77%, citric acid 1.6%, vanillin 0.8%.

II. Production Method

1. Select fresh shiitake mushrooms free of mold, or dried mushroom stems and frozen mushroom stems, and rinse them quickly and cleanly in purified water under a certain pressure. Then cut the shiitake mushroom stems into thin slices or small pieces. Their length should be below 5mm; with a ratio of dried mushroom pieces to water of 1:10, fresh mushrooms to water of 1:5, and frozen mushroom stems to water of 1:6, carry out 3 extractions and filtrations, combine the 3 filtrates, and concentrate for later use.

2. Add water to green tea or black tea (tea stems, tea dust) at a ratio of 1:8 for extraction. When the water boils, pour in the tea leaves, decoct at 100°C for 5 minutes, then quickly cool to below 70°C, and filter promptly to obtain the first extract. Perform a second extraction on the filter residue with a water amount of 1:4, add enzyme liquid for extraction, filter, combine the two extracts, and concentrate for later use. Alternatively, use the closed reflux method.

3. First mix the solid ingredients evenly, then add the shiitake mushroom puree and tea puree separately in proportion, stir thoroughly and evenly, and use a swinging granulator for granulation. It is required to dry at a vacuum degree of 40kPa and 50-60°C for 25 minutes. Then feed it into a centrifugal spray dryer for spray drying at a temperature of 90-100°C, with a moisture content below 13%, and promptly use a vacuum packaging machine for quantitative sub-packaging to obtain the finished product.