Detailed Explanation of Pollution-Free Processing Technology for Dried Lily Slices

Lily is one of the important health vegetables. The traditional processing method is to blanch the harvested lilies and then dry them in the sun. With this drying method, the dried lilies still have a relatively high moisture content, are not resistant to storage, and are still prone to discoloration. For this reason, some farmers use sulfur fumigation, which affects the safety and quality of the lilies. However, after dehydration and drying, the lilies have a low moisture content and, after color protection and blanching, are not prone to discoloration, which better solves the quality and safety problem of lilies being affected by sulfur fumigation.

1. Process flow: fresh lily bulbs -> material selection -> cleaning -> scale separation and color protection -> hot blanching to deactivate enzymes -> cold water rinsing -> draining surface water -> tray loading and cart loading -> hot air circulation drying -> sorting and grading -> packaging -> sealing -> warehousing -> finished product.

2. Material selection and cleaning: select lilies weighing more than 150 g each, plump, fresh, without discoloration, without insect damage, without bruises, and of good quality as raw materials. Wash away the mud, sand and impurities on the surface of the bulbs with clean water.

3. Scale separation and color protection: manually remove the outer withered and old scales and the base of the stem, then separate the scales, and after grading the scales of different sizes, promptly put them into a color-protecting solution for color protection, so as to avoid browning of the scale color caused by exposure to sunlight.

4. Hot blanching to deactivate enzymes: hot blanching to deactivate enzymes is carried out in a tiltable stainless steel open pot. The amount of water added is generally 4 times that of the scales, and the amount of material put in should not be too much, otherwise the blanching will be uneven. Turn on high steam to boil the water in the pot, put in the scales (the scales are best pre-loaded into a specially made bamboo container or stainless steel container) and stir evenly. When the water in the pot boils for the second time, immediately remove the scales to achieve the standard of initially cooked but not mushy. The operation of hot blanching to deactivate enzymes must be well controlled. If the blanching temperature and time are insufficient, oxidative browning will occur during the drying process; if the blanching is excessive, the scales will become mushy, and after drying the scales will easily break or form fish-scale-like pieces, and the color will deepen, affecting the appearance quality of the product.

5. Cold water rinsing: immediately put the blanched scales into flowing cold water and rinse until cold, then remove them and drain the surface water.

6. Hot air drying: pour the scales with surface water drained into drying trays, spread them evenly, load them onto a drying cart, and push them into drying equipment for hot air circulation drying. Control the temperature at 60-70°C, turn the cart and stir once every hour, and dry until the moisture content of the scales reaches about 10% (the scales feel crisp when touched by hand), which completes the dehydration process.

7. Cooling and grading: after the dried lily slices are cooled to room temperature, manually select and grade the slices. Those that are white in color, complete, large and thick are regarded as first-grade products; small slices and fragments are third-grade products; the rest are second-grade products. Sensory indicators: white or slightly yellow, the flesh is slightly translucent; scale-shaped, dry, and the flesh is slightly tough; has the unique taste and smell of lily; moisture not exceeding 14%, and impurities controlled below 0.5%.

8. Packaging and warehousing: immediately package and seal after grading to prevent moisture absorption and bacterial contamination. Store in a ventilated and cool warehouse to prevent insect damage and mildew.