Detailed Explanation of the Production Process for Fish Balls

Fish balls are ball-shaped products made through processes such as pulping, forming and boiling. Good-quality fish balls have the characteristics of being bouncy, chewy and refreshing. Combining traditional fish ball-making experience with modern food science, this article introduces a scientific and reasonable fish ball production process:

1. Required equipment: meat grinder, meat ball pulping machine, forming machine, boiling tank, quick-freezing warehouse, etc.

2. Required materials: meat ball crisping agent (for fish), carrageenan (Dehui 636), seafood powder, white pepper powder, ginger powder, soy protein isolate, corn starch, etc.

3. Formula:

Fish meat 80, pork fat 10, salt 1.8, meat ball crisping agent 0.4, carrageenan 0.4, monosodium glutamate 0.25, white sugar 1.5, white pepper powder 0.1, ginger powder 0.15, seafood powder 0.2, egg white 10, corn starch 5, soy protein isolate 2, ice water 12.3

4. Production process:`

1. Raw material selection: Use frozen surimi (a product made from saltwater fish or freshwater fish that has been pre-treated, initially de-skinned and de-boned with a meat grinder, then chopped and frozen), requiring good freezing and no off-flavor. For pork fat, back fat or chopped fat can both be used.

2. Pre-treatment: Cut the frozen surimi into small pieces with a knife, and grind the frozen pork fat or chopped fat through a 3mm hole plate. After pre-treatment, the raw materials are placed in an environment of 0°C-4°C for later use.

3. Pulping: Cut the frozen surimi into pieces and place them in the pulping machine. First add the meat ball crisping agent, salt, monosodium glutamate, ginger powder, white pepper powder, egg white, carrageenan, etc. and pulp at high speed until the meat paste is uniform, then add the pork fat ground through a 3mm

hole plate and pulp, finally add the starch and stir evenly at low speed. During the pulping process, pay attention to using ice water to control the temperature of the meat paste below 12°C.

4. Forming: Use a meat ball forming machine or form by hand. Immediately place the formed fish balls into warm water at 35°C-45°C and soak for 40-60 minutes for secondary forming.

5. Boiling: After forming, boil in hot water at 80°C-90°C for 15-20 minutes.

6. Cooling: After boiling, immediately place the meat balls in an environment of 0°C-4°C and cool until the core temperature is below 8°C.

7. Quick-freezing: Place the cooled fish balls in a quick-freezing warehouse and freeze for 24-36 hours.

8. Storage: Store the quick-frozen products in a low-temperature warehouse at -18°C.

Key process points:

1. Temperature control during the pulping process, ensuring that the temperature of the meat paste when removed from the machine is below 10°C.

2. Fish meat products that undergo two-stage gelation (the low-temperature gelation temperature is usually 40°C-50°C, and the high-temperature gelation temperature is 80°C-90°C) have better elasticity and crispness.