A Detailed Explanation of Two Processing Technologies for Fig Products

(1) Fig fruit powder

 ① Production process flow: raw material selection → raw material preparation, juice extraction → filtration, clarification → concentration → spray dryer → cooling → packaging.

 ② Key points of the processing technology:  Raw material selection: use 6-7 fully ripe fresh figs or dried figs. Raw material preparation and juice extraction: clean the raw materials thoroughly, add 1 kg of water per 1 kg of fruit, or 5 kg of water per 1 kg of dried fruit as the feeding ratio, place in a stainless steel pot, heat to 85—90°C, maintain for 20—30 minutes, then stop heating, let stand for 24 hours, and extract the juice. Filtration and clarification: carry out filtration through a microporous filter, then carry out natural clarification or enzymatic clarification. Concentration: superheated steam concentration and vacuum concentration may be used. For superheated steam concentration, concentrate in a stainless steel double-layer pot, with a heating steam pressure of 2.5 kg/cubic cm. During the concentration process, pay attention to stirring to accelerate water evaporation and avoid scorching; concentrate until the solid matter reaches 28%; each concentration batch should not be fed too much, and 40 minutes is appropriate. For vacuum concentration, concentrate under reduced pressure and at a lower temperature. Heating and saturated steam pressure 1.5 kg/cubic cm, temperature 50°C. Spray dryer: use high-pressure spraying equipment to spray-dry the concentrated fig juice; the feed temperature is 50—60°C, the high-pressure pump pressure is 180 kg/cubic cm, the drying agent dextrin powder is added at 0.5%, the air supply temperature is 120°C, and the air inlet temperature is 75—78°C. Cooling and packaging: the dried fig powder is cooled rapidly, then packaged and sealed.

(2) Fig jam

① Production process flow: fruit → cleaning → softening → pulping → blending → concentration → jar filling → sterilization → cooling.

② Key points of the processing technology:  Raw materials: fully ripe fruit should be selected, as this can increase the jam yield and give it a rich taste. Softening and pulping: in order to facilitate pulping and prevent the jam from browning, the fig raw materials need to be softened. The method is to pour the fruit in small batches into boiling water containing an appropriate amount of a compound color-protecting agent, and boil for 10 minutes, so that the fruit becomes soft and mushy while also achieving the effects of color protection and enzyme inactivation. The softened figs can be poured into a colloid mill for pulping. A small amount of water should be used during pulping to facilitate the flow of the fruit pulp. Blending and concentration: pour the milled jam into a cooking pot or vacuum concentration pot, add an appropriate amount of prepared 80% concentration syrup, and heat to concentrate. To improve the glossiness of the jam body and shorten the concentration time, an appropriate amount of emulsifier may be added. When the jam is concentrated until it forms a sheet or the soluble solid matter reaches 45%—50%, add an appropriate amount of sodium citrate and other seasonings, stir until dissolved, and then remove from the pot. Jar filling: fill the jam while hot (not less than 60°C) into cleaned and sterilized glass jars, and seal immediately. It can also be packaged in plastic film retort pouches of a specified size. Sterilization and cooling: sterilize in a 100°C water bath with superheated steam for 10 minutes, then cool in stages.