Fluidized freezing technology is an advanced food freezing method, which relies on high-speed cold air to suspend and quickly freeze food particles. This technology is particularly suitable for small fruits like cherries, ensuring comprehensive freezing from the surface to the interior in a very short period of time, effectively maintaining the freshness and taste of cherries. Specifically, the fluidized freezer utilizes a vibrating fluidized bed and refrigeration system to rapidly freeze cherries in a fluid like state through high-frequency vibration and strong airflow. During this process, the water on the surface of the cherry quickly forms small ice crystals, which do not damage the cell structure, so they can still maintain their original texture and flavor after thawing.
The limitations of traditional preservation methods
In the traditional cherry preservation process, most enterprises use a combination of ice bottle refrigeration and cold storage for transportation and preservation. Although this method can provide a certain low-temperature environment, its drawbacks are also very obvious:
1. Slow cooling rate: The refrigeration efficiency of cold storage is relatively low, and it takes a long time from picking to complete cooling. During this period, cherries will continue to breathe and metabolize, accelerating the aging process.
2. Large temperature fluctuations: Due to frequent opening and closing of the cold storage, the temperature inside the warehouse is prone to significant fluctuations, which can affect the stability and freshness of cherries.
3. Serious quality loss: Slow freezing can lead to the formation of large ice crystals inside cherries, damaging cell structure. After thawing, softening and water leakage are prone to occur, seriously affecting the taste and appearance.
Faced with these problems, cherry processing enterprises urgently need a more efficient and stable freezing solution.
In practical operation, cherries are evenly distributed on stainless steel mesh belts, and through the strong wind blowing from bottom to top, cherry particles are suspended in the air and quickly frozen. This method not only improves freezing efficiency, but also reduces the quality loss that traditional freezing methods may cause. In addition, the efficiency of fluidized freezing technology is also reflected in its significant reduction of freezing time. Fluidized freezing technology, with its characteristics of rapid freezing and maintaining high quality, has become an ideal choice for freezing small fruits such as cherries, providing an efficient and economical solution for the food industry.
Key Technologies and Development of Cherry Preservation
Cherry, as a delicate fruit, has seen significant development in its preservation technology in recent years. From traditional cold chain transportation to modern comprehensive preservation systems, it covers multiple aspects such as pre harvest and post harvest processing, intelligent environmental control, and new preservation technologies. Firstly, it is crucial to accurately control the maturity of cherries during the harvesting stage. Research has shown that harvesting cherries can maximize their quality and storage tolerance when the soluble solids (SSC) content reaches 18% to 22% and the fruit hardness is not less than 15N. In addition, the selection of harvesting time is also crucial, usually recommended between 5-7 am, when the fruit temperature is lower, which is beneficial for reducing thermal damage after harvesting.
Post harvest pretreatment is an important step in improving the preservation effect of cherries. Common pretreatment methods include low-temperature pre cooling, chlorine dioxide treatment, and coating technology. Low temperature pre withering attempts to rapidly lower the temperature of cherries in order to slow down their respiration and metabolic rate; Chlorine dioxide is widely used for the preservation and preservation of cherries due to its excellent disinfection and sterilization effects. Coating technology forms a protective film on the surface of cherries, which not only improves the appearance quality, but also effectively prevents water evaporation and oxygen penetration, extending the shelf life.
With the advancement of technology, intelligent environmental control systems have also begun to be applied to the storage environment of cherries. This type of system can monitor and adjust the temperature, humidity, and gas composition in the warehouse in real time, providing the best storage conditions for cherries. For example, by adjusting the concentration of carbon dioxide in the storage, the respiration of cherries can be further inhibited and the aging process can be delayed. At the same time, some new preservation technologies such as the application of nanomaterials are also being studied, which are expected to further improve the preservation effect and market competitiveness of cherries.
