Guide complet pour la congélation des légumes

Frozen vegetables are a very popular form of sales nowadays because they can be eaten directly by customers after processing. Moreover, they can not only maintain the nutrients and taste of vegetables, but also facilitate storage and transportation. But what is the vegetable freezing process? Below we will introduce the main steps:

1.Raw material procurement and inspection

The processing of frozen vegetables begins with the purchase of raw materials. Qualified vegetables are the basis for ensuring the quality of the final product, so factories usually purchase fresh, uncontaminated vegetables. When entering the factory, vegetables need to undergo strict quality inspections to ensure that there are no pests, diseases, rot or other poor quality. At the same time, pesticide residues and heavy metal content are also checked to ensure that they meet food safety standards.

2.Washing and peeling

After the vegetables have passed the inspection, they enter the cleaning stage. The cleaning mainly removes the dirt, pesticide residues and other impurities on the surface of the vegetables. For some root vegetables (such as carrots and potatoes), they also need to be peeled. In this process, high-pressure water jets or cleaning tanks are usually used for thorough cleaning to ensure that there are no contaminants on the surface of the vegetables.

3.Cutting

After washing, the vegetables will be cut according to the requirements of the product. Different types of vegetables may be cut into slices, dices or shreds. For example, carrots may be cut into dices, while corn may be separated into kernels.

4.Blanching

Blanching is a key step in the processing of frozen vegetables. It is done by heating vegetables with hot water for a short time. The purpose is to destroy the enzymes in the vegetables, inhibit their activity, and prevent the vegetables from deteriorating or changing color after freezing. The blanching time and temperature vary depending on the type of vegetables. Generally speaking, leafy vegetables require a shorter blanching time, while root vegetables require a slightly longer time.

After blanching, the vegetables need to be cooled quickly, usually by rinsing with cold or ice water, in order to stop the heating process and preserve the freshness and taste of the vegetables.

5.Quick freezing

After blanching and cooling, vegetables will enter the freezing stage. In order to maximize the original flavor, nutrients and texture of vegetables, factories usually use quick freezing technology. The purpose of quick freezing is to reduce the temperature of vegetables to below -18°C in a short time to form small ice crystals and avoid large ice crystals from destroying the cell structure of vegetables.

The common freezing method is to use a vegetable freezer to freeze quickly to reduce water loss and maintain its original flavor.

6.Packaging

Frozen vegetables are precisely measured and packaged. Packaging materials usually use food-grade plastic bags or vacuum bags to ensure that the vegetables are not contaminated by the outside world during storage and transportation. The packaging process needs to be carried out in a low-temperature environment to avoid interruption of the cold chain.

The above is the main process of quick freezing of vegetables. If you want to know more information, please contact us.