Abstract:The complicated processing steps in the production of dried apricots were addressed. Li Guangxing, a special fruit of Xinjiang, was used as the raw material. A composite sugar permeation with effects such as hardening, color protection, osmotic dehydration, and preservation was used along with a non-thermal osmotic dehydration process to explore the best low-temperature osmotic dehydration process non-thermal for making fresh apricot into preserved fruit. The effect of composite solution combined with non-thermal osmotic dehydration treatment on the quality of preserved fruit was measured using single-factor experiments and a fuzzy mathematical sensory model, taking sensory quality, physicochemical properties, and nutritional components as indexes. A response surface methodology was used to design and optimize the experiment, process, and analyze the data. The results showed that the saccharifying formula of the composite sugar permeation should be: 1.0% CaCl2+0.8% colorant (0.20% L-cysteine +0.20% ascorbic acid+0.60% citric acid) and sugar syrup (sucrose: granulated sugar=2:8) (the proportions above were calculated according to the mass fraction). The fuzzy sensory scores of preserved apricots processed by non-thermal osmotic dehydration treatment with the above formula were 84.10, hardness was 3 636.50 g, total sugar content was 39.20 mg/100 g, titratable acid content was 1.52%, Vc content was 6.60 mg/100 g, the color difference value was 38.41, POD enzyme activity was 1.72 U/g, and relative PPO enzyme activity was 1.21 U/g. In summary, compared with the traditional process, the preserved apricots treated under this process exhibited the best quality, showing an improved retention rate of nutrients and enhanced sensory properties, and the preserved apricots had retained the fresh fruit flavor. This study provides a theoretical basis for the non-thermal processing of preserved fruit.
