The application of freeze-drying technology in the processing of shiitake mushrooms marks a crucial step towards modern deep processing in the traditional edible fungi industry. Traditional drying methods such as sun drying and hot air drying, while extending the shelf life of shiitake mushrooms, often result in significant loss of nutrients. The introduction of freeze-drying technology, which involves low-temperature freezing and vacuum dehydration, allows for the complete preservation of the nutritional content of shiitake mushrooms, opening new avenues for enhancing the quality of shiitake products.
In terms of nutrient retention, freeze-drying technology demonstrates significant advantages. Studies have shown that freeze-dried shiitake mushrooms retain over 95% of their protein content, more than 90% of their vitamin C, and nearly all of their polysaccharide activity. This exceptional preservation of nutrients makes freeze-dried shiitake mushrooms a veritable "treasure trove of nutrition." Moreover, the freeze-drying process remarkably maintains the physical form of the mushrooms. Freeze-dried shiitake mushrooms retain their complete umbrella-like structure, presenting a crisp texture that almost fully restores to its fresh state upon rehydration. This characteristic not only enhances the product's visual quality but also provides convenience for subsequent cooking and processing.
Process of Making Freeze-Dried Shiitake Mushrooms:
1. Pre-treatment of Raw Materials: The selection of raw materials is the first step in ensuring product quality. Fresh, intact, and disease-free high-quality shiitake mushrooms are chosen, cleaned to remove soil, dust, and other impurities, and care is taken to maintain the structural integrity of the mushrooms. After cleaning, surface moisture is drained.
2. Use freeze-drying machine for freeze-drying stage: the pre-freezing process uses quick-freezing technology to reach the temperature below -35 ° C, and the pre-freezing time is usually 2-4 hours according to the thickness of the raw material. The frozen shiitake mushrooms are put into the freeze-drying machine, and the drying stage is carried out in a vacuum environment, and the temperature of the heating plate is gradually increased to -10℃ to -5℃ to remove free water. In this process, the material temperature needs to be monitored in real time to ensure that it does not exceed the eutectic point temperature. After removing the free water, the heating plate temperature will be further increased to 30 ° C to 40 ° C to remove the bound water. After freeze-drying, the water content of shiitake mushrooms is reduced to 3% to 5%. Since the whole process is carried out at low temperatures, the active ingredients of shiitake mushrooms are retained, and the nutrients are better preserved even in long-term storage.
3. Packaging: The packaging is nitrogen-filled, and the residual oxygen content is controlled below 2%. Nitrogen-filled packaging not only effectively maintains the crisp taste of freeze-dried shiitake mushrooms, but also provides better protection in transportation and storage.
If you are interested in our Freeze Dryer Machine or have any questions, please feel free to Contact us. As a professional manufacturer of freeze dryer machine, we offer a variety of specifications, including household, laboratory, pilot, and production models. Whether you need equipment for home use or larger-scale industrial equipment, we can provide you with the highest quality products and services.
Post time: Mar-17-2025
