The rose industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, achieving significant scale. However, it still faces challenges that hinder its full potential. While roses have a relatively long blooming season, individual flowers have a short lifespan and are prone to wilting, making long-term preservation difficult. This limitation restricts their application scope and economic value. Currently, the industry primarily focuses on fresh cut flower sales, resulting in a single product form with low added value, which fails to meet the market's diverse demands. Freeze-drying technology, as an advanced preservation method, offers a solution to these challenges, expanding the application of roses and enhancing product value, thereby injecting new vitality into the industry.
The Freeze-Drying Process for Roses
1. Pre-Treatment
Fresh roses are placed in a freeze-dryer and rapidly cooled to temperatures between -30°C and -50°C. This step ensures that the moisture within the roses completely freezes, preserving the cellular structure of the flowers.
2. Sublimation Drying Phase
The freeze-dryer operates on the principle of water's triple-phase transformation (liquid, solid, and gas) under vacuum conditions. By reducing the pressure inside the chamber and gradually increasing the temperature to around 0°C, the ice crystals within the roses sublimate directly from solid to gas, bypassing the liquid phase. This process prevents damage to the cellular structure caused by liquid water. After this stage, the temperature is further raised to approximately 30°C to remove any remaining bound water, ensuring the roses are thoroughly dried.
3. Packaging
Freeze-dried roses have extremely low moisture content, making it difficult for microorganisms to grow and significantly extending their shelf life. They can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 years or even longer, breaking through time and space limitations and enabling access to broader markets. However, due to their lightweight and fragile nature after drying, freeze-dried roses are typically packaged in rigid plastic boxes or metal cans instead of soft bags to prevent crushing.
Advantages of Freeze-Drying Technology
The freeze-drying process, conducted at low temperatures, preserves the roses' original shape, vibrant color, natural fragrance, and essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Unlike traditional drying methods, which often damage cellular structures, aromatic molecules, and nutrients due to high temperatures, freeze-drying ensures optimal retention of these qualities.
By leveraging the unique advantages of freeze-drying technology, roses can be transformed into a variety of products, including floral teas, food ingredients, cosmetics, and handicrafts. This diversification meets the market's growing demand for innovative and high-value rose-based products.
Conclusion
Freeze-drying technology not only addresses the preservation challenges of the rose industry but also opens up new avenues for product development and market expansion. As the industry continues to evolve, this innovative approach promises to unlock unprecedented opportunities, delivering superior products to consumers worldwide.
Contact us to learn how freeze-drying technology can revolutionize your rose-based products!
Post time: Mar-24-2025
