As an important product form in modern food industry, the processing of frozen fruit and vegetable relies on efficient and stable frozen fruit and vegetable production line to complete the whole set of processes from cleaning, sorting, blanching to freezing. Different fruits and vegetables due to the organisational structure, moisture content, cutting methods are different, the adaptability of the equipment is also different. This article will focus on several common types of fruit and vegetables suitable for quick-freezing line processing, and briefly explain the configuration of the relevant equipment to match.
Commonly fruit and vegetable types in frozen production line
In practice, the following fruits and vegetables are widely used in quick-freezing processing due to stable tissue structure, moderate moisture, easy to maintain the colour and lustre:
- Carrots, green beans, corn kernels, okra: suitable for blanching and cooling directly into the quick-freezing process;
- Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus: need to be sectioned, picked and quantitatively cut, using a cutting machine with a conveyor system;
- Strawberries, blueberries, diced mangoes and other fruits: mostly using IQF quick-freezing technology to maintain particle integrity;
- Leafy greens such as spinach and cabbages: vibratory draining systems and graded conveying are required to avoid sticking.
Requirements for equipment adaptation to different materials
The frozen fruit and vegetable production line offered by Lonkia covers cleaning, picking, cutting, blanching, cooling, freezing and packaging. Different materials are usually subjected to specific processes before entering the freezing process, which impose strict requirements on the design and operating parameters of the machines:
- Leafy fruits and vegetables: need to match the bubble washing machine with multi-layer vibration draining system to prevent leaf breakage;
- Root vegetables: must be matched with multifunctional cutting machine to realise diced slices and filaments with multi-specification cutting;
- Berry fruits: air-cooled quick-freezing equipment must be used to ensure single-grain moulding and avoid sticking.
Influence of quick-freezing process on the texture of finished products
The quick-freezing process generally adopts IQF tunnel freezer or fluidised quick-freezing equipment, which can quickly reduce the centre temperature of the material to below -18℃, so as to maintain the original colour, flavour and nutrients of the fruits and vegetables to the maximum extent; the Lonkia quick-freezing system supports the function of automatic temperature control and wind speed adjustment, which can adapt to the freezing needs of different fruits and vegetables.
In summary, the configuration of specialised equipment for different fruits and vegetables is the key to improving production efficiency and quality of the finished product, and Lonkia's experience in the frozen fruit and vegetable production line enables us to provide customers with a complete set of equipment solutions that are highly adaptable and stable in operation. If you are looking for an efficient solution for frozen fruit and vegetable processing, please contact Lonkia for customised advice and technical support.