PROCESS FOR FREEZING KINDS OF FRESH COCONUT FRUITS

Abstract

Provided is a process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits including the following steps: i) selecting coconut fruits; ii) cleaning the coconut fruits; iii) drying the surface of the husked coconut fruits; iv) freezing the husked coconut fruits; and v) packing the husked coconut fruits, wherein step iv) is performed according to seven phases until the temperature of the husked coconut fruits of −18° C. is obtained.

Claims

1. A process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits comprising: i) selecting coconut fruits; selecting coconut fruits from coconut trees of 15 years old or more; ii) cleaning the coconut fruits; cutting and removing exocarps of the coconut fruits, peeling off coirs of the coconut fruits until endocarps of the coconut fruits are explored; washing and cleaning 3 eyes of the husked coconut fruits; cleaning until the openings of the husked coconut fruits are explored, but the openings of the husked coconut fruits are not broken; rapidly washing the husked coconut fruits by water, picking up them immediately, and then draining, and not impregnating with water for a long time; iii) drying the surface of the husked coconut fruits; placing the husked coconut fruits on inox shelves in the room, and then using industrial fans for drying from a plurality of directions of the drying shelves until the surface of endocarps of the husked coconut fruits is changed to peach brown; measuring moisture content on the surface of endocarps of the husked coconut fruits so that it does not exceed 5-10%; iv) freezing the husked coconut fruits according to 7 following phases: freezing phase 1: reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from +5° C. to 0° C. and maintaining this temperature for 66-78 hours; freezing phase 2: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from 0° C. to −5° C. and maintaining this temperature for 66-78 hours; freezing phase 3: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −5° C. to −10° C. and maintaining this temperature for 66-78 hours; freezing phase 4: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −10° C. to −12° C. and maintaining this temperature for 30-42 hours; freezing phase 5: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −12° C. to −14° C. and maintaining this temperature for 30-42 hours; freezing phase 6: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −14° C. to −16° C. and maintaining this temperature for 30-42 hours; and freezing phase 7: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −16° C. to −18° C. and maintaining this temperature for 42-54 hours; and v) packing the husked coconut fruits classifying the husked coconut fruits according to their size and weight, and then packing them into carton boxes; using a shrink film to wrap the carton boxes by the system for cutting and gluing a shrink film; maintaining the husked coconut fruits in the carton boxes at a temperature about −18° C. until use.

2. The process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits according to claim 1, wherein step iv) is performed as follows: freezing phase 1: reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from +5° C. to 0° C. and maintaining this temperature for 72 hours; freezing phase 2: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from 0° C. to −5° C. and maintaining this temperature for 72 hours; freezing phase 3: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −5° C. to −10° C. and maintaining this temperature for 72 hours; freezing phase 4: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −10° C. to −12° C. and maintaining this temperature for 36 hours; freezing phase 5: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −12° C. to −14° C. and maintaining this temperature for 36 hours; freezing phase 6: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −14° C. to −16° C. and maintaining this temperature for 36 hours; and freezing phase 7: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −16° C. to −18° C. and maintaining this temperature for 48 hours.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Hereinafter, in order to describe embodiments of the present invention more specifically, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in more details. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are only intended to illustrate embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any other embodiments that can be inferred from these embodiments by one of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of embodiments of the present invention. In particular, the process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits according to embodiments of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0061] i) Selecting Coconut Fruits

[0062] Selecting the coconut trees of 15 years old or or the Siamese blue coconut trees, which the fruit is about 8 months. In an embodiment, the coconut fruits are harvested when they are 33-35 day old because at this age, the sweetness of coconut juice satisfies the required standards, i.e., the sweetness of coconut juice is 75° Brix or more.

[0063] ii) Cleaning the Coconut Fruits

[0064] After harvesting, cutting the coconut fruits and removing outermost blue exocarps, and then peeling off coirs of the coconut fruits until endocarps of the coconut fruits are explored. This step is performed by hands or a machine for peeling off exocarps of the coconut fruits as long as the natural shape of the coconut fruits is maintained, and the outer skins are not weakened or the endocarps of the coconut fruits are not damaged. In an embodiment, the removal of the exocarp is completely performed by hands.

[0065] Next, washing and cleaning 3 eyes of the husked coconut fruits, until the openings of the husked coconut fruits are explored, but the openings of the husked coconut fruits are not broken.

[0066] Rapidly washing the husked coconut fruits by water, picking up them immediately, and then draining, and not impregnating with water for a long time.

[0067] iii) Drying the Surface of the Husked Coconut Fruits

[0068] After removing the exocarps and washing, placing the husked coconut fruits on inox shelves in the room, and then using industrial fans for blowing from a plurality of directions of the drying shelves for drying until the of surface of endocarps of the husked coconut fruits is changed to peach brown.

[0069] Measuring moisture content on the surface of endocarps of the husked coconut fruits so that it does not exceed 5-10%.

[0070] iv) Freezing the Husked Coconut Fruits

[0071] After drying, the husked coconut fruits are transferred into a freezing room for freezing. The freezing room for freezing the husked coconut fruits is a type of room that can freeze the temperature to −18° C. or less and has a system for adjusting temperature and time. The husked coconut fruits are transferred into the freezing room, neatly arranged on the shelves, and then the step of freezing is performed according to 7 following phases:

[0072] Freezing phase 1: reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from +5° C. to 0° C. and maintaining this temperature for 66-78 hours, or about 72 hours, i.e., 3 days.

[0073] Freezing phase 2: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from 0° C. to −5° C. and maintaining this temperature for 66-78 hours, or about 72 hours, i.e., 3 days.

[0074] Freezing phase 3: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −5° C. to −10° C. and maintaining this temperature for 66-78 hours, or about 72 hours, i.e., 3 days.

[0075] Freezing phase 4: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −10° C. to −12° C. and maintaining this temperature for 30-42 hours, or about 36 hours, i.e., 1.5 days.

[0076] Freezing phase 5: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −12° C. to −14° C. and maintaining this temperature for 30-42 hours, or about 36 hours, i.e., 1.5 days.

[0077] Freezing phase 6: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −14° C. to −16° C. and maintaining this temperature for 30-42 hours, or about 36 hours, i.e., 1.5 days.

[0078] Freezing phase 7: further reducing temperature of the husked coconut fruits to a temperature in a range from −16° C. to −18° C. and maintaining this temperature for 42-54 hours, or about 48 hours, i.e., 2 days.

[0079] Therefore, total time for freezing the husked coconut fruits in a range from 330 hours to 414 hours, or about 372 hours, i.e., 15.5 days.

[0080] v) Packing the Husked Coconut Fruits

[0081] After freezing, classifying the husked coconut fruits, which have the temperature in a range from −16° C. to −18° C. according to their size and weight, and then packing them into carton boxes. Next, wrapping the carton boxes by a shrink film by the system for cutting and gluing a shrink film, and then returning them into the freezing room in order to maintain their temperature at −18° C. This temperature will be maintained until use.

[0082] By the process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits according to embodiments of the present invention, the freshness and the deliciousness of the fresh coconut fruits are kept in the extended period of time up to 24 months, which are completely achieved by the freezing method, without use of any chemicals, therefore the process is very safe for users and environmental-friendly.

[0083] The freshness of the fresh coconut fruits frozen according to the process according to embodiments of the present invention is kept, which is similar to that of freshly-harvested coconut fruits (the process according to embodiments of the present invention is similar to the methods of preserving living cells). This process for freezing is to freeze the water molecules in the coconut fruits, the coconut meat, thereby the cell tissue structures are not disrupted, the oxidation is inhibited, the bacterial infection is prevented, thereby the taste and the color of these frozen coconut fruits are unchanged as well as the content of nutrients are maintained up to 99.7%.

[0084] Another advantage of the process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits according to embodiments of the present invention is that the sweetness of coconut juice and the coconut copra is increased and especially the taste of the fresh coconut fruits is more fragrant.

[0085] By the process according to embodiments of the present invention, the coconut fruits may be stored for a long time, which facilitates the export of coconut fruits to other countries, brings the great economic benefits to the coconut growers and the coconut exporting and processing enterprises.

[0086] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0087] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.