How to make crispy okra

We often eat some freeze-dried foods outside, such as apple slices, dried strawberries, pear slices, pineapple slices, etc., but none of these are as delicious as okra crisps. Okra crisps have a crispy, fragrant and glutinous texture, and the most important thing is that both the color and flavor are perfectly preserved. So what is the production process of okra crisps?

Okra Crisp Processing Technology (VF Technology)

1. Processing technology

Okra crisps use vacuum dehydration manufacturing technology from Taiwan, referred to as VF technology. VF technology originated from NASA's space food technology and later developed to its most mature stage in Taiwan! VF technology processes food under vacuum conditions, which can reduce or even avoid the hazards caused by oxidation (such as fatty acid rancidity, enzymatic browning and other oxidative deterioration, etc.). Therefore, the nutrition, color and flavor of the product are retained during the dehydration process.

a. Features of products processed by VF technology:

① Product appearance: Under vacuum conditions, using vegetable oil as a medium, the moisture inside the food will evaporate rapidly and be extracted, making the food less likely to fade, change color, or brown, allowing the product to maintain its original color and shape.

②Taste and flavor: The raw materials are vacuum dehydrated in a sealed state. Most of the flavoring ingredients in the raw materials are water-soluble and do not dissolve in oils and fats. Moreover, as the raw materials are dehydrated, these flavoring ingredients are further concentrated. Therefore, the vacuum dehydration technology can well preserve the aroma of the raw materials themselves. This technology also reduces the moisture content of the product to less than 5%, so it has a very crispy and delicious taste and unique flavor.

③Nutritional value: Except for a small amount of water-soluble vitamins that will be lost, other nutrients such as plant fiber, minerals, carbohydrates, plant protein, etc. are retained without loss.

④Shelf life: Since the water content is less than 5%, the storage time of the product is longer than traditional ones, and the shelf life at room temperature can reach one year.

b. Comparison between VF technology and traditional technology:

① The oil content of food produced by traditional technology is as high as 25%-35%, which is harmful to health if consumed for a long time; while the oil content of okra crisps produced by VF technology is maintained at 5%-12%, and the production process uses vegetable oil as a dehydration medium. The unsaturated fatty acids contained in vegetable oil cannot be synthesized by the human body and need to be obtained from food, so it can be safely consumed for a long time.

② In traditional frying processing methods, the oil temperature is above 160℃, which causes serious deterioration and easily produces acrylamide, a possible carcinogen. Vacuum dehydration technology controls the oil temperature below 60℃, prevents processed foods from deteriorating, and preserves the nutritional components of vegetable oil to the greatest extent.

③ Due to the high temperature, the products processed by traditional processing methods lose their original color and have a greasy taste; vacuum dehydration technology can effectively maintain the original color and shape of the food, making it crispy and delicious.

c. Zero Additive

Sure enough, Meng Okra Crisp adopts zero-additive standards during the production process, that is, zero artificial colors, zero preservatives, and zero hydrogenated oils. This product has passed the inspection of the national food hygiene department and passed the ISO22000 food safety management system certification. It is a food that conforms to the modern healthy and green consumption concept.

2. Source of raw materials

Okra Crisp uses tender okra fruits that are grown harmlessly without spraying pesticides. Even the ripe okra can be eaten directly. The picked okra needs to be strictly selected, and only the fruits with a length of about 10-12CM, bright surface color, fresh and crispy are retained for processing, which greatly ensures the crisp color and taste of the processed okra.