Texture preparation method for evaluating reverse spinach capsules

Molecular cooking was initiated in 1988 by the Hungarian physicist Nicholas Kurti and the French chemist Hervé This. In simple terms, molecular cooking uses scientific methods to study the molecular, physical, and structural changes that occur during food production. Molecular cooking technology mainly includes foam technology, capsule spheroidization technology, liquid nitrogen technology, low temperature technology and smoking technology. Capsule spheroidization technology is one of the representative techniques of molecular cooking. The mechanism is that sodium alginate encounters calcium ions rapidly to exchange ions, forming a multi-dimensional network structure and generating calcium alginate gel beads. The addition of calcium lactate to the sodium alginate solution results in a reverse capsule, which is only gelled on the surface and still in a liquid state.

Spinach, also known as Persian, is rich in carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. It has the functions of ensuring nutrition, improving health and enhancing disease resistance. In this paper, spinach capsules were made by reverse capsule spheroidization technique. The effects of sodium alginate dosage, calcium lactate dosage, molding time, capsule volume, spinach and water quality ratio on spinach capsules were investigated.

1 reverse spinach capsule production process

Wash the spinach, remove the stem, mix the spinach with distilled water juice; measure 250mL spinach juice, add calcium lactate, stir evenly, add xanthan gum, stir again; add sodium alginate into the beaker, add 500mL distilled water, stir evenly; use the needle tube or measuring spoon to weigh the spinach juice, drop it into sodium alginate for a certain period of time; take it out, put it into clean water, and set it.

2 Instrument evaluation

Instrument: Universal TA Texture Analyzer

Probe: cylindrical flat bottom probe

Test parameters: speed before test is 0.5mm/s, test speed is 0.5mm/s, speed after test: 0.5mm/s, target mode: deformation 30%

Determination results: mainly take the fracture force, hardness, adhesion, adhesiveness.

3 results

The rupture force, hardness, adhesion and adhesiveness of spinach capsules were tested using a texture analyzer. The results showed that the amount of sodium alginate was 5.2g, the amount of calcium lactate was 2.3g, the molding time was 12min, and the volume of capsule was 1.25ml, which was the best process for reverse spinach capsules.