After washing and blanching fresh vegetables, they can be quickly frozen at a low temperature of -40 ℃, ensuring that the taste and nutrients of the food are not lost, while also extending the storage time of the vegetables.

Zhoushan Dacheng Food Co., Ltd., located in Xingta Community, Baiquan Town, Dinghai, is the only food processing enterprise in Zhoushan that possesses this technology.

With this technology, surrounding farmers are not afraid that vegetables will be unsold and rotting on the ground, and it also solves the problem of fresh vegetables not being available for ocean fishing boats, "said Xie Ting, the company's head.

Twenty or thirty types of frozen "fresh vegetables" board ocean fishing boats

Mr. Lionce worked as a sailor on an ocean fishing boat for a period of time. For him, the most difficult part of drifting on the sea is not the loneliness of facing the vast sea all day, but the inability to eat fresh vegetables.

Although there are plenty of fresh vegetables on board and stored in cold storage before sailing, the storage time for leafy vegetables is short, and they are almost finished in half a month, "Mr. Li said. Therefore, in the later stages, the crew often fall into a situation where they want to eat vegetables but cannot. Besides the storage time of cabbage and potatoes, the first thing we did when we landed was to go to the restaurant and order five or six plates of vegetables to have a good time

The storage time of frozen vegetables can reach one year, some of which are longer, which solves the problem of vegetable supply on ocean fishing boats. Our products are mostly sold on ocean fishing boats. "In the company's cold storage, Xie Ting introduced to reporters various types of frozen vegetables and vegetables, such as green vegetables, cauliflower, pumpkin, broad beans, sweet potatoes, etc. There are currently 20 to 30 varieties

Low temperature quick freezing "locks in" nutrients and prolongs storage time

Xie Ting brought out a box of frozen vegetables. At first glance, the surface of these vegetables was frozen and they didn't look fresh. But after thawing, it tastes like fresh vegetables. "He took out one or two of them and put them in a pot of warm water. As the ice on the vegetables melted, the leaves slowly spread out. The reporter tried to taste it and it really felt crispy, but there was still a gap in its "image" compared to fresh vegetables. If it were natural thawing, the effect would be better, "Xie Ting said.

Xie Ting introduced that before rapid freezing processing, the raw materials need to be blanched with hot water or blanched with high-temperature steam to achieve the goal of killing enzymes. The degree of blanching of different types of vegetables is also emphasized. For example, green vegetables generally need to reach six ripeness, while some only need five ripeness. Different ripeness is also beneficial for protecting the vitamins and other nutrients of vegetables. At the same time, compared to slow freezing, quick freezing at a low temperature of -40 ℃ is less prone to yellowing and breakage, and the storage time is longer.

Moving production, sales, and supply forward in the processing chain drives farmers' enthusiasm

There are many deep-sea fishing boats in Zhoushan. Before introducing this technology, some fishing boats needed frozen vegetables from places such as Yuyao and Jinhua.

Due to long-term dealings with local farmers, our vegetable supply in Zhoushan is not a problem at all, "Xie Ting said. Currently, the company has signed production and sales supply agreements with multiple agricultural cooperatives in Dinghai Baiquan, Cengang, Mamu, Putuo Zhujiajian, and other places. Xie Ting said that the company directly or indirectly drives more than 200 households each year, connecting more than 3000 tons of agricultural products, including over 1000 tons of frozen vegetables.

As the "vegetable basket" project base in Zhoushan City, the company also conducts guaranteed purchases of agricultural and sideline products. Last November, the local production of cauliflower increased significantly. For a while, cauliflower was unsold and sold at a low price of two or three quarters per kilogram. We purchased over 100 tons at a price of five cents per kilogram and processed them into frozen vegetables, extending the sales time. Now they have all been sold out, "Xie Ting explained.

In order to expand production, the company has purchased 27 acres of land at the West Wharf. A new factory will be built in September next year, equipped with three assembly lines and cold chain logistics. By then, the production capacity can reach tens of thousands of tons.