ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Peeled chestnuts - commercial prospects.

Miller, G.;

83rd Annual report, Northern Nut Growers' Association. Year: 1992, publ. 1993 Pages: 46-52

1993

บทคัดย่อ

Recent research on postharvest quality in Castanea mollissima nuts is discussed, with particular emphasis on factors influencing fungal decay (most commonly due to Penicillium and Fusarium species) and starch conversion to sugar. Some data on storage and drying temperatures are presented. Dried nuts are easy to peel and can be stored peeled or unpeeled. A prototype chestnut peeling process has been developed which involves the following steps: (1) temperature/moisture preconditioning, (2) shell removal, (3) air separation of kernels from debris, and (4) manual removal of culls. The device can peel a mixture of differently shaped and sized nuts over a wide range of moisture contents, with a maximum input rate of about 100 kg/h (dependent on average kernel size). Capital and operating costs are estimated to be approx. half to one-tenth those of current European technology. Markets for peeled chestnuts and chestnut products have not yet been developed in the USA, but the potential is very high.