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Winter melon production involves a detailed and precise process to ensure the final product is crisp, sweet, and visually appealing. The method includes several key stages that contribute to the texture and flavor of the finished product.
**1. Process Flow**
The production begins with raw material selection, followed by peeling, cutting, hardening, sugar impregnation, cooking, drying, and finally sugar coating to create the final product. Each step is crucial in achieving the desired quality and consistency.
**2. Key Steps in Production**
- **Raw Material Selection**: High-quality winter melons are chosen—fresh, firm, and fully matured. The fruit should have dense flesh without any blemishes or soft spots.
- **Peeling and Cutting**: After washing the melon thoroughly, the outer skin is removed using a rotary machine or planer. The melon is then cut into uniform pieces, either cubes or strips, depending on the desired final shape.
- **Hardening Treatment**: The cut melon pieces are soaked in a lime water solution (0.5%–1.5%) for 8–12 hours. This helps firm up the texture, making the melon easier to handle during later steps. After soaking, the pieces are rinsed thoroughly with clean water to remove excess lime.
- **Blanching**: The hardened melon pieces are briefly boiled in pre-boiled water for 5–10 minutes until they become translucent. They are then rinsed 3–4 times to remove any residual impurities.
- **Sugar Impregnation**: The blanched melon is placed in a sugar solution (20%–25%) for 8–12 hours. The concentration is gradually increased to 40%, and the melon is left to soak for another 8–12 hours. To prevent the sugar solution from becoming too concentrated too quickly, a small amount of sodium sulfite (about 0.1%) may be added during the initial stage.
- **Candying**: The melon strips are weighed and combined with sugar at a ratio of 12–13 kg of sugar per 15 kg of melon. The mixture is cooked slowly in a pot, with additional sugar added in three stages until the sugar concentration reaches 75%–80%.
- **Drying and Icing**: Once the candied melon is ready, it is removed from the syrup and dried. After drying, the pieces are briefly immersed in a saturated sugar solution to form a thin, white sugar coating on the surface.
**3. Quality Standards**
The final product should be crisp, have a smooth and even texture, appear white in color, and be free from any off-flavors. A fine layer of sugar coating should be visible on the surface, enhancing both its appearance and sweetness.
**Second Method: Melon Production**
Another approach involves selecting 10–15 kg of fully mature wax gourds. These are washed, trimmed, and cut into 15 cm wide rounds, with seeds removed. The slices are then cut into 1.5 cm strips. Soaking in 0.6% lime water for 8–12 hours helps firm the texture. After rinsing multiple times, the melon is blanched in boiling water for 10 minutes until clear. It is then rinsed repeatedly over 8–12 hours, with fresh water changed every 3–4 hours.
The melon strips are then placed in a sugar solution of 20–25° Baumé for 8–12 hours. The sugar concentration is gradually increased to 40° Baumé, and the melon is left to soak again. Sodium sulfite may be added during the first immersion to prevent over-saturation. After the candying process, the mixture is cooked until the sugar concentration reaches 78%–80%. At this point, the melon is dried and coated with a light layer of sugar. For the final coating, a small amount of sugar is melted in a pan with a few drops of water, stirred continuously until it turns into a fine powder, and then mixed with the dried melon strips. Typically, 10 kg of dried melon requires about 100 grams of sugar for the final coating.