WHEAT GRAIN PREPARING FOR PRODUCTION OF CONSERVED FOOD “SECOND COURSE FOR LUNCH

Modern trends which imply maximum using of all caryopsis anatomical parts in people's diet present a great interest from the point of view of developing a ready-to-eat preserved food «Second Course for Lunch» based on prepared whole grain in a convenient polymer package. The author suggested using the method of preparing wheat grain by means of steeping, parboiling, and adding it in the preserved food as one of the recipe ingredients. The subject of the study was hulless wheat grain harvested in the Republic of Belarus. The author studied grain quality parameters using standard procedures, grain preparation stages, changes in microbial flora during preparation. Besides, parboiling parameters of the prepared grain were determined. Swelling ratio was determined (k = 1.3) for wheat grain steeping in water at 18 ± 2 °C during 30 hours with water changes every 5 hours till humidity reached 44.4 ± 1 %. Seed vigor (92.0–96.2 %) and swelling ratio (k = 1.3) are considered during calculation of raw material usage rate in the production of preserved food. It was determined that during steeping bacterial content rises sufficiently, and that process takes place when steeping period increases. The author optimized the process of sprouted grain parboiling and determined parboiling technological parameters: at 95–98 °C for 20 min. The process of salt solution absorption by grain after processing during storage of preserved food model samples was considered. The author found out that absorption stops after 60 days of storage. Grain swelling ratio is k = 1.12.