JP2001069937A - Production of tofu - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a tofu having a soft palatability. SOLUTION: When a soybean milk A containing a coagulant is held in a mold box 10, the surface of the soybean milk is lightly leveled and a pressing cover 20 is placed on the soybean milk. Firstly the mold box 10 is vertically inerted and then the soybean milk is dehydrated by a press. Then the mold box 10 is returned to the original position, dehydration for finish is carried out to form a tofu block. The tofu block is removed from the mold box in a water tank and is sent to the next cutting process, etc. Before the dehydration process divided to two processes, a process for vertically inverting the mold box 10 is set in each of the processes. In other words, since compression is carried out in a state in which water is prevailed in the whole region of the soybean milk containing a coagulant and the tofu block in a wet state, the formed soybean block is in a state in which water is thoroughly spread in the whole region. The obtained product has a soft palatability. The product is smoothly removed from the pressing cover 20 and the mold box 10 (bottom plate 12).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for producing tofu.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a tofu line is manufactured using a mold box, the following steps are generally performed. The soymilk containing the coagulant is placed in a mold box spread with a filter cloth. After lightly leveling the upper surface of the coagulant-containing soymilk, the filter cloth is folded and covered, and the lid is placed on it. The press lid is pressed by a press to drain the water to form a tofu block, and then the lid is removed and collected. On the mold box side, spread the filter cloth covered on the tofu block and place the floating plate. The mold box is turned upside down and placed in a water tank. The tofu block is placed on the floating plate and removed from the mold box, and the mold box is collected. In addition, the tofu block on the floating plate is covered with the filter cloth, so remove it. The tofu block is placed on the conveyor for the cutting process while removing the floating plate in the water tank.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the conventional manufacturing method,
Filter cloth is used for draining, etc., and this filter cloth has to rely on human hands, especially when it is laid in a mold box or folded over a tofu block, and the manufacturing line is automated. Was an obstacle on top. The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing tofu suitable for automating production without using a filter cloth.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing tofu, comprising the steps of: ,
A housing step of putting soy milk containing a coagulant, and a push lid placing step of placing a push lid formed by drilling a large number of microholes on the soy milk containing a coagulant housed in the mold box; Compressing the space between the push lid and the mold box, draining the water from the coagulant-containing soy milk to form a tofu block, inverting the mold box upside down, and placing the mold box in its original position It is characterized in that a returning step, an immersion step of immersing the mold box in a water tank after removing the push lid, and a separating step of removing the tofu block from the mold box in the water tank are sequentially performed. Have.

[0005] A method for producing tofu according to the second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a mold box having an open top surface formed with a large number of fine holes is provided.
A housing step of putting soy milk containing a coagulant, and a push lid placing step of placing a push lid formed by drilling a large number of microholes on the soy milk containing a coagulant housed in the mold box; A reversing step of inverting the mold box, compressing the space between the push lid and the mold box, draining water from the coagulant-containing soy milk to form a tofu block, and placing the mold box in its original position It is characterized in that a returning step, an immersion step of immersing the mold box in a water tank after removing the push lid, and a separating step of removing the tofu block from the mold box in the water tank are sequentially performed. Have.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, after the returning step, a finishing draining step of compressing the space between the push lid and the mold box to further drain water from the tofu block is performed. However, it has features. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the mold box is configured such that a bottom plate is removably fitted into a side frame from an upper surface side, and In the step and the detaching step, when the mold box is immersed in the water tank, the pin protruding from the bottom of the water tank contacts the bottom plate and lifts the bottom plate relatively, so that the tofu block is removed. It is characterized in that it is detached from the inside of the side frame while being placed on the bottom plate.

[0007]

<Operation and effect of the invention><Invention of claim 1> When soymilk containing a coagulant is contained in a mold box, a push lid is placed on it and pressed to drain water to form a tofu block. Is done. After that, the mold box is turned upside down and the tofu block is peeled off from the bottom plate of the mold box. Then, after the mold box is returned to the original position and the push lid is removed, the mold box is immersed in the water tank together with the mold box, the tofu block is removed from the mold box in the water tank, and is sent to the next cutting step or the like. This eliminates the need for a filter cloth used for draining or the like, which is convenient when automation of production is to be achieved.

<Invention of Claim 2> When soymilk containing a coagulant is contained in a mold box, a push lid is placed on the soymilk.
The mold box is turned upside down. Subsequently, it is pressed and drained to form a tofu block. After the mold box is returned to the original posture and the push lid is removed, the mold box is immersed in the water tank together with the mold box, and the tofu block is removed from the mold box in the water tank and is sent to the next cutting step or the like. First, the mold box is turned upside down and then compressed to drain the water.When the mold box is inverted, moisture spreads over the entire area of the soymilk containing the coagulant, and compression is performed from that state. Moisture is distributed evenly over the entire area of the block, and a soft texture can be obtained even when a product is obtained. In addition, since moisture is distributed throughout the tofu block, it can be smoothly separated from the push lid or the mold box, and the coagulant to be used is not limited.

<Invention of claim 3> Since the draining step is performed twice and a step of inverting the mold box is inserted before each step, the water can be more reliably distributed over the entire area of the tofu block. be able to. <Invention of Claim 4> When the tofu block is removed from the mold box in the water tank, the tofu block is removed from the side frame together with the bottom plate, and then the bottom plate is used as a pallet for carrying the tofu block. Compared to the case where a pallet (floating plate) is separately prepared conventionally, the handling is simplified, which can further contribute to automation of manufacturing.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> A manufacturing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a mold box 10 and a push lid 20 as shown in FIG. 1 are provided, and the mold box 10 further includes a side frame 11 and a bottom plate 12. The side frame 11 is made of a stainless steel plate 4
It is formed by assembling a plurality of side plates 14 in a rectangular frame shape. A flange is formed outward on both upper and lower edges, and a flange 15 is formed inward particularly on the lower edge. The bottom plate 12 is also a stainless steel plate having a large number of minute holes 13 formed therein, and is formed in such a size that it fits almost tightly in the side frame 11. Therefore, when the bottom plate 12 is fitted into the side frame 11 from above, the bottom plate 12
Is formed.

On the other hand, the push lid 20 has a structure in which a lid plate 22 having a large number of micro holes 13 is formed in a stainless steel plate on the lower surface of a lattice base 21. It is formed in a size that fits almost tightly inside the. The stainless steel plate used for the above-mentioned mold box 10 and the like has a thickness of about 0.5 mm and a diameter of the minute hole 13 of about 0.6 mm.
Their shapes are exaggerated as appropriate.

The manufacturing procedure of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the mold box 10 and other ancillary equipment are schematically described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, soymilk A containing a coagulant is placed in the mold box 10 (accommodation step). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3, the contained soymilk A containing the coagulant is scraped vertically and horizontally by the leveling tool 30, so that the soymilk A
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the push lid 20 is placed on the upper surface of the leveled soymilk A containing the coagulant (push lid placing step).

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressing lid 20 is pushed down by the press machine 32, so that the soymilk A containing the coagulant is compressed between the bottom plate 12 of the mold box 10 and the water contained therein is finely reduced. When the soybean cake is discharged through the holes 13 and subjected to so-called draining (draining step), a tofu block B which is solidified to some extent is formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the mold box 10 is turned upside down. Thereby, in the draining process of FIG. 5, the portion where the lower surface Bb of the tofu block B bites into the bottom plate 12 is in a peeled state. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the mold box 10 is returned to the original posture, and then the push lid 20 is removed.

From this state, the mold box 10 is immersed in the water tank 34. In this dipping step, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of pins 35 are erected from the bottom of the water tank 34, and the bottom plate 12 of the mold box 10 is dipped so as to hit the pins 35. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, while the bottom plate 12 and the tofu block B thereon are supported by the pins 35, the side frame 11
Only the water sinks on the bottom of the water tank 34, and the bottom plate 12 and the tofu block B relatively rise from the side frame 11 and come out (separation step). Then, the tofu block B is placed on the water tank 34 while the bottom plate 12 is placed on the pallet as a pallet.
Inside the conveyor 38 while being peeled off from the bottom plate 12 by being pushed by a pusher 37, as shown in FIG.
And transported to the next cutting step.

As described above, the first embodiment does not require a filter cloth used for draining or the like, and is therefore suitable for fully automating the production of tofu. Further, the mold box 10 has a structure in which the bottom plate 12 is detachably fitted in the side frame 11, and when the tofu block B is detached from the mold box 10 in the water tank 34, the tofu block B together with the bottom plate 12 is attached to the side frame 11. , And then the bottom plate 12 is used as a pallet for carrying the tofu block B thereon. Therefore, as compared with a case where a pallet (floating plate) is separately prepared conventionally, the handling is simplified, and the production is automated. Can be further contributed to.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The first embodiment described above has a great advantage that the filter cloth can be eliminated, but leaves room for improvement even in small details. For example, the first
In the embodiment, since the surface As side of the coagulant-containing soymilk A contained in the mold box 10 becomes the surface when the tofu block B becomes the tofu as a product, the drainage is performed to improve the appearance. It is necessary to level the surface As of the coagulant-containing soymilk A before placing the push lid 20 in order to perform the above. Therefore, using the leveling device 30, the soymilk A containing the coagulant is used.
The surface As was leveled by repeatedly scraping the soybean milk vertically and horizontally (Fig. 3). However, when the tofu as a product was completed as a result of scraping soymilk A many times, the texture became soft. There was a lack of dislike. Also, after the water content decreased through the draining step, the mold box 10 was inverted (FIG. 6),
Since the lower surface Bb of the tofu block B and the bottom plate 12 are peeled off, the peeling is inevitably difficult. In order to promote the peeling as much as possible, for example, "Nigari (magnesium chloride)" is used as a coagulant. The coagulant to be used was limited because of necessity.

The second embodiment is further improved to eliminate the above-mentioned problems. The manufacturing procedure of the second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 11 to 17 and FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. First, as in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, soymilk A containing a coagulant is placed in the mold box 10 (accommodation step). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12, the surface of the stored soymilk A containing the coagulant is leveled. This average is
It may be small enough to prevent extreme irregularities on the surface. Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the push lid 20 is placed on the upper surface of the roughly leveled soymilk A containing the coagulant (the push lid placing step).

Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the mold box 10 is turned upside down with the push lid 20 inserted (inversion step). Accordingly, the surface As of the coagulant-containing soymilk A comes to the lower side and is pressed against the push lid 20 by its own weight, so that the surface As is formed flat. Also, after the coagulant-containing soymilk A is put in the mold box 10 and before the push lid 20 is covered,
The water contained in the coagulant-containing soymilk A tends to accumulate on the bottom side, but by the reversing process of FIG.
It is returned to the s side. As a result, the inside of the coagulant-containing soymilk A is in a state in which the water is distributed evenly.

Subsequently, a primary draining step is performed as shown in FIG. In the primary draining step, the mold box 10 is compressed at low to medium pressure by the press 32 while being inverted, and is primarily drained to form the tofu block B1. This tofu block B1 is still in a wet state over the entire area. Next, the mold box 10 is returned to the original posture as shown in FIG. 16 (return step). In the above-mentioned primary draining step, that is, when the wet tofu block B1 is formed from the coagulant-containing soymilk A, the moisture contained therein tends to move to the lower surface Bs side. However, in this return step, moisture is returned to the lower surface Bb again. As a result, the inside of the wet tofu block B1 is in a state in which the water is distributed evenly.

Then, as shown in FIG. 17, with the mold box 10 facing upward, a high-pressure press is applied in the forward direction by the press machine 32 to finish the draining (finish draining step), and the tofu block is finished. B is molded. In this finishing draining step, the moist tofu block B1 in which the moisture is evenly distributed over the entire area is compressed. Therefore, the moisture is distributed to the entire area of the molded tofu block B, and the upper and lower surfaces of the tofu block B Bs,
Unnecessarily strong adhesion between Bb and the lid 20 or the bottom plate 12 is also avoided.

When the finishing draining step is completed as described above, thereafter, the same steps as those shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 of the first embodiment are performed. Briefly, after the lid 20 is removed, the mold box 10 is placed in the water tank 34 as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom plate 12 and the tofu block B are supported by the pins 35 while the side frame 11 is immersed therein.
(The detaching step). Thereafter, the tofu block B is similarly moved in the water tank 34 to a predetermined position while being placed on the pallet with the bottom plate 12 as a pallet. As shown in FIG. Is transferred to the next cutting step.

In the second embodiment, the following advantages can be obtained in addition to the first embodiment. After the coagulant-containing soymilk A is placed in the mold box 10 and covered with the push lid 20, the mold box 10 is first turned upside down, and then compressed and drained. Since the water spreads over the entire area of the soymilk A containing the composition and compression is performed from that state, the water spreads evenly over the entire area of the molded tofu blocks B1, B,
Even in the case of a product, a soft texture can be obtained. In particular, since the draining step is performed twice, and a step of inverting the mold box 10 is performed before each step, it is possible to more reliably spread the water throughout the entire area.

Further, the fact that the moisture has spread throughout the tofu block B means that the tofu block B and the push lid 20
In addition, the gap between the bottom plate 12 of the mold box 10 and the bottom plate 12 is not fixed more than necessary, and the respective peeling can be performed smoothly. Therefore, as a coagulant to be added to soymilk, not only a coagulant having excellent ability to promote peeling but also a substance such as "smother powder (calcium sulfate)" can be used. Also in the second embodiment, the surface As side of the coagulant-containing soymilk A housed in the mold box 10 has the tofu blocks B1,
Since it becomes the surface when the tofu becomes a product from B, it is necessary to consider its appearance. for that reason,
It is necessary to level the surface As of the coagulant-containing soymilk A before covering the push lid 20, but in the second embodiment, the mold box 10 is turned upside down before draining. The surface As of the coagulant-containing soymilk A comes to the lower side with the inversion and is pressed against the push lid 20 by its own weight, so that it is formed flat. The surface As of soymilk A may be simply leveled. That is, as in the first embodiment, the coagulant-containing soymilk A
It is not necessary to perform the operation of scratching the tofu many times, and this can also greatly contribute to the fact that the tofu as a product obtains a soft texture. The surface of the tofu as a product is formed by pressing the surface Bs of the tofu block B against the push cover 20 (the cover plate 22), and the cover plate 22 is formed of a stainless steel plate having a large number of micro holes 13. Therefore, a clean surface can be obtained which is comparable to the case where a filter cloth is used.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the second embodiment, the water draining step is provided in two separate steps. However, the water draining process is performed by pressing in the reverse direction shown in FIG. 15 until finishing, and the press in the forward direction shown in FIG. 17 is removed. Is also good. This is also effective enough to distribute water evenly in the tofu block.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a mold box and a push lid used in a manufacturing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a housing process according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a leveling process.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a push lid mounting process.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a draining step.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an inversion step.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a return step.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an immersion step.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a detachment step.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the process shifts to a cutting step.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of an accommodation process according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a leveling process.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a push lid mounting step.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of an inversion step.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a primary draining step.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a return step.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a finish draining step.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mold box 11 ... Side frame 12 ... Bottom plate 13 ... Micro hole 15 ... Flange 20 ... Push lid 32 ... Press machine 34 ... Water tank 35 ... Pin A ... Soy milk containing coagulant B ... Tofu block B1 ... Tofu block

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A housing step of putting coagulant-containing soymilk in a mold box having an open top surface formed with a large number of micropores, and a step of placing a large number of coagulant-containing soymilk accommodated in the mold box. A push lid placing step of placing a push lid formed by forming micro holes, compressing the space between the push lid and the mold box, draining water from the coagulant-containing soy milk to form a tofu block A water draining step, an inversion step of inverting the mold box, a return step of returning the mold box to its original position, an immersion step of immersing the mold box in a water tank after removing the push lid, A step of removing the tofu block from the mold box inside the mold box. 2. A storing step of putting coagulant-containing soymilk in a mold box having an open top surface formed with a large number of micropores; A pushing lid placing step of placing a pushing lid formed by forming a micro hole, an inverting step of turning the mold box upside down, and compressing a space between the pushing lid and the mold box to form the coagulant. A draining step of forming a tofu block by draining water from the soymilk containing; a returning step of returning the mold box to its original position; an immersion step of immersing the mold box in a water tank after removing the push lid; and A step of removing the tofu block from the mold box inside the mold box. 3. The method for producing tofu according to claim 2, wherein after the returning step, a finishing draining step of compressing the space between the push lid and the mold box to further drain water from the tofu block is performed. . 4. The mold box is configured such that a bottom plate is removably fitted into a side frame from an upper surface side, and in the immersing step and the detaching step, the mold box is immersed in the water tank. A pin protruding from the bottom of the water tank abuts against the bottom plate and relatively lifts the bottom plate so that the tofu block is removed from the inside of the side frame while being placed on the bottom plate. The method for producing tofu according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: