JP2001299243A - Method for producing devil's tongue containing bubble and production device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a bubble containing devil's tongue ('Konnyaku'), in which desired bubbles can be easily contained in the devil's tongue in the production process and the bubbles can naturally be micronized under an atmospheric pressure to give the bubble containing devil's tongue having a good quality, when the devil's tongue is taken out from a closed vessel, and to provide a device for producing the same. SOLUTION: This method for producing the bubble-containing devil's tongue, characterized by charging devil's tongue raw materials and air into a closed vessel, stirring and mixing the charged materials, and then excluding the produced bubble-containing devil's tongue from the closed vessel held in a negative pressure state, whereby the bubbles contained in the devil's tongue extruded from the closed vessel are compressed and micronized under the atmospheric pressure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing konjac containing bubbles and a production apparatus therefor, and more particularly, to a method of producing a konjac containing bubbles, wherein the bubbles can be easily contained, and the bubbles are dense and have a good texture. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for producing air-conditioned konjac and a production apparatus therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, konjac has a moderate hardness and elasticity and has been favored for its good texture, and in general, a swelling step of preparing konjac paste by swelling konjak fine powder with water, and this swelling step. And a gelling agent such as an alkali is added to the konjac paste prepared in the above step, and the mixture is stirred, mixed and gelatinized to form a plate, rod, noodle, or the like. At that time, a large number of air bubbles are mixed into the konjac, so that the seasoning and the soup are easily absorbed.

However, since it is difficult to obtain uniform air bubbles in the above-mentioned conventional example, a "method of producing air-conditioned konjac" as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-9888 has been proposed. In the "method of producing konjac containing bubbles", eggs are added to the konjac raw material and stirred to foam the konjac raw material and coagulate the konjac raw material.

[0004]

However, the above conventional example has the following disadvantages. a) The result is that the original flavor of konjac is impaired by the addition of eggs for whipping. b) Similarly, the original texture of konjac is also impaired by the addition of eggs for whipping. c) The inherent advantage of konjac of low calories is impaired by the addition of eggs for whipping.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and allows desired bubbles to be easily contained in the manufacturing process. In addition, when the bubbles are taken out from the closed container, the bubbles are automatically generated under the atmospheric pressure. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing aerated konjac that can be miniaturized and obtain a better quality aerated konjac, and a production apparatus therefor.

[0006]

That is, according to the method for producing aerated konjac of the present invention, the konjac raw material and air are fed into a closed container, and the konjac raw material and air are stirred and mixed. By discharging the konjac containing bubbles from the container, the bubbles contained in the konjac that has come out of the closed container into the atmosphere are pressurized under the atmospheric pressure to be miniaturized. It is.

The method for producing aerated konjac according to the present invention is characterized in that the amount of konjac filled with air bubbles discharged from the closed container is larger than the amount of the konjac raw material and air sent into the closed container. Is maintained in a negative pressure state.

The apparatus for producing konjac containing bubbles according to the present invention is characterized in that a konjac raw material and air are agitated and mixed, and a closed container maintained in a negative pressure state, and means for feeding the konjac raw material and air into the closed container. And means for discharging the konjac containing bubbles from the closed container, so that the bubbles contained in the konjac that came out of the closed container into the atmosphere were pressurized under the atmospheric pressure to be miniaturized. It is characterized by the following.

Here, the konjac raw material is mainly konjak fine powder swollen with water, and can contain various flavoring materials. This seasoning material includes sugar, salt, umami seasoning, mirin, soy sauce, various extracts,
Various ingredients used for flavoring foods, such as spices, may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Natural ingredients are preferably used.

A gelling agent is added to the konjac raw material. As the gelling agent, alkalis generally used for konjac agglomeration may be used.In particular, calcium hydroxide is preferable in terms of gelling ability and price, and usually,
About 1 to 10% by weight of konjac refined powder is dissolved in a small amount of water for use.

The closed container includes a metal tank made of stainless steel or other heat-resistant metal. Further, it is necessary that the container has a highly airtight structure because of applying a negative pressure to the inside.

In the step of stirring the konjac raw material,
Air is sent into the closed container using a compressor or the like. Therefore, the konjac raw material that has been swollen with water and has become a stable konjac paste having viscoelasticity takes in a large amount of the supplied air into the inside during the stirring operation. At the same time,
Since the inside of the closed container is kept in a negative pressure state, each air bubble is hardly crushed in the closed container, and the konjac raw material in the closed container has a porous structure containing countless air bubbles.

Next, the paste-like konjac raw material is gelatinized by the addition of a gelling agent and heating in the subsequent coagulation step, and becomes a konjac with a uniform texture of air bubbles and a smooth texture. Since the konjac was prepared by preparing a paste-like konjac raw material under a negative pressure, it forms a stable gel and has excellent storage stability and freezing resistance.

According to the method for producing a bubbled konjac of the present invention and the production apparatus for the same as described above, desired bubbles can be easily contained in the production process, and when the konjac is taken out from the closed container. The bubbles were automatically made finer under the atmospheric pressure, and konjac containing bubbles with higher quality could be obtained.

[0016]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a production method of a konjak with air bubbles according to the present invention; FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram for explaining an apparatus for producing aerated konjac that can be suitably used in a method for producing aerated konjac.

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus for producing aerated konjac according to the present invention includes a stirring and mixing tank 1 serving as a closed vessel for stirring and mixing konjac raw material and air. A raw material supply pump 2 for feeding konjac raw material and an air supply pump 3 for supplying air, and a discharge pump 4 for discharging konjac containing bubbles from the stirring and mixing tank 1 are respectively provided in the stirring and mixing tank 1. It is attached. In the figure, reference numeral 7 denotes a piping system of the discharge pump 4.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a hopper for feeding the konjac raw material and water into the stirring and mixing tank 1.
And it is connected to the piping system 6 of the air supply pump 3. That is, the hopper 5 is connected to the raw material supply pump 2, and is supplied with compressed air or the like from a compressor or the like at the position of the air supply pump 3, and sends the konjac raw material or air or the like to the stirring and mixing tank 1.

The stirring and mixing tank 1 has a rotating shaft 8 mounted inside. The rotating shaft 8 is connected to a motor, and the rotating shaft 8 is rotated by driving the motor. On the rotating shaft 8, kneading blades 11 are planted substantially at right angles at predetermined intervals, and the kneading blades 11 stir the konjac raw material and the like as the rotating shaft 8 rotates. Therefore, the konjac raw material and water fed into the stirring and mixing tank 1 together with the compressed air or the like from the compressor or the like are kneaded by the kneading blades 11 so that a konjac containing a myriad of air bubbles can be obtained. . In the figure, 12 is a motor valve for controlling the drive of the rotating shaft 8, 13 is a sensor for detecting the pressure in the stirring and mixing tank 1, and 14 is an inspection port provided at an end of the stirring and mixing tank 1. is there.

The operation of sucking the inside of the stirring and mixing tank 1 to make it into a negative pressure state is performed by supplying the raw material supply pump 2 and the air supply pump 3 for feeding the konjac raw material and air into the stirring and mixing tank 1. This is performed by increasing the discharge amount of the discharge pump 4 that discharges the konjac containing bubbles from the stirring and mixing tank 1. The inside of the stirring and mixing tank 1 is brought into a negative pressure state with the suction by the differential pressure.
Therefore, the konjac raw material and the water fed into the stirring and mixing tank 1 together with the compressed air from the compressor or the like are in a state of expansion under the above-mentioned negative pressure, and the bubbles contained in the konjac raw material are also very large. And of very uniform size. Of course, the operation of maintaining the inside of the stirring and mixing tank 1 in a negative pressure state can also be performed by vacuum suction using a vacuum pump or the like.

The operation of each part of the manufacturing apparatus at that time will be described. (Initial operation mode) a) The konjac raw material, water and air are supplied into the hopper 5 by operating the raw material supply pump 2 and the air supply pump 3. b) The motor valve 1 with the discharge pump 4 stopped
Open 2. c) When the konjac raw material and air have been filled into the stirring and mixing tank 1, the sensor 13 is automatically turned on, the motor valve 12 is closed, and the mixing blade 11 is continuously rotated by a timer or the like for a predetermined time, and the konjac raw material is rotated. Stir and mix. d) When the timer is turned off after a lapse of a predetermined time, the raw material supply pump 2, the air supply pump 3, and the discharge pump 4 operate while the kneading blade 11 is kept rotating. At this time, since the discharge amount of the discharge pump 4 is set to be larger than the supply amounts of the raw material supply pump 2 and the air supply pump 3, the inside of the stirring and mixing tank 1 is in a negative pressure state. e) Thereafter, when the konjac containing bubbles discharged from the discharge pump 4 is filled with the hopper of the supply partner, the raw material supply pump 2, the air supply pump 3, and the discharge pump 4 are turned off. Note that at this time, the
Is still spinning. f) Next, when the preparation of the hopper to be supplied is completed, the raw material supply pump 2, the air supply pump 3, and the discharge pump 4 are operated again while the kneading blade 11 is rotating, and the operation is resumed. . Then, the following operation d) may be repeated.

When the konjac raw material is stirred and kneaded in the stirring and mixing tank 1 as described above, the konjac raw material absorbs moisture and swells, and gradually becomes viscous to become a paste-like konjac raw material. Therefore, the retention of the bubbles in the konjac raw material is also ensured. In addition,
Because this pasty konjac raw material has strong viscoelasticity,
It is necessary to use a device having excellent durability for the kneading device including the kneading blades 11 and the motor and the pumps for transferring.

In the next coagulation step, a seasoning material such as a seasoning and an alkaline gelling agent are added to the pasty konjac material and mixed. Here, the order of mixing the seasoning material and the gelling agent may be any order, but the amount of the gelling agent needs to be adjusted according to the seasoning material. As the seasoning material, various raw materials used for seasoning foods, such as sugar, salt, umami seasoning, mirin, soy sauce, various extracts, spices, etc., may be used alone or in combination of two or more. it can. Of course, it is preferable to use a natural product in terms of components.

Thereafter, the discharge pump 4 installed at the end of the stirring and mixing tank 1 is operated to fill the paste-like konjac raw material into a supply destination hopper or the like, thereby discharging the raw material to the atmosphere. The aerated konjac raw material is pressurized in the atmosphere under atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the bubbles in the konjac raw material, which have maintained a predetermined size in the stirring and mixing tank 1 under a negative pressure, are pressurized and reduced. Therefore,
It is possible to obtain high-quality konjac containing a large amount of fine bubbles.

For the subsequent heat treatment, boil or microwave irradiation is sufficient, but is not limited to these methods. In addition, as a heating condition, for example, when heating to 80 to 100 ° C. with a boil to raise the internal temperature of konjac to 70 ° C. or more, a heating time of 30 minutes or more is required.

The obtained aerated konjac is of high quality because it contains a large amount of fine bubbles and contains no unnecessary components such as emulsifiers and eggs in the original konjac, and is also compatible with seasoning raw materials and the like. Very good.

[0027]

EXAMPLE A konjak fine powder (50 g) is put into a hopper.
Next, the raw material supply pump 2 is operated while dropping 600 g of water, and the konjac raw material and water are fed into the stirring and mixing tank 1 together with compressed air from a compressor or the like by the air supply pump 3. Mixing tank 1
Inside, the mixture is stirred for about 15 minutes while being discharged by the discharge pump 4. At this time, since the discharge amount of the discharge pump 4 is larger than the supply amounts of the raw material supply pump 2 and the air supply pump 3, the inside of the stirring and mixing tank 1 is in a negative pressure state. Therefore, the konjac raw material and the like easily expand under negative pressure, and a very homogeneous and large amount of bubbles are contained in the konjac raw material.

Next, the liquid is injected from the discharge pump 4 into a predetermined destination hopper or the like. Then, 1g of calcium hydroxide
Is suspended in 10 g of water, this is quickly added to the paste-like konjac raw material, kneaded, filled into a molding container and molded into a predetermined shape, and the upper portion of the molded aerated konjac is sealed with a film. Thereafter, the molded container was subjected to a heat treatment in hot water at 85 ° C. for 30 minutes.

After cooling the obtained konjac, it was taken out of the molding container and tasted. The bubbles contained therein were fine and very homogeneous, and were excellent in elasticity and texture. . Furthermore, what was stored at room temperature for one month while being sealed and housed in a molded container was taken out of the molded container and tasted. As a result, the same elasticity and texture as those described above were maintained.

[0030]

According to the method for producing aerated konjac of the present invention and the apparatus for producing the same as described above, desired bubbles can be easily contained in the production process, and the konjac can be taken out from the closed container. At this time, the bubbles were automatically made finer under the atmospheric pressure, so that a konjac containing bubbles with higher quality could be obtained.

Moreover, since the konjac gel is stable, deflocculation and water separation due to it are prevented, and the konjac has a good storability and excellent storage stability. And can be easily stored frozen. As a result, there is no need to enclose the liquid by heat sterilization or the like, and there is no need for lye removal processing, and handling is easy not only during storage and transportation but also during cooking.

Furthermore, since the fine bubbles are uniformly dispersed in the konjac gel, the flavoring material can be easily added to and maintained in the konjac, which is extremely effective for application to health foods and the like. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for producing an aerated konjac according to the present invention.
It is the schematic which shows an Example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Stirring / mixing tank 2 Raw material supply pump 3 Air supply pump 4 Discharge pump 5 Hopper 6,7 Piping system 8 Rotating shaft 11 Knitting blade 12 Motor valve 13 Sensor 14 Inspection port

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A konjac raw material and air are fed into an airtight container, and the konjac raw material and air are stirred and mixed. Thereafter, the konjac containing bubbles is discharged from the airtight container maintained at a negative pressure state, whereby the airborne konjac is discharged from the airtight container to the atmosphere. Characterized in that the bubbles contained in the konjac appearing in step (1) are pressurized under the atmospheric pressure to be miniaturized. 2. A negative pressure state is maintained in the closed container so that the amount of konjac containing bubbles is discharged from the closed container to be larger than the amount of konjac raw material and air sent into the closed container. A method for producing the aerated konjac according to claim 1. 3. A closed container in which the konjac raw material and air are stirred and mixed and maintained in a negative pressure state, means for feeding the konjac raw material and air into the closed container, and a konjac filled with bubbles from the closed container. Having a means for discharging, the bubbles contained in the konjac that came out of the air from the closed container into the atmosphere, the konjac containing bubbles, characterized in that it was pressurized under the atmospheric pressure to be micronized manufacturing device.