JP2002125644A - Cooling method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling method for improving the yield of a material to be cooled and not changing its flavor. SOLUTION: This cooling method is characterized by humidifying and depressurizing a cooling tank 1 for holding a material 12 to be cooled when the material 12 to be cooled is cooled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method for cooling an object to be cooled. In particular, the present invention relates to a cooling method for evaporating the water content of the object to be cooled under reduced pressure and performing vacuum cooling by utilizing latent heat of vaporization at that time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a vacuum cooling method is used as a method for cooling food materials in a food factory. In this vacuum cooling method, the cooling tank containing the object to be cooled is vacuum-evacuated and decompressed, thereby lowering the saturated vapor temperature and evaporating the moisture held by the object to be cooled, thereby evaporating the latent heat of vaporization. Is used to cool the object to be cooled. This vacuum cooling method is used, for example, in a step of quickly cooling a hot food that has been cooked.

When the inside of the cooling tank is decompressed and the object to be cooled is cooled, the moisture of the object to be cooled evaporates, so that the weight of the object to be cooled is reduced, that is, the yield is reduced. is there. In addition, there may be a change in texture, a so-called feeling of dryness, or a change in flavor, a so-called flavor or aroma (hereinafter, the change in texture and the change in flavor are collectively referred to as "change in taste"). ").

[0004] Therefore, when cooling depending on the type of food which is the object to be cooled, the food is cooked by adding extra moisture to the food in advance, or the food is cooled after being sprayed with water. However, depending on the foodstuff, such measures may cause loss of commercial value due to boiling, cracking and change in taste. For example, the tendency is remarkable in food materials such as cooked rice and boiled beans.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling method that improves the yield of the object to be cooled and does not cause a change in taste.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is a cooling tank for accommodating the object to be cooled when the object to be cooled is cooled. It is characterized by performing humidification and decompression inside.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, when the object to be cooled is cooled, the step of humidifying the inside of the cooling tank containing the object to be cooled and the step of depressurizing the inside of the cooling tank are performed alternately or in parallel. It is characterized by:

Further, the invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that when cooling the object to be cooled, a humidifying step in a cooling tank containing the object to be cooled and a depressurizing step in the cooling tank are performed. It is characterized in that an aroma component is added to a humidifying medium.

[0009]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. According to the present invention, in order to improve the yield of the object to be cooled and to prevent a change in taste, the cooling and cooling of the object to be cooled is performed by humidifying and depressurizing the object to be cooled. The pressure is reduced while the pressure is reduced.

The surface of the object to be cooled is not dried, and the humidity around the object to be cooled is always in a saturated state at the pressure and temperature in the cooling bath at that time. By setting this saturated state, it is possible to suppress the internal moisture contained in the object to be cooled from migrating to the surface of the object to be cooled, and to maintain a cooked state. Change can be prevented.

[0011] The present invention is a cooling method for suppressing moisture inside the object to be cooled from being vaporized and cooled by the heat of vaporization. That is, the cooling of the inside of the object to be cooled is performed by evaporating moisture on the surface of the object to be cooled and lowering the temperature of the surface. It is a method of cooling with.
Therefore, since it is possible to suppress a decrease in the moisture inside the object to be cooled, it is not necessary to add extra moisture before cooking.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the object to be cooled is cooled, a step of humidifying the inside of the cooling tank containing the object to be cooled and a step of depressurizing the inside of the cooling tank are alternately performed. Configuration. That is, the surface of the object to be cooled is not dried, and the cooling speed is slow. After the humidification phase for a predetermined time,
A step of reducing pressure for a predetermined time is provided. This is alternately performed a plurality of times to cool the object to be cooled. When the alternation is performed, the humidification step and the decompression step may partially overlap, that is, be parallel to each other.

Next, as still another embodiment of the present invention, the humidifying step and the depressurizing step are performed in parallel. That is, while the humidification step is performed continuously, the humidification step is performed in parallel with the step of depressurization interrupted with a slight delay. Also, the humidification step can be performed intermittently while the pressure reduction step is performed continuously. Further, while the humidification step is performed continuously, the decompression step can be performed continuously and in parallel with a slight delay.

As means for performing the humidification, it is preferable to use a hot water storage means provided in the cooling tank. That is, the humidification by the hot water storage means fills the cooling tank with steam vaporized from the hot water storage means.

The humidifying means may be a humidifier with a heater attached to the hot water storing means to generate steam more positively.

Further, as another means for performing the humidification, for example, an ultrasonic humidifier externally attached to the cooling tank can be used. That is, the humidifying step is performed by supplying the water generated by the ultrasonic humidifier to the cooling tank. In addition, steam generated by a steam boiler or the like can be supplied to the cooling tank and filled therein. The ultrasonic humidifier and the humidifier using the heater may be provided inside or outside the cooling tank.

According to another aspect of the present invention, when the object to be cooled is cooled, a humidifying step in the cooling tank containing the object to be cooled and a depressurizing step in the cooling tank are performed. It is preferable to add an aroma component to the medium to be humidified. That is, it is for increasing the commercial value of the object to be cooled. An aromatic component (also referred to as a "flavor component") is added to a humidifying medium, such as water vapor, used in the humidifying step, and is condensed on the surface of the object to be cooled, thereby adding a scent to the object to be cooled. The addition of the fragrance component is preferably performed in the last humidification step when the humidification step and the pressure reduction step are repeated a plurality of times.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the cooling method of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a vacuum cooling device to which the present invention is applied.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cooling apparatus used in this embodiment has a cooling tank 1. The cooling tank 1 has a door (not shown) and has a structure that can be sealed. Further, a vacuum suction line 2 and an outside air introduction line 3 are connected to the cooling tank 1. The vacuum suction line 2 is provided with a water-sealed vacuum pump as a vacuum suction means 4 for reducing the pressure in the cooling tank 1 during the cooling step (hereinafter, referred to as "vacuum pump 4"). . Further, the outside air introduction line 3 includes, as outside air introduction means 5 for returning the inside of the cooling tank 1 to atmospheric pressure after the cooling step,
An electromagnetic valve is provided (hereinafter, referred to as “electromagnetic valve 5”).

The vacuum suction line 2 is provided with a cold trap 6 and a check valve 7 in order from the cooling bath 1 at a position upstream of the vacuum pump 4. The vacuum pump 4 supplies sealed water to form a liquid ring (not shown) therein, and performs suction and discharge of gas by rotation of the liquid ring. Further, the cold trap 6 has a function of flowing the cooling water to cool and condense the steam in the exhaust gas, thereby reducing the volume of the discharged gas.
Further, the check valve 7 functions to maintain a reduced pressure state in the cooling bath 1.

The outside air introduction line 3 is provided with the solenoid valve 5
The filter 8 is provided at a position upstream of the filter 8. The solenoid valve 5 controls the introduction of outside air by opening and closing a valve body (not shown), and adjusts the pressure recovery speed.
Further, the filter 8 is for removing dust, germs and the like in the outside air introduced into the cooling tank 1.

The vacuum pump 4 and the solenoid valve 5 are
It is controlled by the controller 9 according to a preset program. A pressure sensor 10 is provided in the cooling bath 1.
Is provided to detect the internal pressure. Further, inside the cooling tank 1, a thermocouple 11 is provided with a cooled object 12 (hereinafter, referred to as a foodstuff) stored in the cooling tank 1.
In this case, the temperature of the food 12 is detected. The detection signals of the pressure sensor 10 and the thermocouple 11 are input to the controller 9 via lines (omitted by reference numerals). Further, the vacuum pump 4 and the solenoid valve 5 are also connected to the controller 9 via a line (not shown).

As the humidifying means, the cooling tank 1 is used.
At the bottom of the inside, a hot water storing means constituted by a tank 15 for storing hot water 14 is arranged. That is,
The hot water 14 stored in the tank 15 becomes steam and fills the cooling tank 1.

At the position above the hot water storage means, the foodstuff 12 is stored in the cooling tank 1 in a state where the foodstuff 12 is stored in a container 13 mounted on a gantry (reference numeral omitted).

Next, the cooling method of the first embodiment having such a configuration will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The first embodiment is a cooling method for humidifying and depressurizing the inside of the cooling tank 1 for accommodating the food material 12 when the food material 12 is cooled. That is, when cooling the foodstuff 12 using the vacuum pump 4, the cooling tank 1 is filled with steam vaporized from the hot water 14 stored in the tank 15, that is, while the humidification is performed, the vacuum pump 4, the inside of the cooling tank 1 is depressurized to perform vacuum cooling.

Then, a predetermined cooling temperature is set to the thermocouple 11.
, The cooling step is terminated.

Next, the cooling valve 1 is opened to the atmosphere by operating the solenoid valve 5. After the pressure in the cooling tank 1 returns to the atmospheric pressure, the door (not shown) is opened, the food 12 is taken out, and the operation is stopped.

By performing the humidification and the decompression, drying of the foodstuff 12 and a decrease in the yield are prevented, and at the same time, simmering, cracking and change in taste are reduced.

Next, regarding the cooling method of the second embodiment,
This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and is different from the first embodiment in FIG.
5 is provided with a heater (not shown) to heat the hot water 14. That is, the hot water 14 is heated by the heater to generate steam more positively. Further, by controlling the energization of the heater by the controller 9, the humidification stage is appropriately operated and stopped.

The control method of the second embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows six types of patterns A to F set in the controller 9. The respective vertical axes indicate the humidification stage, that is, the state of the operation of the humidification unit (power supply to the heater), and the pressure reduction, that is, the state of the operation of the vacuum pump 4. The protrusions indicate the operating states.
In addition, each horizontal axis indicates the passage of time.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of combination patterns of the humidification and decompression stages can be set or can be combined.
It is set appropriately according to the two types and the amount to be processed.

Next, as a specific embodiment, the case where the humidifying step and the depressurizing step are performed alternately will be described based on pattern A in FIG.

The pattern A is for preventing the surface of the foodstuff 12 from drying and for slowing down the cooling speed. That is, after the humidification step for a predetermined time, a pressure reduction step for a predetermined time is provided. This is alternately performed a plurality of times to cool the foodstuff 12.

The pattern B is a modification of the pattern A, and shortens the initial operation time of the vacuum pump 4. That is, after the initial operation time of the vacuum pump 4 is performed for a short period of time, the vacuum pump 4 is paused to slowly reduce the pressure.

When humidification and decompression are performed alternately as described above, the humidification step and the decompression step may partially overlap, that is, be parallel. At this time, a pattern C is obtained. That is, the pattern C is a further modified example of the pattern A and the pattern B, and provides a time zone in which humidification and decompression are performed in parallel.

As another modification of the pattern,
The humidifying step and the depressurizing step are more actively performed in parallel. That is, the pattern D
In this method, humidification is performed continuously, and decompression is performed intermittently. While the humidification step is performed continuously, the start time is slightly shifted, and the decompression step is performed in an intermittent manner.

Further, as shown in a pattern E, the humidification step can be performed intermittently while the pressure reduction step is performed continuously. At this time, it is preferable to start the decompression with a slight delay from the initial stage, but it is also possible to start the depressurization as indicated by a dotted line for simplification of the control.

Further, as shown in a pattern F, it is also possible to carry out the humidification step continuously, while slightly delaying the start time, and carry out the pressure reduction step continuously and in parallel. At this time, similarly, it is preferable to start the decompression with a slight delay from the initial stage, but it is also possible to perform the depressurization from the initial stage as indicated by a dotted line for simplification of the control.

Then, a predetermined cooling temperature is set to the thermocouple 11.
, The cooling step is terminated.

Next, the electromagnetic valve 5 is operated to open the cooling tank 1 to the atmosphere. After the pressure in the cooling tank 1 returns to the atmospheric pressure, the door (not shown) is opened to open the food 1
Remove 2 and stop operation.

Further, as a third embodiment of the present invention, when a humidifying step in the cooling tank 1 containing the foodstuffs 12 and a depressurizing step in the cooling tank 1 are performed, the humidifying means is used in the humidifying step. Add the fragrance component to the steam.
In the humidifying step, the fragrance component is added to the warm water 14 by means for adding the fragrance component, for example, an injection pump (not shown), and the fragrance component is contained in steam filled in the cooling bath 1. That is, an aroma component is added to the water vapor and condensed on the surface of the foodstuff 12 to add a scent to the foodstuff 12.

The addition of the fragrance component can be directly sprayed into the cooling tank 1 through a spray nozzle (not shown). It is effective to add the fragrance component immediately before the end of the humidification step. When the humidifying step and the depressurizing step are repeated a plurality of times, it is preferable to perform the last humidifying step.

[0045]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooling method that prevents a decrease in the yield of the object to be cooled and does not cause a change in taste.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a vacuum cooling device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating a control pattern of a cooling method according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 cooling tank 12 object to be cooled (foodstuff)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3L044 AA00 BA05 CA04 DD04 FA08 FA09 KA01 KA04 4B020 LB27 LC02 LC04 LG01 LG09 LK20 LP19 4B022 LA01 LJ01 LJ08 LP03

Claims (3)

[Claims] When the object to be cooled 12 is cooled, the object to be cooled 1
A humidification and a decompression in a cooling tank 1 accommodating 2 are performed. 2. When the object to be cooled 12 is cooled, the object to be cooled 1
Humidifying the inside of the cooling bath 1 containing the cooling bath 2 and the cooling bath 1
And a step of alternately or concurrently performing the step of depressurizing the inside. 3. When the object to be cooled 12 is cooled, the object to be cooled 1
A humidifying step in the cooling tank 1 for accommodating 2 and a depressurizing step in the cooling tank 1, wherein a fragrance component is added to a medium to be humidified in the humidifying step.