JP2014064524A - Leveling device for frozen noodle mass - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a leveling device for a frozen noodle mass, which allows a noodle mass fed in a noodle mass forming tray to be leveled.SOLUTION: The device includes: feeding means for feeding a noodle mass to a tray held at a predetermined position by dropping the noodle mass from above; and water flow generation means for generating water flow toward the noodle mass fed in the tray. The water flow generated by the water flow generation means hitting the noodle mass fed in the tray from above allows the deviation in the noodle mass in the tray and/or the irregularities on the top face of the noodle mass to be reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing frozen noodle masses. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for carrying out a step of leveling noodles after putting noodle masses of cooked noodles in a tray. The present invention is useful in the field of food production.

  The freezing of food is performed for the purpose of maintaining freshness and deliciousness, preventing spoilage, and allowing storage for a long period of time. The food made of udon noodle strips can be made into various shapes according to the purpose when frozen, but one noodle mass may have a shape with little unevenness of the noodles and overall unevenness. For this reason, in industrial production, an operation of leveling noodle masses in a container for freezing molding is often performed.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a noodle leveling device for mechanically performing the work of flattening the centrally raised portion of the noodle mass that has been conventionally performed manually, which has been put into a tray (molded container). This apparatus is a noodle smoothing apparatus for leveling noodle chunks kneaded and formed by a noodle making machine and charged into a tray, and stretching means having a plurality of claws extending from the center toward the periphery of the tray; And rolling means that presses over almost the entire upper surface of the noodle mass, and after the nail of the stretching means is inserted into the center portion of the noodle mass, the noodle mass is expanded toward the periphery of the tray. The lump is stretched, and then the surface is pressed by the rolling means, so that the central raised portion of the noodle chunk is flattened. Patent Document 2 discloses a frozen noodle for forming frozen noodles into a predetermined shape to improve the molding efficiency and reduce the molding cost by automatically homogenizing the noodles inside the molding container. A forming method is proposed. This method includes a step of charging boiled noodles into a container, a vibration step of vibrating the container in which the noodles are charged, a freezing step of freezing the noodles in the state of being charged in the container, and the freezing And taking out the noodles frozen in the process from the container.

  However, the noodle storage has not yet been standardized into a non-biased shape, and the current situation is that a person visually confirms the shape and leveles it manually.

JP 04-262729 (Patent No. 3030521) JP2007-325557 (Patent No. 4644397)

  The noodle mass that is not sufficiently leveled may cause loss such as breakage of the noodles and breakage of the packaging material during transport and packaging after freezing in an industrial production line. Appropriate leveling measures should be taken to prevent this, but the leveling operation should be performed mechanically efficiently. On the other hand, if the noodle mass can be made compact without impairing the cooking property as a frozen noodle mass product, the packaging material can be reduced and the space for distribution and storage can be reduced, which is industrially more preferable.

  The present inventors have studied various means for leveling noodle masses that can be automated. As a result, the present inventors have found that the frozen noodle mass that has been leveled and frozen using a water stream has a compact shape and is excellent in cooking properties, and has completed the present invention.

Without being limited thereto, the present invention provides the following:
[Aspect 1]
In a noodle mass leveling device that averages the noodle mass placed in the noodle mass molding tray:
The noodle mass that has been dropped into the tray is provided with charging means for dropping the noodle mass from above into the tray held at a fixed position, and a water flow generating means for generating a water flow toward the noodle mass that has been charged into the tray. Further, by applying the water flow generated by the water flow generating means from above, the noodle mass unevenness in the tray and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass is reduced.
[Aspect 2]
A means for transporting the tray into which the noodle mass has been charged to a fixed position, and a means for transporting the tray containing the average noodle mass after the unevenness of the noodle mass and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass has been reduced by the water stream, The apparatus according to aspect 2.
[Aspect 3]
The fixed position where the tray is held is in the water, the noodle mass put into the tray and in the water is applied to the water flow generated by the water flow generating means from above, and the aspect 1 or 2 Equipment.
[Aspect 4]
The apparatus according to aspect 3, further comprising means for carrying out the uniform noodle chunk containing tray and carrying out the uniform noodle chunk containing tray from the water so that an angle between the horizontal noodle tray and the horizontal direction is 10 degrees or less.
[Aspect 5]
In the noodle mass leveling method, where the noodle mass placed in the noodle mass molding tray is leveled:
Drop the noodle mass from above into the tray held at a fixed position and throw it in, and generate a water flow toward the noodle mass placed in the tray, and generate a water flow from above in the noodle mass placed in the tray And a water leveling step in which a water flow generated by the means is applied, whereby the unevenness of the noodle mass in the tray and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass is reduced.
[Aspect 6]
The method according to aspect 5, wherein the amount of water applied to the noodle mass is 10-12 L / min.
[Aspect 7]
The method according to aspect 5 or 6, wherein the water pressure applied to the noodle mass is 10 kPa to 18 kPa.
[Aspect 8]
The method according to any one of aspects 5 to 7, wherein the water stream is in a range of 15 to 25 degrees with respect to the noodle mass.
[Aspect 9]
The method according to any one of Embodiments 5 to 8, wherein the noodle mass is udon, soba or ramen.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an aspect of the apparatus of the present invention as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an aspect of the apparatus of the present invention as viewed from the side. FIG. 3 illustrates the measurement of the maximum thickness of the frozen noodle mass. FIG. 4 shows the parts (center part b, end 1 and end 2 (a and c) corresponding to the center part) measured in order to obtain the average thickness. FIG. 5 is a photograph in which five frozen noodle masses obtained in the examples and comparative examples are primarily packaged and stacked. The left photo shows the frozen noodle mass subjected to the water leveling treatment of the present invention, and the right photo shows the frozen noodle mass subjected to the conventional scraping process. FIG. 6 shows the results of examining the influence on the maximum thickness and thickness difference when water leveling is performed using various different types of nozzles. FIG. 7 shows the results of examining the influence on the maximum thickness, the average thickness, and the loosening time when water leveling is performed using various different types of nozzles. FIG. 8 shows the results of examining the influence on the maximum thickness and thickness difference when water leveling is performed using various different types of nozzles.

[Constitution]
The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of one aspect of the apparatus of the present invention as viewed from above, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of one aspect of the apparatus of the present invention as viewed from the side.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the apparatus of the present invention includes a throwing means (ball remover, 10) for dropping a noodle mass from above onto a tray held in place, and a tray (b). And a water flow generating means (20) for generating a water flow toward the noodle mass (a1) charged into the noodles. The apparatus of the present invention transports the tray into which the noodle mass has been charged to a fixed position, and the tray containing the uniform noodle mass (a2) after the unevenness of the noodle mass and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass is reduced by the water flow. There may be provided transportation means (30) for unloading.

In the apparatus of the present invention, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the empty tray is held at a fixed position substantially directly below the input means (10), and the noodle mass is input from the input means (10).
In the present invention, the noodle mass is stored in the tray by dropping the noodle mass into the tray by the charging means (10). The state of the noodle mass is not particularly limited, and only the noodle mass may be dropped or the noodle mass may be dropped together with water. The noodle mass falls at least 10 mm or more, preferably 30 mm or more, more preferably 50 mm or more.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus of the present invention can be configured so that the noodle mass is put into a tray held in the water of the water tank (40). 40) It can also be configured to be performed in a state of being held in water. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the transport means includes: a tray carrying-in means (31), a transporting means (32) to a fixed position, and a noodle mass-containing tray carrying means (33) from the water. ) And may be configured separately.

  According to the study by the present inventors, the noodle spread was better when the noodle mass was dropped onto the tray in water than when it was simply dropped onto the tray, and the noodles could be stored in the tray more uniformly. If the drop distance in water is shorter than the above case, such an effect cannot be obtained sufficiently. The upper limit of the fall distance can be designed from the viewpoint of ease of handling and cost.

  The apparatus of the present invention can also be used to put noodle masses into a tray in water. In that case, the specific gravity of the tray material (usually for the production of foods such as polyethylene and polypropylene as the tray material) In some cases, an acceptable general-purpose resin is used. It may be difficult to stably carry an empty tray into water, and it may be difficult to hold the tray in place for noodle mass injection. Sometimes. In such a case, a tray is attached to the transporting means (30) or the carrying means (31) to make it difficult to remove the tray from the line and / or the tray material is changed to one having a high specific gravity. It is possible to solve this problem by giving a weight to and allowing the vehicle to run stably. In order to maintain the tray at a fixed position for charging the noodle mass, it is possible to solve the problem by providing a step in the traveling line or providing a protrusion on the lane or side guide.

  The carry-out means (33) has a disadvantage that the noodle mass inside is biased when the tray containing the noodle mass is inclined too much. Therefore, when the tray is taken out from the water, the bottom surface of the tray is set in the horizontal direction. The angle may be 10 degrees or less, preferably 9 degrees or less, and more preferably 8 degrees or less. The preferred angle of the tray side surface may vary depending on conditions such as the shape of the noodle, the shape and / or size of the tray.

  On the other hand, you may provide the press means for compressing a noodle chunk in the apparatus of this invention (not shown). In this case, even when the so-called “branch noodles” that are biased to the noodles or the tip of the noodles protrudes and breaks the package after freezing when the trays are taken out from the water can be eliminated by pressing, the trays from the water The angle at the time of carrying out can be made larger.

[Explanation of terms, etc.]
In the present invention, the term “noodle mass composed of noodles” refers to a mass of noodles (sometimes referred to as noodle strings), unless otherwise specified. The noodle mass may be frozen and molded. The noodle mass usually has a certain amount of voids between the noodles and the noodle so that it can be compressed to some extent if it is not frozen.

  In the present invention, “heat-cooked” means that the raw noodles are cooked until they can be eaten, unless otherwise specified. Examples of heat cooking include boiling and steaming. Those skilled in the art can appropriately determine the cooking conditions according to the type of noodles with reference to the normal cooking conditions. After cooking, if necessary, hot water draining, washing with water, cooling and the like can be performed.

  In the present invention, the term “tray” refers to a container for freeze-molding noodle masses unless otherwise specified. The tray has an upper opening, and a storage portion including a wall surface and a bottom surface for storing noodle chunks, and the tray bottom surface is typically rectangular. The storage unit is provided with one or a plurality of slits or holes for draining water as required. The storage part may be made of a net-like material.

With regard to the leveling step in the present invention, “using a water stream” means that the noodle mass is leveled by applying a water stream that moves the noodles to the noodle mass in the tray unless otherwise specified.
From the viewpoint of surely leveling the water flow, it is necessary to apply the water flow for at least 1 second. If the application time is long, leveling is performed reliably, but the end point can be determined from the viewpoint of operability and economy.

The water stream may be applied from above the noodle mass to the center of the upper surface of the noodle mass, or may be applied to the whole. Although it is not limited, Preferably it is made to turn.
According to the study by the present inventors, the water flow has a certain effect for leveling if it is about 0.5 L / min or more, but at such a relatively small flow rate, the time required for leveling is obtained. May exceed 1 second. If the water flow is large, the water leveling effect is high. On the other hand, if the water flow is too large, the noodles may jump out of the tray. While not limited, the preferred range of water flow is preferably 10-12 L / min, with an upper limit of 12-14 L / min.

On the other hand, the amount of water used can be expressed as pressure instead of water flow. The pressure that can be said to be equally effective, that is, the pressure when noodles move in water can be measured and calculated as follows.
(1) Put a colander-like container with noodles in a water tank and place it on a balance.
(2) A 20 mm diameter cylinder is applied to the noodles from above, and the mass when the noodles move is measured.
(3) The pressure is obtained from the following equation.

p: pressure [Pa], F: force [N], S: area [m ² ], m: mass [kg], g: gravitational acceleration [m / (s2)]
According to the study by the present inventors, the pressure when udon (used in the examples) moves in water was calculated to be about 312 Pa (30 g / cm 2). From such a viewpoint, the pressure by water when water is applied and leveled in the present invention is 300 Pa to 20 kPa, preferably 500 Pa to 18 kPa, more preferably 10 kPa to 18 kPa.

  Even when using a higher amount of water and water pressure, the noodles do not jump out of the tray and are more water-equalized by making a mist using a nozzle or applying a water flow while turning the nozzle. Higher effects can be obtained.

  The water stream is applied to the noodle mass from above. Although not limited, “from above” is not just above the noodle mass, ie, 90 degrees, but at a low angle, preferably 10-45 degrees, more preferably 15-25 degrees.

  The kind of nozzle used for this invention is not specifically limited, Arbitrary nozzles can be used. There are various types of nozzle types such as a direct nozzle that directly irradiates liquid and a spray type nozzle that mists liquid. Further, in particular, in the case of the direct-light type, a rotating nozzle that rotates the tip of the nozzle may be used in order to spread the water widely (direct nozzle × rotation). For example, when it is necessary to put thick and firm noodles (especially noodles with ingredients) like udon into every corner of the tray, direct nozzle × rotation is preferable. In Example 1 of the present specification to be described later, a rotating direct nozzle (Dirt Killer Nozzle, 19max MPa, Nippon Kranzle Co., Ltd.) was used.

  On the other hand, in the case of thin noodles such as ramen and soba, it is preferable to use a spray type nozzle in order to prevent the noodles from being cut off and jumping out of the water. A spray type nozzle (spray nozzle) is a component that sprays liquid in a mist state, and controls parameters such as flow rate, flow velocity, direction, spread, and particle size of the liquid to be sprayed. It is used for the purpose. Although not limited, for example, “integrated standard fan nozzle VVP series” manufactured by Ikeuchi Co., Ltd. can be used. The VVP series generates a fan-shaped spray with a chevron-shaped flow distribution that is strong at the center and gradually weakens at both ends, and is used by overlapping both ends of the pattern when multiple arrays are used, realizing a uniform flow distribution over the entire width. And Examples of the material include brass, stainless steel, and various resin materials. For example, VVP2580 can be used. The numerical value after VVP of “VVP2580” indicates the angle and the amount of water to which the water flow (shower) is applied.

  In Example 2-5 of the present specification, a spray mold was used. Unless otherwise stated, in the present invention described in the present specification, preferred values of "amount of water flow applied to noodle mass", "water pressure of water flow applied to noodle mass", "angle applied water flow to noodle mass" Is a value when a spray type nozzle is used.

In the present invention, a single nozzle or a plurality of nozzles may be used. In the case of using a plurality of nozzles, the above-mentioned preferable water flow rate and / or pressure is achieved with the total number of nozzles used.
Surprisingly, according to the present invention, the density of the noodle mass is smaller than that obtained through the normal leveling process, and the noodle mass is more compact.

  After passing through the water leveling step, the noodle mass density of the frozen molded noodle mass is 0.65 g / cm 3 or less, preferably 0.63 g / cm 3 or less, regardless of whether or not it has undergone the compression step described below. It is. In the present invention, the term “noodle mass density” means, unless otherwise specified, per noodle mass volume determined by dividing the weight of the noodle mass composed of a certain amount of cooked noodles by the noodle mass volume. Refers to weight. The noodle mass volume refers to the volume of the noodle mass, including the noodle and the gap between the noodles, and is different from the volume of the noodle itself. Specifically, the noodle mass volume is defined as the volume of a solid assuming a minimum solid (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylinder) including the whole noodle mass. For example, the noodle mass volume of the noodle mass that is just included in 100 mm × 100 mm × 20 mm is calculated as 200 cm 3. The noodle mass density is usually smaller than the density of the noodle itself. In addition, regarding the present invention, when referring to the size (length, width, thickness), volume and noodle mass density of the noodle mass, it refers to the frozen noodle mass unless otherwise specified. The size of the frozen noodle mass may be replaced by the size of the tray used for freezing molding, but the size of the noodle mass may shrink by several percent by freezing. Can be corrected and converted as appropriate.

  In the present invention, the level of leveling or the upper limit of noodle mass density can be determined by the looseness and / or texture of the noodle mass during boiled cooking. If it is compressed too much, the loosening becomes worse and cooking takes time. As a result, the noodles are boiled and softened, and the texture is impaired. When the looseness is ignored, the compression can theoretically be performed until there is no void between the noodles, and the compression rate is a value based on the volume of the noodle itself. The noodle mass density in such a case is the density of the noodle itself, and in the case of boiled udon used in the examples, it is about 0.80 g / cm 3.

  When the noodle mass density is defined according to the type of noodles, it is 0.40 to 0.65 g / cm3, preferably 0.45 g / cm3 to 0.63 g / cm3 in the case of udon, and 0 in the case of buckwheat noodles. .40 to 0.66 g / cm3, preferably 0.45 to 0.58 g / cm3, and in the case of ramen, 0.40 to 0.63 g / cm3, preferably 0.45 to 0.59 g / cm3 In the case of pasta (preferably spaghetti), it is 0.40 to 0.66 g / cm3, preferably 0.45 to 0.63 g / cm3.

  In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the degree of leveling may be determined in consideration of the maximum thickness. In the present invention, the maximum thickness of the noodle mass is preferably 1.5 times or less of the average thickness, more preferably 1.3 times or less, 1.2 times or less, and even more preferably 1.1 times or less. is there. In the present invention, the term “maximum thickness” refers to the thickness of the thickest portion of the frozen noodle mass unless otherwise specified. In the present invention, the term “average thickness” refers to the center line in the long side direction of the noodle mass, unless otherwise specified, in three places, both ends (in the range of 0.50 to 2.0 cm from the end) and the center. The average value of thickness. Ideally, the maximum thickness is 1.0 times the average thickness.

  When the maximum thickness is small, it is preferable in that the product becomes compact. In particular, in a product such as a plurality of, for example, 2 to 10 products that are secondarily wrapped in a state where noodle chunks are stacked, the bulk of the product may be suppressed. It is preferable in that it can be performed. The maximum thickness can be reduced by charging the noodle mass into a tray by dropping it into the water or by a leveling process, but it may be effective to compress the noodle mass.

  When referred to as “compression” in the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the upper surface of the noodle mass is suppressed so as to reduce the gap between the noodles, the volume of the noodle mass is reduced, and the front surface of the noodle mass is made flatter. Say. A plate can be used for compression, and the bottom of another tray can be used if appropriate.

  The shape of the plate-like body is not particularly limited as long as it can be compressed as necessary while further smoothing the surface of the noodle mass, but has a substantially plate-like portion so that it can be easily attached and detached. A handle may be provided. In order to prevent the adhesion of food when removing the plate-like body, the shape may be such that the adhesion area with the food is reduced. For this purpose, for example, a corrugated plate can be used, or a slit can be provided in the plate-like portion.

  In the present invention, the compression of the noodle mass is performed by flattening and suppressing the upper surface or the opening surface of the cooked noodle mass filled in a frame or a container having an opening. . This prevents the occurrence of standing noodles (some noodles protrude 5 mm or more compared to the surroundings). When the protruding noodles are frozen and solidified, the packaging material may be damaged, and because the noodles are easily broken, they may cause scraps (noodle fragments), which is not preferable in production. Compression of the noodle mass is effective for suppressing noodle standing.

The compression in the present invention is performed at least to an extent effective for suppressing noodle standing.
On the other hand, the leveling and compression in the present invention are not performed to the extent that the cooking ability is impaired.
The goodness of loosening may vary depending on the type of noodle. In general, pasta retains its ability to loosen when thawed even at high compression ratios. Udon tends to become loosen due to high compression. This is considered to be due to the fact that the state of starch and the protein supporting it differ depending on the type of noodle. In udon, the amount of starch eluted to the surface is relatively large, so the looseness of the noodles is poor due to the high stickiness of the noodles. It is considered that loosening is good even when compressed further.

  In the production method of the present invention, the type of noodles constituting the noodle mass is not particularly limited, but udon (for example, Sanuki udon, Inaniwa udon), soba (for example, ten percent soba noodles, 28 oats), Chinese noodles (for example, Ramen) and pasta (for example, long pasta such as spaghetti, spaghettini, tagliatelle, linguine; short pasta such as macaroni; lasagna, gnocchi). The thickness of the noodles is not particularly limited as long as it is a thickness that is usually acceptable as a noodle food. For example, the present invention can be applied to various noodle widths if the thickness is 6.0 mm or less. . Examples of noodles that have been confirmed to be suitably applicable include noodles having a width of 5.2 mm × thickness of 4.0, soba noodles of width 2.0 mm × thickness 2.0, ramen having a width of 2.0 mm × thickness 2.0, It is a pasta having a width of 2.4 mm and a thickness of 2.4. In addition, regarding the present invention, when referring to the size (width, thickness, length), weight, and specific gravity (density) of noodles, the size and weight of the noodles after cooking are indicated unless otherwise specified.

  Udon is generally a mixture of wheat flour mixed with salt solution, stretched on a flat plate and cut into thin strips, or elongated into strips of noodles. Eaten with soup. In the present invention, “udon” is used in the usual sense. As frozen udon noodles, 200 g to 250 g of frozen noodle chunks are in circulation. The size of the conventional frozen udon noodles is typically 130 to 140 mm long, 90 to 100 mm wide and 25 to 32 mm high, so that the noodle mass density is 0.55 to 0. .60 (g / cm 3), and the noodle mass surface area per weight is 1.8 to 2.0 (cm 2 / g).

  Soba refers to noodles that contain a large amount of buckwheat in the raw powder. Soba is generally called soba cutting. In the present invention, “soba” is used in the usual sense. As frozen buckwheat, those with 160 to 200 g are in circulation. The size of a conventional frozen buckwheat lump is typically 130 to 140 mm in length, 90 to 100 mm in width, and 25 to 32 mm in height.

  “Ramen” is a kind of Chinese noodles, and Chinese noodles are generally sometimes referred to as Chinese soba. Chinese noodles are characterized by the use of strong flour or semi-strong flour with high protein content and the addition of kansui. In the present invention, “ramen” and “Chinese noodles” are used in the usual sense. In the examples of the present specification, ramen cooked with boil is studied, but it is considered that the present invention can be similarly applied to Chinese noodles for steaming used in fried noodles and hot-boiled cooking. As the frozen ramen, those having 160 to 200 g are in circulation. The size of a conventional frozen ramen lump is typically 130 to 140 mm in length, 90 to 100 mm in width, and 25 to 32 mm in height.

  The relatively thin noodles such as buckwheat noodles and ramen tend to have a higher height (thickness) in the frozen noodle mass than in the case of thick noodle udon. Therefore, in the conventional product, the product bulk is generally suppressed by reducing the product weight.

  Pasta is generally a durum wheat semolina powder made by extruding a kneaded dough with water added, and many dried products (dry noodles) are also available. In the present invention, “pasta” is used in the usual sense. The conventional frozen pasta is mainly for microwave oven cooking with ingredients. For business use, frozen noodles that can be cooked with boil are in circulation.

In a preferred embodiment, the noodle constituting the noodle mass used in the present invention includes udon, soba and ramen. Udon includes Sanuki udon and Inaniwa udon.
In the examples of the present specification, a compressed frozen noodle mass is prepared from the prepared raw noodles, but the raw material noodles used in the present invention have properties (whether raw noodles, dry noodles, etc.) There are no particular limitations on the production method (whether it is mechanical rolling, extrusion molding, manual stretching, etc.). In particular, not only raw noodles but also dry noodles can be similarly prepared.

  In the present invention, the amount of cooked noodles constituting the noodle mass can be appropriately set. The lower limit of the amount of noodles is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 30 g, 50 g, and 80 g. Although an upper limit can also be various, it can be set as 1000g, 500g, 300g, for example. The range of the amount of noodles is, for example, 100 g to 300 g. Since it compresses, the weight per noodle mass can be increased from the conventional frozen noodle mass. Typically, it is about 200 g.

  The frozen noodle mass of the present invention can have various shapes. Frozen noodle masses are often thawed by boiling with boiling water, and as a tool at that time, use a pot called `` tebo '' for business use at cooking facilities in the restaurant industry. Many. Therefore, it is preferable that the frozen noodle mass is of a size that can be directly put into these.

  Evaluation of compressed frozen noodle masses is based on the presence and extent of noodle standing, the presence and extent of occurrence of scraps in the manufacturing process, the presence and extent of loss due to breakage of packaging materials, the ease of loosening during cooking, It can be performed from the viewpoint of feeling. For the methods and criteria of each evaluation, the description in the examples of the present specification can be referred to, but the loosening is based on the conventional frozen noodle mass that does not go through the charging and leveling process of the present invention. Judgment can be made based on the same.

  The production method of the present invention may further include a step of packaging one or more compressed frozen noodle masses. For packaging, various means for producing frozen foods can be applied as the noodle mass packaging form.

  The conditions of the water leveling process of the present invention vary depending on the types of noodles used, the physical properties of the noodles, etc., and those skilled in the art can appropriately adopt appropriate conditions based on the disclosure of the present specification. Thick and heavy noodles such as udon are preferably water leveled in a state where the whole noodles are soaked in water and easily moved by buoyancy. On the other hand, light noodles such as buckwheat noodles and ramen have good water leveling with the top of the noodles coming out of the water. This is because if light noodles are soaked in water, the upper noodles may be flushed and jump out of the tray with the force of shower (water flow from above). In the case of light noodles, it is preferable that the upper surface of the noodles is out of the water, the surface of the upper surface of the noodles is leveled by the momentum of the shower, and the lower part of the noodles is buoyant.

  In addition, soft and non-elastic noodles, like udon, fit better in the tray and are less likely to pop out of the tray. Therefore, if necessary, a large amount of water and a strong water pressure can be used. In particular, it is effective to use a large amount of water and a strong water pressure when it is desired to spread thick noodles such as udon to every corner of the container. On the other hand, although it is not limited, buoyancy can be reduced by adding salt to the noodles to increase the specific gravity of the noodles, so that the noodles are better fit in the tray. However, since the addition of salt to noodles also affects the taste of the noodles, the addition of salt is not an essential requirement, and by appropriately adjusting conditions such as the amount of water and water pressure based on the disclosure of this specification, It is possible to achieve the effects of the invention. In addition, when a material that makes the noodle strings hard, such as gluten or candy, is included, the noodle strings become hard and firm. In such a case, popping out of the tray is likely to occur, but the effects of the present invention can be achieved by appropriately adjusting conditions such as the amount of water and water pressure.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated in detail based on an Example, this invention is not limited to these Examples. Those skilled in the art can easily modify and change the present invention based on the description of the present specification, and these are included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Example 1
In this example, the effect of the water leveling process of the present invention on the size and cooking property (fraying time) of frozen udon was investigated using udon.

[experimental method]
1. Manufacture of noodle chunks Add 1000g of flour containing starch, 423g of water and 47g of salt in advance, and mix for 10 minutes with a horizontal vacuum mixer for making noodles to obtain a crumb-like dough, rolled and compounded, The film was aged at 25 ° C. for 2 hours at a thickness of about 10 mm. After aging, it was rolled by a conventional method, and raw noodles having a thickness of 3.0 mm were obtained with No. 9 noodle strings. Thereafter, in a sufficient amount of boiling hot water, it was immediately washed with water for about 12 minutes and cooled in cold water to obtain boiled udon.

  One serving (200g) of boiled noodles (breadth of about 5.2mm x thickness of about 4.0mm x length of about 300mm) of noodles in a tray (with slits. Tray size is 40mm in height, outer size is 135mm in the bottom. × 95 mm, top surface 140 mm × 100 mm, inner dimensions are bottom surface 131 mm × 91 mm, top surface 136 mm × 96 mm; frozen noodle mass size is bottom surface 130 mm × 90 mm, top surface 135 mm × 95 mm. After feeding the noodles, the noodle masses were sent to the water along with the trays. Using a rotating direct nozzle (Dirt Killer Nozzle, Nippon Kranzle Co., Ltd.), the water was leveled by rotating it with a water flow that draws a circle from above. In addition, the noodle mass was put into the tray from about 1 cm above the tray. The upper part of the tray was raised about 10 mm above the surface of the water so that the noodles were not likely to jump out of the tray. In the comparative example, noodle masses were prepared under the same conditions except that the step of leveling in water was omitted.

Noodles (Example of the present invention) when using the step of leveling with water flow and noodles (Comparative Example) when not using were frozen to obtain frozen noodle masses.
2. Measurement of maximum thickness The noodle mass was turned over, a ruler was applied from the lower end, and the thickness of the thickest portion was measured as the maximum thickness (FIG. 3).

3. Measurement of Average Thickness Next, the thickness of the center part of the noodle mass removed from the tray and the edges 1 and 2 corresponding to the center part were measured. The site | part which measured thickness is shown in FIG.

  Moreover, the average value of abc was calculated. A thickness meter (RE2-30005B, manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.) was used for measuring the thickness. A plunger having a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 5 mm was used, and measurement was performed with a plunger speed of 1 mm / sec and a thickness measurement sensitivity of 0.02 N.

4). Cookability (measurement of loosening time)
One frozen noodle mass was boiled, and the time until all the noodles stuck together and loosened was measured as the loosening time.

[result]
The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

  It was shown that the average value of the maximum thickness of the example was lower than that of the comparative example, and the degree of leveling was progressing. It was also found that noodle standing was reduced. The average thickness was also less than that of the comparative example.

  It was found that while the noodles were leveled and compacted, the cooking property (unwinding time) was shortened. It was thought that the noodles were spread to the four corners of the tray by leveling with the water flow, and the noodle lump volume was suppressed, but the sticking between the noodles did not increase. In addition to the fact that the noodles are unevenly biased due to the leveling, and there are fewer parts that impair the cookability, the use of water means that there is moderate water between the noodles and the sticking between the noodles has been reduced. it was thought.

Moreover, the frozen noodle chunks obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples were primarily packaged, and a photograph in which five pieces were stacked is shown in FIG. It was found that the thickness of the 5-pack product was reduced by about 6%.
[Summary]
The size and cooking ability of frozen udon noodles made by water leveling were evaluated. As for the size, the thickness was equal to or less than that of the comparative example, and the cooking property was desired to be able to shorten or equalize the loosening time during cooking. As a result, it has been found that the use of water flow can effectively level, reduce the maximum thickness, and make the product more compact. About cooking property, when water flow was used, it turned out that cooking property increases unexpectedly.

  From the above, it can be said that the method of leveling using the water stream is effective in any of the viewpoints of uniformly leveling the boiled noodles throughout the tray, the viewpoint of making the whole compact, and the viewpoint of cooking ability.

Example 2 Effect of water leveling process on udon, buckwheat noodles and ramen In this example, the level of water leveling, water volume and water pressure in the water leveling process were changed for udon, soba noodles and various types of noodles. The effect of the case was investigated.

  Udon was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 for one serving (200 g) to the state before molding. For buckwheat noodles and ramen, the ingredients were blended at the blending ratios shown in Table 3, and 160 g was prepared up to the state before molding.

  Soba was prepared as follows. Add 390 g of water to 630 g of wheat flour, 300 g of buckwheat flour, 40 g of gluten and 1 g of egg white powder, and mix for 10 minutes with a horizontal vacuum mixer for noodle making to obtain a crumb-like dough. Rolled and obtained raw buckwheat noodles with a thickness of 1.5 mm with No. 20 noodle strings. Thereafter, it was immediately washed in a sufficient amount of boiling water for about 80 seconds, and then cooled in cold water to obtain boiled soba.

  Ramen was prepared as follows. Add 900 g of wheat flour, 100 g of starch, 20 g of gluten, 5 g of egg white powder, 400 g of water, 15 g of water and 0.6 g of gardenia pigment previously dissolved, mix for 10 minutes with a horizontal vacuum mixer for making noodles, The dough was obtained, rolled, combined, and aged at 25 ° C. for 1 hour at a thickness of about 10 mm. After aging, it was rolled by a conventional method to obtain raw udon noodles with a thickness of 1.5 mm using No. 20 noodle strings. Thereafter, in a sufficient amount of boiling hot water, it was immediately washed with water for about 80 seconds and cooled in cold water to obtain boiled ramen.

  After preparing udon, buckwheat noodles and ramen to the state before molding, as described in Example 1, the noodles were put into the tray in the air, and then the noodle chunks were fed into the water together with the tray. By spraying in a mist form, water leveling was performed using the water level, water amount and water pressure under various conditions. About the obtained frozen noodle mass, the maximum thickness, thickness difference, average thickness, and loosening time (seconds) were measured. The results are shown in Table 4.

  In addition, when buckwheat noodles were sprinkled with a water stream drawing a circle in the same manner as in Example 1, the noodles jumped out of the tray and could not be implemented. Therefore, it sprayed using the nozzle which sprays water in the shape of a mist. Hereinafter, in Example 2-5, a nozzle that sprays water in a mist form was used (VVP series, manufactured by Ikeuchi Co., Ltd., VVP2580 unless otherwise specified).

  As for the water level, the bulk varies depending on the type, thickness, shrinkage, etc. of the noodles, and the ratio of being used in the water varies. When the noodles were actually placed in a tray and the noodles were measured for their bulk, udon was 24 mm and soba noodles and ramen were about 30 mm. For example, when the water level was the same 24 mm, in the case of udon, the udon was slightly raised above the noodles, and in the case of buckwheat noodles, a substantial portion was felt above.

  From Table 4, 24 mm was preferred for udon and soba and about 21 mm for ramen. That is, since the noodles are thick and heavy, it is preferable to perform water leveling in a state where the whole noodles are soaked in water and easily moved by buoyancy. On the other hand, in the case of buckwheat noodles and ramen, water leveling is good with the noodle tops coming out of the water. Unlike noodles, these noodles are thin and light, so if the entire noodles are soaked in water, the upper noodles may be flushed and jump out of the tray with a shower (water flow from above). It is. In the case of light noodles, it is preferable that the upper surface of the noodles is out of the water, the surface of the upper surface of the noodles is leveled by the momentum of the shower, and the lower part of the noodles is buoyant.

  The water pressure and water volume are almost constant depending on the nozzle used. The nozzle used in this example is VVP2580 (manufactured by Ikeuchi Co., Ltd.). 25 indicates an angle at which the water flow (shower) for water leveling is applied, and 80 indicates the amount of water (8.0 L / min at 0.3 MPa). As described above, in the case of udon, water leveling is preferred in a state where the whole noodles are immersed in water and easily moved by buoyancy, and in that case, the effect of water leveling is achieved with a smaller amount of water and lower water pressure. can get.

  Two nozzles were used in parallel. A water leveling process was performed on buckwheat noodles and ramen under conditions of 12 L / min with two nozzles, a water pressure of 0.17 to 0.18 MPa, and a water depth of 21 mm soba noodles and 24 mm ramen. The effect on the size and the loosening time of the frozen noodle mass was confirmed in comparison with the case where water leveling was not performed.

  In Table 5, (1) scraping and (2) scraping press are comparative examples in which the water leveling process is not performed. (3) 21 mm (24 mm) 12 L and (4) 21 mm (24 mm) 12 L press It is the Example which performed the water leveling process. “Press” refers to the case where a press for compressing the noodle mass is applied. By comparing (2) and (4), or by comparing (1) and (3), the maximum thickness, thickness difference, and average thickness of the soba noodles and the ramen are treated with water. As for the time required for unraveling, even though the thickness was reduced by the water leveling process, it is the same as the comparative example, and even if it becomes compact, the sticking between the noodles does not increase, It was shown that.

Example 3 Influence of Noodle Line Thickness and Thickness on Water Leveling Conditions In this example, the thickness and thickness of noodle strings were changed using udon, and the effect on water leveling conditions was examined. It was. Nozzle VVP2580 was used at a height of about 280 mm from the water surface. The results are shown in Table 6.

  As shown in Table 6, even when the thickness and thickness of the noodle strings were changed, the preferable water level, water amount, and water pressure conditions for water leveling were almost the same. From the results of this example, it can be said that the condition of water leveling does not substantially depend on the thickness of the noodle strings.

Example 4 Influence of Salt Concentration on Water Leveling Effect In this example, the influence of salt concentration on the water leveling effect was examined using ramen. Ramen was prepared in the following Table 7 and prepared two types: thick ramen and thin ramen.

  As in Example 3, nozzle VVP2580 was used at a height of about 280 mm from the water surface. The results are shown in Table 8.

  From Table 8, it became clear that even with the same thickness, the physical properties (elasticity) of noodles differ depending on the salt, and the water leveling conditions and effects differ accordingly. Specifically, it is considered that water is infiltrated into the noodles by the osmotic pressure by adding salt, and the noodle strings become flexible. As a result, it is easier to add salt to the tray due to water leveling. In this case, the effect is easily obtained even if the water pressure is lower.

Example 5 Water Leveling Effect with Nozzle Water pressure and water amount are substantially constant depending on the nozzle used. In this example, the influence of the type of nozzle used on the water leveling effect was examined. The results are shown in FIGS. 6-8.

  In the figure, the numerical value after VVP indicates the angle and the amount of water to which the water flow (shower) for leveling is applied. For example, 25 in the VVP 2580 indicates an angle at which a water flow (water shower) is applied, and 80 indicates the amount of water (8.0 L / min at 0.3 MPa). The length indicates the height of the nozzle from the water surface.

  From FIG. 6, it can be considered that VVP9030, VVP8020 and VVP11515 are not suitable for the water leveling process of the present invention because of the maximum thickness and / or the large thickness difference.

  In FIGS. 7 and 8, the conditions were further examined when the angle at which the water flow (shower) for leveling was applied was 25 degrees or 15 degrees. As a result, it was found that VVP2580 has relatively small thickness variation. VVP2580 was also used in other examples.

Claims (9)

In a noodle mass leveling device that averages the noodle mass placed in the noodle mass molding tray:
The noodle mass that has been dropped into the tray is provided with charging means for dropping the noodle mass from above into the tray held at a fixed position, and a water flow generating means for generating a water flow toward the noodle mass that has been charged into the tray. Further, by applying the water flow generated by the water flow generating means from above, the noodle mass unevenness in the tray and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass is reduced.   A means for transporting the tray into which the noodle mass has been charged to a fixed position, and a means for transporting the tray containing the average noodle mass after the unevenness of the noodle mass and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass has been reduced by the water stream, The apparatus of claim 2.   The fixed position where the tray is held is in the water, and the noodle mass put into the tray and in the water is applied with the water flow generated by the water flow generating means from above. The device described.   The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for carrying out the tray containing the average noodle chunk, and carrying out the tray from the water so that an angle between the tray containing the uniform noodle chunk and the horizontal direction is 10 degrees or less. In the noodle mass leveling method, where the noodle mass placed in the noodle mass molding tray is leveled:
Drop the noodle mass from above into the tray held at a fixed position and throw it in, and generate a water flow toward the noodle mass placed in the tray, and generate a water flow from above in the noodle mass placed in the tray And a water leveling step in which a water flow generated by the means is applied, whereby the unevenness of the noodle mass in the tray and / or the unevenness of the upper surface of the noodle mass is reduced.   The method according to claim 5, wherein the amount of water applied to the noodle mass is 10-12 L / min.   The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the water pressure applied to the noodle mass is 10 kPa to 18 kPa.   The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the water flow is in a range of 15 to 25 degrees with respect to the noodle mass.   The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the noodle mass is udon, soba or ramen.