JP2020099204A - Seasoning for microwave cooking - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a seasoning for microwave cooking, capable of giving uniform flavoring to ingredients such as vegetables, thereby shortening the cooking time.SOLUTION: A seasoning for microwave cooking comprises an aqueous phase and an oil phase, wherein a ratio of the aqueous phase is 70-95 wt.%. The seasoning further has a water activity of less than 0.88 and a Brix degree of 35 or more. The seasoning preferably satisfies at least one of: a salinity concentration in the seasoning of 1-15 wt.%; an alcohol concentration therein of 0.5-8.0 wt.%; and a viscosity of 5,000 Pa s or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a seasoning for microwave oven cooking, which is capable of uniformly seasoning ingredients such as vegetables and cooking in a short time, and a method for producing a microwave oven cooked food.

In recent years, consumers' lifestyles have diversified, and it is desired that they can be easily cooked at home and that they can provide delicious, healthy and nutritious meals. Among them, there is an increasing number of menus such as "traditional vegetables" and "tsukuriki" that are mainly vegetables that can be used not only for fresh preparation but also for the table and lunch of the next day.

Methods of cooking vegetables include oven heating and steam heating. However, heating the oven removes water and is not suitable for moist vegetable cooking. Steam heating requires a long time before heating and the vegetable surface. Cooking is uneven because it is heated from above. On the other hand, the cooking method using a microwave oven can cook in a shorter time than the conventional cooking method, and the loss of nutrients due to long-time heating can be reduced, and it can be used for dishes such as dishes without using cooking utensils such as pots. It is considered that convenience can be improved because raw ingredients can be served as they are and sprinkled with liquid seasoning for cooking. As a seasoning that enables such a microwave oven cooking method, a liquid seasoning for microwave ovens with high water activity with a lot of free water has been proposed, which can be cooked in a short time and can be cooked without burning. Has been reported (Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, it is also known that cooking ingredients such as vegetables in a microwave oven tends to give a non-uniform flavor, but the factor is that "the flow rate of the liquid seasoning from the ingredient surface". Based on the hypothesis that the flow-down speed depends on the viscosity of the liquid seasoning, a liquid seasoning for microwave ovens containing starch and having a high viscosity has been reported (Patent Document 2).

JP-A-62-96075 JP, 2015-23830, A

It is an object of the present invention to provide a seasoning for microwave oven cooking that can uniformly season ingredients such as vegetables and cook them in a short time.

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that cores remain in vegetables and the like when cooked in a microwave oven with a seasoning having low water activity, or partial evaporation of water occurs. It is known that there is a drawback that it becomes too large (Patent Document 1), but even a seasoning with low water activity can be surprisingly shortened in time by adjusting the ratio of the aqueous phase and the Brix value to a specific range. The inventors have found that vegetables and the like can be cooked in a microwave oven evenly, and can be seasoned even with a small amount of addition, thus completing the present invention.

That is, the present invention includes the following aspects.
[1] A seasoning for microwave cooking, which comprises an aqueous phase and an oil phase, the proportion of the aqueous phase is 70 to 95% by weight, the water activity is less than 0.88, and the Brix value is 35 or more.
[2] From (1) the salt concentration in the seasoning is 1 to 15% by weight, (2) the alcohol concentration in the seasoning is 0.5 to 8% by weight, and (3) the viscosity of the seasoning is 5000 Pa·s or less. The seasoning according to [1], which satisfies one or more selected from the group consisting of
[3] The seasoning according to [1] or [2], characterized in that 10 to 40 g is added to 100 g of the ingredient.
[4] (1) A seasoning containing an aqueous phase and an oil phase, having a water phase ratio of 70 to 95% by weight, a water activity of less than 0.88 and a Brix value of 35 or more is added to the ingredient. The manufacturing method of the microwave oven cooked food including a process, and the process of (2) heating ingredients in a microwave oven.
[5] The production method according to [4], wherein 10 to 40 g of the seasoning is added to 100 g of the ingredient.

Since the seasoning of the present invention is heated and seasoned at the same time by a microwave oven, a side dish can be easily provided in a short time.
Since the seasoning of the present invention is heated together with vegetables, the fresh flavor can be provided without the temperature drop of the heated vegetables caused by the seasoning applied to the heated vegetables.

The present invention relates to a seasoning for microwave cooking, which comprises an aqueous phase and an oil phase, the proportion of the aqueous phase is 70 to 95% by weight, the water activity is less than 0.88, and the Brix value is 35 or more (hereinafter It may be abbreviated as the seasoning of the present invention).

The aqueous phase in the present invention is mainly composed of water, and as other components, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, miso, spices, sugars, protein materials, organic acids, amino acid-based seasonings, nucleic acid-based seasonings, animal and plant extracts, fermentation. Various additives such as seasonings, alcohols, starch, thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, colorants and the like can be appropriately contained. When a water-soluble additive is contained, it is contained in the aqueous phase.

The vinegar is not limited as long as it can exert the effect of taste and quality preservation, and examples thereof include grain vinegar, black vinegar, apple vinegar, grape vinegar, vinegar and the like.
Salt, soy sauce, miso, spices, sugars, protein materials, organic acids, amino acid-based seasonings, nucleic acid-based seasonings, animal and plant extracts, fermented seasonings are not particularly limited as long as they are added to ordinary foods, but seasonings You can choose according to the purpose of the fee.
Among them, saccharides are preferably granulated sugar, liquid sugar, dextrin, reduced maltose, sugar alcohols, etc. from the viewpoint of reducing water activity and maintaining physical properties in addition to the purpose of taste. As sugar alcohols, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol and the like are preferable.
The alcohols are not particularly limited as long as they are added to foods, but 95% alcohol, sake and wine are preferable from the viewpoint of taste and quality preservation.
The thickener is not particularly limited as long as it is a thickener that can be generally used in foods, for example, xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, monato gum, arabic gum, alginates, tragacanth gum. , Polydextrose, celluloses, processed starches, pullulan, curdlan, egg yolk, pectin, gelatin, agar, natural products such as soybean polysaccharides, and chemically synthesized gums such as carboxymethyl cellulose and polyethylene glycol. Of these, xanthan gum and guar gum are preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining viscosity.
The stabilizer is not particularly limited as long as it is a stabilizer generally usable in foods, and examples thereof include milk proteins such as lactalbumin and starches.
The emulsifier is not particularly limited as long as it is an emulsifier generally usable in foods, and examples thereof include egg yolk liquid, casein, gelatin, monoglycerin fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester.

The pH of the aqueous phase is usually 7 or less, preferably 3.5 to 6.5. In order to lower the pH to this range, organic acids, inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid, and acidulants such as lemon juice can be used, but as described above, from the viewpoint of improving taste and quality, such as vinegar. It is preferable to use organic acids.

The oil phase in the present invention is mainly composed of edible oil and fat. The edible oils and fats may be animal or vegetable.For example, vegetable oils include soybean oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice. Oil, sesame oil, olive oil, avocado oil and the like, and animal oils include beef tallow, lard, fish oil and the like. From the viewpoint of maintaining the taste and decreasing the water activity, it is preferable to use vegetable oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil. Further, hydrogenated oil, fractionated oil, transesterified oil and the like of these edible oils and fats can also be used.

The ratio of the aqueous phase to the total of the oil phase and the aqueous phase in the seasoning of the present invention is usually 70 to 95% by weight, preferably 75 to 95% by weight, from the viewpoint that the seasoning is easily adapted to ingredients such as vegetables. It is 95% by weight, and more preferably 80 to 95% by weight. If it deviates from this range, the ingredients such as vegetables will not be well-familiar and the uniformity of seasoning will be impaired.

In the present specification, the water activity (Aw; water activity) means the water vapor pressure (energy state of water) of the surface water of the seasoning, and generally, the equilibrium vapor pressure (p) on the sample is defined as the water at the same temperature. Is calculated by the following formula. The water activity is also a value obtained by dividing the equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) of the sample by 100.
Aw=p/p0=ERH/100
Water activity usually depends on the percentage of free water contained in the sample. Free water is defined as water that is not bound or bound by the interactions of other components. Therefore, the water activity value of pure water is 1.00 (equilibrium relative humidity 100%). On the other hand, when components other than water (salt, sugar, carbohydrates, etc.) are mixed, the proportion of bound water bound to the binding due to the interaction with these components and water adsorbed on the surface (adsorbed water) increases. , The water activity value decreases.

That is, the microwave of the microwave oven is usually heated by moving the water in the food, so that it was considered that more free water and higher water activity were more suitable for the microwave oven, but the seasoning of the present invention was used. The water activity is usually less than 0.88, preferably 0.60 to 0.88, and more preferably 0.70 to 0.85. When the water activity is higher than 0.88, microwaves in a microwave oven are absorbed by free water in seasonings, and absorption into water molecules of ingredients such as vegetables is reduced, so that cooking time becomes longer.
In the present application, the water activity can be measured using, for example, a water activity measuring device “AquaLab Series4 TDL” (manufactured by METER).
Usually, the water activity can be adjusted to a desired value by adjusting the balance between the content of sugars and the amount of water added.

The brix (value) of the seasoning of the present invention is usually 35 or more, preferably 40 to 70, and more preferably 45 to 65 from the viewpoint of short-time cooking. When the brix is less than 35, microwaves in a microwave oven are easily absorbed by the seasoning, and absorption of water contained in ingredients such as vegetables is reduced, so that the cooking time becomes longer. However, the absorption of microwaves into the seasoning can be reduced by including a soluble solid content in the seasoning, but since the presence or absence of the effect and the degree of the effect differ depending on the type of the component to be contained, the brix is 35 or more. In addition, it is important for short-time cooking to satisfy the above water activity of less than 0.88 at the same time.
In the present specification, the brix is a unit for measuring the standard of the gram amount of the soluble solid content (such as sugar) contained in 100 g of the solution. The Brix value can be measured by using a commercially available refractometer, for example, "Pocket sugar content meter PAL-J" (manufactured by ATAGO).
Generally, Brix can be adjusted to a desired value by adjusting the content of sugar raw materials (for example, fructose, liquid sugar, invert sugar, glucose, sugar alcohol, etc.) and salts.

The seasoning of the present invention is added to the ingredients before or after the ingredients are heated and cooked in a microwave oven, and mixed with the ingredients as needed before use. Above all, it is preferable to add the seasoning to the ingredients before heating in the microwave oven from the viewpoint that the seasoning is adapted to the ingredients by heating. In addition, even in the case of taste of fresh flavor, if a seasoning is applied to the ingredients after heating, the fresh flavor is impaired due to the temperature drop of the heating ingredients, so it is preferable to add before heating. Alternatively, the ingredients may be preheated in a microwave oven, and then the seasoning may be added to the ingredients and cooked again in the microwave oven.

The ingredient used in the present invention refers to an ingredient containing vegetables, and particularly refers to an ingredient mainly containing vegetables. Vegetables include leafy vegetables such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, spinach, and komatsuna; stem vegetables such as onions, leeks, asparagus, and sprouts; fruit vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, squash, tomatoes, zucchini; carrots, Root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, Japanese radish, turnips, lotus roots, burdock roots; vegetarians such as broccoli and cauliflower; beans such as green beans, soybeans, adzuki beans, broad beans; mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms and mushrooms. .. Such vegetables are preferably used after being cut to a size that is easy to eat. Particularly, root vegetables are preferably sliced or sliced. In addition to these vegetables, ingredients include livestock meat such as chicken, pork, beef and lamb, bonito, tuna, sea bass, cod, octopus, squid, shrimp, clams and other seafood. However, it is preferable to use meat and seafood after cutting them to a size that is easy to eat to some extent.

As the salt concentration of the seasoning of the present invention, it is desirable to contain a large amount in order to increase the osmotic pressure and improve the taste, but the water contained in ingredients such as vegetables evaporates due to microwave cooking and becomes salty. Therefore, the salt concentration contained in the seasoning of the present invention is usually 1 to 15% by weight, preferably 2 to 12% by weight, more preferably 3 to 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the seasoning. %.
The salt concentration is adjusted mainly by the blending amount of the above-mentioned soy sauce and other materials such as salt. The salt concentration is a value calculated by assuming that the chloride ion concentration measured by the Mohr method is the salt concentration. The concentration of chloride ion can be measured by a method of titrating with a standard solution of silver nitrate using potassium chromate as an indicator, and the measurement method is referred to as Mohr method.

The alcohol concentration in the seasoning of the present invention is usually 0.5 to 8 with respect to the total amount of the seasoning, because the vaporization temperature of the seasoning, that is, the boiling point, contributes to heat transfer to the ingredients and uniform taste. %, preferably 1 to 6% by weight, more preferably 1 to 5% by weight.

The viscosity of the seasoning of the present invention is usually 5000 Pa·s or less, and preferably 100 to 3000 Pa·s, from the viewpoint that even a small amount easily adapts to vegetables and can be used immediately at room temperature even when stored in a refrigerator. , And more preferably 300 to 2500 Pa·s.
The viscosity can be measured by a conventional method, and for example, it may be measured at room temperature (20° C.) with a B-type viscometer (rotor No. 2, rotation speed: 12 rpm).

Moreover, the form of the seasoning of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a form that is easily adapted to the ingredients, but usually, a liquid form, a paste form, and a gel form are mentioned. Among them, the liquid form is preferable from the viewpoint that the surface of the ingredient can be uniformly contacted and seasoned.

The pH of the seasoning of the present invention is usually 7 or less, and preferably 3.5 to 6.5, from the viewpoint of seasoning and quality suitable for vegetables.

The seasoning of the present invention may further contain a food material usually used in the field of seasonings. Examples thereof include solid food ingredients such as sesame, nuts, green onions, garlic, ginger, grated radish, minced meat, chili noodles, and pepper.

The seasoning of the present invention is generally added in an amount of 10 to 40 g, preferably 10 to 30 g, and more preferably 15 to 25 g based on 100 g of the ingredient, from the viewpoint of uniform seasoning and suppressing evaporation of water from the ingredient.

The seasoning of the present invention is added in the above proportion by putting vegetables and the like in a container. The container may be of any size and shape as long as an ingredient containing vegetables can be placed on it, but a heat-resistant container suitable for cooking in a microwave oven is preferable. If necessary, a plastic wrap or lid may be used for heating.

For heating in a microwave oven, the output and heating time can be determined in consideration of the type, cutting method, and size of ingredients such as vegetables. For example, it can be heated under the condition of 600 W×1 to 4 minutes per 100 g of the total mass of the seasoning and the ingredients.

The seasoning of the present invention can be produced by a method known per se. For example, the water phase and the oil phase are mixed and then emulsified if necessary. As the aqueous phase, it is preferable to use a seasoning solution, that is, water, and optionally vinegar, salt, sugar, a thickener, various seasonings, and the like, which are heat-sterilized as needed.

Further, (1) a step of adding a seasoning containing an aqueous phase and an oil phase, the proportion of the aqueous phase is 70 to 95% by weight, the water activity is less than 0.88 and the Brix value is 35 or more, to the ingredient, And the manufacturing method of the cooked food including the step of (2) heating the ingredients in a microwave oven is also included in the present invention (hereinafter abbreviated as the manufacturing method of the present invention). Cooked food means cooked ingredients that are not raw.

In the production method of the present invention, the order of (1)(2) or (2)(1) may be carried out, but from the viewpoint of heating the seasoning to the ingredients, (1)(2) It is preferable to carry out in the order of).

The amount of seasoning added is usually 10 to 40 g, preferably 10 to 30 g, and more preferably 15 to 25 g, relative to 100 g of the ingredient.

As a heating condition in a microwave oven, 100 g of ingredients may be heated in a microwave oven of 600 w for 1 to 4 minutes.

In the production method of the present invention, if necessary, a step of washing ingredients, a step of appropriately cutting according to the type of ingredients, a step of mixing ingredients and seasonings, etc. The processes and steps involved may be included. The components contained in the seasoning, various definitions and suitable ranges are as described above.

The present invention also includes cooked foods produced by the production method of the present invention. Various definitions and preferable ranges are as described above.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. The invention is in no way limited by this example. In the following, "%" means "% by weight" unless otherwise specified.

1. Preparation of seasoning for microwave cooking The raw materials were weighed according to Table 1 and Table 2. Table 1 shows the black vinegar flavor seasoning and Table 2 shows the blending of Bagna cauda flavor seasoning. The liquid raw material was put into a stainless steel jug, and was sufficiently stirred and mixed with a handy food processor while heating. Further, the powder raw material was added, and the mixture was stirred and mixed in the same manner for 10 minutes, and cooled to obtain a seasoning sample.

2. Physical property measurement and physicochemical measurement The physical properties of the obtained seasoning were measured by the following methods. The results are shown in Table 3.
(1) Water activity An appropriate amount of sample was put in a dedicated petri dish, and water activity was measured according to a predetermined procedure of the equipment using a water activity measuring device "AquaLab Series 4 TDL" (manufactured by METER).
(2) Brix Using a refractometer “Pocket sugar content meter PAL-J” (manufactured by ATAGO), an appropriate amount of sample was dropped on the measurement surface to measure Brix.
(3) Viscosity Using a B-type viscometer, a stainless steel jug containing the prepared seasoning was stabbed with a rotor, and the rotor No. The viscosity was measured under the conditions of 2, rotation speed 12 rpm, and seasoning liquid temperature 20°C.
(4) Chloride Chloride concentration is measured by "Hiranuma automatic titrator COM-1700" (manufactured by Hiranuma Sangyo Co., Ltd.) using the Mohr method in which potassium chromate is used as an indicator and titration with a silver nitrate standard solution, according to the procedure prescribed by the equipment. did. The chloride concentration was assumed to be the salt concentration.

As shown in Table 3, both the black vinegar flavor seasoning and the Bagna cauda flavor seasoning have a water activity of less than 0.88, a water phase ratio of 70 to 95%, and a brix in a range of 35 or more. Meet at the same time.

3. Microwave cooking and sensory evaluation Cabbage, onions, carrots, peppers, broccoli, green beans, and shiitake mushrooms were cut into a size that was easy to heat and easy to eat, and spread thinly on a bakeware. Add 1 tablespoon (15 g) of black vinegar flavor seasoning (Table 1) or Bagna cauda flavor seasoning (Table 2) per 100 g of vegetables, cover with wrap, and heat in microwave oven 600W for 1 to 4 minutes I got a microwave cooked food. The obtained microwave cooked food was subjected to sensory evaluation.

The sensory evaluation was conducted by focusing on the following three items.
(1) Compatibility of seasonings with ingredients (appearance evaluation),
(2) Uniform seasoning of ingredients,
(3) Fire path to ingredients The meanings of the symbols in the table are as follows:
“O” is preferable, “Δ” is slightly preferable, and “x” is not preferable.
Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation is attached. The overall evaluation was based on the evaluations (1) to (3) above:
“◯” does not include x or Δ in the evaluations of (1) to (3) “Δ” does not include x in the evaluations of (1) to (3), but “x” includes Δ is (1 ) To (3) include x.

Table 4 shows the sensory evaluation results of the black vinegar flavor seasoning, and Table 5 shows the sensory evaluation results of the Bagna cauda flavor seasoning. As shown in Table 4 and Table 5, in any seasoning and any ingredient, the familiarity of the seasoning to the ingredient, uniform seasoning of the ingredient, and quick passage to the ingredient in a short time are in a preferable state. Therefore, it was considered preferable in the comprehensive evaluation. That is, by using a seasoning for microwave cooking that simultaneously satisfies the three requirements of water activity of less than 0.88, water phase ratio of 70 to 95%, and brix of 35 or more, the familiarity of the seasoning to the ingredient, the ingredient It was shown that a microwave-cooked food product with uniform seasoning and cooked ingredients was obtained in a short time. That is, even with a seasoning having a water activity of less than 0.88, which was conventionally considered difficult, the problem in the invention can be solved by adjusting the water phase ratio to 70 to 95% and Brix 35 or more.

By the same method as in Example 1, a black vinegar-flavored seasoning was obtained according to the formulation of Table 1 (Test Group 1). Water, vegetable oils and fats and sorbitol were appropriately added to the black vinegar flavor seasoning of Test Zone 1 and mixed with stirring to adjust the Brix to 30. The obtained Brix-adjusted black vinegar flavor seasoning was designated as Test Zone 2. Similarly, water, vegetable oils and fats and sorbitol were added to the black vinegar flavor seasoning of Test Zone 1 and mixed with stirring to adjust the oils and fats mixture ratio to 40%, that is, the water phase ratio to 60%. .. The resulting aqueous phase ratio-adjusted black vinegar flavor seasoning was designated as Test Group 3. The obtained seasonings of Test Groups 1 to 3 were measured for water activity and Brix value in the same manner as in Examples. Furthermore, in the same manner as in Example 1, microwave cooking was performed using carrots and broccoli. The obtained microwave cooked food was subjected to sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Example 1. The microwave cooking time was 600 W for 2 minutes and 600 W for 1 minute and 30 seconds for broccoli.

Table 6 shows the results using carrots, and Table 7 shows the results using broccoli. As shown in Tables 6 and 7, in any of the ingredients, in the test section 1, the electronic components that are preferable in all aspects of the familiarity of the seasoning to the ingredients, the uniform seasoning of the ingredients, and the fire in a short time Although a range cooked food was obtained, in the test section 2 in which the brix was adjusted to be low, the core remained in the ingredients, which was not preferable in the way the ingredients burned in a short time. That is, it was confirmed that the seasoning having a Brix value of less than 35 does not pass the fire in a short time in the microwave cooking. In addition, in Test Zone 3 in which the proportion of the water phase was adjusted, the seasoning was less compatible with the ingredients, resulting in uneven heating and uneven seasoning, and the ingredients were seasoned uniformly and burned in a short time. The result was also unfavorable. That is, with a seasoning in which the proportion of the water phase is less than the range of 70 to 95%, in the microwave cooking, the familiarity of the seasoning with the ingredients is poor, and the ingredients are evenly seasoned and the heat can be passed quickly in a short time. It was confirmed that there was not. From the above results, in order to obtain a microwave-cooked food in which the seasoning is familiar to the ingredients, the ingredients are uniformly seasoned, and the ingredients are cooked in a short time, a water activity of 0.88 is obtained. It was shown that it is important to use a seasoning for microwave oven cooking that simultaneously satisfies the three requirements of less than 1, water phase ratio of 70 to 95% and Brix 35 or more, and it is not possible to achieve it even if any one is missing. .. That is, even a seasoning having a water activity of less than 0.88, which was conventionally considered difficult, can be solved by adjusting the water phase ratio to 70 to 95% and Brix 35 or more.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the optimal seasoning for microwave oven cooking can be provided and a vegetable dish can be easily prepared in a short time.

Claims (5)

A seasoning for microwave cooking, which comprises an aqueous phase and an oil phase, the proportion of the aqueous phase is 70 to 95% by weight, the water activity is less than 0.88, and the Brix value is 35 or more. (1) The salt concentration in the seasoning is 1 to 15% by weight, (2) the alcohol concentration in the seasoning is 0.5 to 8% by weight, and (3) the viscosity of the seasoning is 5000 Pa·s or less. The seasoning according to claim 1, which satisfies one or more selected. 10-40g is added with respect to 100g of ingredients, The seasoning of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. (1) a step of adding a seasoning containing an aqueous phase and an oil phase, the proportion of the aqueous phase being 70 to 95% by weight, having a water activity of less than 0.88 and a Brix value of 35 or more, and (2) A method for producing a microwave oven cooked food, which comprises a step of heating ingredients in a microwave oven. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein 10 to 40 g of the seasoning is added to 100 g of the ingredient.