JP2023127503A - Method for manufacturing frozen noodles - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide frozen noodles that have a good chewy texture, a shiny and rough surface appearance, and a fragrant flavor even after being reheated from a frozen state.SOLUTION: The present invention achieves the aforementioned object by providing a method for manufacturing frozen noodles that include a steam treatment step in which pregelatinized noodles are subjected to a heating in which steam at 100°C or higher and 280°C or lower is used, followed by an oil-heating step in which the noodles obtained in the steam treatment step are brought into contact with oil/fat at 120°C or more and 200°C or less and heated for 1 second or more and 60 seconds or less, and a step in which the noodles treated in the oil-heating step are frozen.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing heated frozen noodles.

Conventionally, various cooking methods have been known in order to obtain chewy texture of noodles.
Patent Document 1 discloses that superheated steam of 300°C or higher is directly injected into the steamed noodles within 30 seconds to brown them, and then the noodle strings are coated with either oil, fat, sugar, or sugar alcohol. A method for producing browned noodles is described. The document states that the method enables browning of noodles without impairing the original texture as much as possible, and that a new quality can be obtained.

Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing cooked noodles, which includes a step of attaching fats and oils to boiled noodles and then heating the noodles with superheated steam or heated air at 105° C. or higher. This document states that by the production method, cooked noodles having a fragrant flavor and texture similar to stir-frying can be obtained without the need for stir-frying.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-218930 International Publication No. 2019/117113

Stir-fried noodles, such as stir-fried spaghetti and fried noodles, are widely loved for their fragrant flavor, rough noodle surface due to firmness, shiny appearance, and chewy texture. Demand for frozen noodles, which can be easily eaten by heating, is increasing.
On the other hand, since heated frozen noodles have a certain amount of moisture, their texture and flavor tend to deteriorate after freezing and subsequent heating. There are cases where it is difficult to obtain a fragrant flavor and good appearance.
Patent Document 1 does not take any of the above problems into account.
Patent Document 2 also aims to have a flavor and texture similar to stir-fried food, but there is still room for consideration regarding the flavor and texture after freezing and reheating. Further, Patent Document 2 does not describe the problem with the appearance of noodles after reheating from a frozen state.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide frozen noodles that have a chewy texture and aromatic flavor even after being reheated from a frozen state, and also have an appearance with a glossy texture and surface roughness. The shine and surface roughness of the noodles are appearance factors that give the impression that they have been stir-fried. (Hereinafter, giving the feeling of being stir-fried is also referred to as "having a stir-fried feel.")

In the present invention, after a steam treatment step in which pregelatinized noodles are heated with steam at a temperature of 100°C or higher and 280°C or lower, the noodles obtained in the steam treatment step are treated with oil or fat at a temperature of 120°C or higher and 200°C or lower. Perform an oil heating process of contacting and heating for 1 second to 60 seconds,
The present invention provides a method for producing frozen noodles, which includes a step of freezing noodles treated with an oil heating step.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide frozen noodles that have a chewy texture and a fragrant flavor even after being reheated from a frozen state, and also have an appearance with a shine and surface roughness. According to the present invention, it is possible to mass-produce frozen noodles that have a stir-fried appearance as well as texture and taste after being reheated from a frozen state without being stir-fried.

The present invention will be explained below based on its preferred embodiments.
In the present invention, after a steam treatment step in which pregelatinized noodles are heated with steam at a temperature of 100°C or higher and 280°C or lower, the noodles obtained in the steam treatment step are treated with oil or fat at a temperature of 120°C or higher and 200°C or lower. Perform an oil heating process of contacting and heating for 1 second to 60 seconds,
The present invention relates to a method for producing frozen noodles, which includes a step of freezing noodles treated with an oil heating step.
In addition, hereinafter, the descriptions of "N seconds" and "M minutes" regarding time mean "N seconds" and "M minutes", respectively (N and M are numerical values, respectively).

The present inventor has made extensive studies on a method for producing heated frozen noodles that, when reheated after freezing, can provide a chewy texture and aromatic flavor while having a glossy appearance and a rough surface. As a result, we surprisingly found that the above problem could be solved by gelatinizing the noodles and then heating them with high-temperature steam and high-temperature oil under specified conditions in this order to remove moisture. I found it.

In the present invention, gelatinized noodles are used. As the gelatinized noodles, it is possible to use noodles that have been gelatinized and are commonly used for human consumption. Examples of noodles include pasta such as spaghetti and macaroni, Chinese noodles, udon, soba, rice noodles, and pho. Among these, noodles of the type that are widely stir-fried and eaten are preferred, and suitable examples include pasta such as spaghetti, Chinese noodles, udon, and rice noodles. As used herein, pregelatinized noodles refer to noodles that have been subjected to boiling or steaming treatment. The steaming treatment here includes steaming treatment. Generally, the steam temperature used in the steaming process to obtain gelatinized noodles is 100°C. In the present invention, when obtaining pregelatinized noodles by steaming, the steam temperature in the steaming step is set to be above 100°C, and it is possible to distinguish between the pregelatinization treatment and the steaming step when obtaining pregelatinized noodles by steaming. can.

As raw materials for noodles, wheat flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, starch, etc. may be used as raw material flour. Further, regarding the method of manufacturing noodles, noodles may be manufactured according to a conventional method. The produced noodles may be boiled or steamed as they are (as raw noodles) to produce gelatinized noodles, or may be boiled or steamed after aging treatment to produce gelatinized noodles. Here, the ripening treatment includes drying treatment and heat treatment, and can be performed by appropriately selecting and applying conventional methods for improving the flavor of noodles. The gelatinized noodles may be gelatinized using commercially available uncooked noodles such as dried noodles or raw noodles.

The water content of the pregelatinized noodles to be subjected to the steam treatment step should be 50% by mass or more, which will not only prevent surface roughness from becoming too large after reheating after freezing, but also provide a fragrant flavor and chewy texture. The content is preferably 55% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 65% by mass or more because of its excellent feel. On the other hand, the water content of the pregelatinized noodles is preferably 80% by mass or less in terms of texture and surface roughness, and even more preferably 75% by mass or less. The moisture content of the noodles can be measured by a normal pressure heating drying method at 105°C.

For example, when dry noodles are boiled or steamed, a yield of 200% by mass or more can suitably prevent surface roughness from becoming too large after reheating after freezing, as well as improve the flavor. It is preferable because it has excellent flavor and chewy texture, more preferably 220% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 260% by mass or more. When dry noodles are boiled or steamed, the yield is preferably 400% by mass or less in terms of texture and surface roughness, and even more preferably 380% by mass or less.

(Steam treatment process)
The gelatinized noodles are subjected to a steam treatment process. The temperature of the gelatinized noodles at the time of subjecting them to the steam treatment step is not particularly limited. The boiled or steamed noodles may be subjected to the steam treatment step after being cooled, or may be subjected to the steam treatment step in the boiled or steamed high temperature state.
The gelatinized noodles are heated with steam at 100°C or higher. When heating, it is preferable to arrange the noodles as uniformly as possible so that uneven heating of the pregelatinized noodles is unlikely to occur, and it is preferable to arrange the noodles so that they are spread out in the form of a sheet, ridge, rod, etc. . For example, sheet-like refers to the state in which the noodles are spread evenly so that there are no irregularities, and the ratio of length:width:thickness is 1 to 100:1 to 100:1, especially 10 to 50:10 to 50:1. Preferably, it is in the form of a sheet. Spreading it out into a sheet makes it possible to heat it almost evenly. The ridge shape is similar to the sheet shape except that it has unevenness and the thickness is not uniform. A bar shape refers to a state in which a plurality of linearly stretched noodle strings are arranged in a bundle.

Other ingredients such as meat, fish, and vegetables may be mixed with the noodles to be subjected to the steam treatment process. Additionally, various ingredients such as seasonings, coating materials, food additives such as antioxidants and pH adjusters, and minerals may be added to the vegetables in advance. The proportion of pregelatinized noodles in all the materials to be subjected to the steam treatment step is preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 90% by mass or more.

In the steam treatment step, the noodles are heated using steam at a temperature of 100°C or higher and 280°C or lower. The present inventor has discovered that by passing through a steam treatment process in which high-temperature water vapor of 100°C or higher and 280°C or lower is brought into contact with the noodles, the surface of the noodles remains intact even after the noodles are brought into contact with high-temperature oil, frozen, and then reheated. It has been found that the hardness of the food can be easily maintained, a good chewy texture can be obtained, and the appearance and flavor can be improved with surface roughness and a glossy fried feel. Although the reason for this is not clear, steam heating allows uniform heating without physical impact, makes it easy to control the heating time, and makes it easy to suppress adverse effects on color tone and yield. In this process, the steam temperature of 100°C or higher allows the noodles to be heated rapidly, which has the advantage of imparting appropriate hardness to the noodle surface in a short time. This has the advantage of not heating the noodles excessively, improving texture and flavor, and giving a good appearance. When the steam temperature exceeds 100° C., superheated steam obtained by further heating saturated steam boiled and vaporized at 100° C. or higher is used. The temperature of the steam is more preferably 110° C. or higher in order to impart a drying effect to the surface of the noodles and improve the cooking effect when brought into contact with heated fats and oils. Further, from these points of view, the most preferable temperature of water vapor is 120°C or more and 270°C or less.

The suitable heating time for the steam treatment step may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type and thickness of the noodles. However, for example, the time is preferably 5 seconds or more and 15 minutes or less in terms of the surface roughness of the resulting noodles, the shiny and fried appearance, the chewy texture, and the aromatic flavor, and more preferably 10 seconds or more and 10 minutes. It is particularly preferably 15 seconds or more and 5 minutes or less, and most preferably 15 seconds or more and 4 minutes or less. Here, the heating time in the steam treatment step is the time during which the noodles are in contact with steam at a temperature of 100° C. or higher and 280° C. or lower, and in the case of intermittent contact with steam, it is the total contact time.
In addition, since the effects of the present invention are particularly excellent, the steam treatment step is such that the value obtained by multiplying the steam temperature (℃) x the time (seconds) of the steam treatment step is 10,000 (℃・seconds) to 25,000 (℃・seconds). ), and more preferably 13,000 (°C.seconds) to 20,000 (°C.seconds).

The amount of steam used in the steaming process is preferably 20 kg/hour or more and 400 kg/hour or less, since it is easier to obtain noodles that are chewy, have a good appearance, and have a good flavor, and because it is easier to reduce the moisture on the surface of the noodles. It is preferably 30 kg/hour or more and 300 kg/hour or less.

There are two types of cooking appliances that use steam at temperatures above 100°C and below 280°C: steam-injection types that spray steam directly onto the food, and steam-filling types that fill the interior of the cooking cabinet with steam instead of spraying steam directly onto the food. , you can use either one.

The noodles treated by the above steam treatment step are subjected to an oil heating step. The manufacturing method of the present invention may have a separate step between the steam treatment step and the oil heating step. Examples of such separate steps include a standing step, a seasoning step, a food additive addition step, a weight adjustment step, and the like. It is preferable to not include an active heating step or an active cooling step between the steam treatment step and the oil heating step, from the viewpoint of ease of temperature control of the noodles. In particular, it is preferable to perform the steam treatment step and the oil heating step continuously, since the temperature of the noodles can be easily controlled. Continuously performing the steam treatment step and the oil heating step means that the time from the end of the contact between the steam and the noodles in the steam treatment step to the start of the contact between the noodles and the oil in the oil heating step is within 1 hour. It is preferable to mean within 20 minutes, and it is especially preferable to mean within 20 minutes.

(Oil heating process)
The oil heating step is a step in which the noodles after the steam treatment step are brought into contact with oil and fat at a temperature of 120° C. or more and 200° C. or less, and the heating time is 1 second or more and 60 seconds or less. The method of bringing the oil and fat into contact with the noodles may be a general frying method in which the noodles are fried in heated oil in a pot, or by pouring heated oil or fat down onto the noodles from above, or by pouring heated oil or fat onto the noodles. An example of this method is to spray heated oil or fat onto the noodles. The latter case is preferable because it is easy to adjust the heating time and the temperature of the oil and fat when heating for a short time.

Setting the temperature of the fat or oil used in the oil heating step to 120° C. or higher is advantageous in terms of providing a glossy appearance and a rough surface, as well as imparting a fragrant flavor. By setting the temperature of the oil and fat used in the oil heating step to 200° C. or lower, it is possible to avoid deterioration of appearance and texture due to overheating when frozen noodles are reheated. From this viewpoint, the temperature of the oil or fat used in the oil heating step is more preferably 120°C or more and 200°C or less, particularly preferably 150°C or more and 190°C or less.

The heating time of the oil heating step is 1 second or more and 60 seconds or less. If the time is 1 second or more, you can get a glossy and rough surface, giving it a fried-like appearance and a fragrant flavor, and if it is 60 seconds or less, you can avoid the appearance caused by overheating when reheating frozen noodles. It is possible to avoid deterioration of texture. From this viewpoint, the heating time in the oil heating step is more preferably 2 seconds or more and 50 seconds or less, particularly preferably 3 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less.

In the oil heating step, the contact between the fat and oil and the noodles may be continuous or discontinuous. Discontinuously includes, for example, when oil and fat are applied to the noodles intermittently. The heating time in the oil heating step refers to the contact time with oil at 120°C or higher and 200°C or lower. For example, when oiling is performed continuously, it refers to the time from when the oiling starts and the noodles and heated oil start contacting to the end of the contact. When oiling is performed intermittently, the total contact time of the noodles with the heated oil and fat during each oiling is the total time, not including the gap between each oiling.

The total flow rate of oil and fat used in the oil heating step is preferably 1 g or more and 200 g or less per 1 g of noodles, since it is easy to efficiently obtain a glossy appearance, an appearance with a moderate surface roughness, and a fragrant flavor, and 2 g or more and 100 g or less. It is more preferable that

The fats and oils used in the oil heating process are not particularly limited as long as they are edible fats and oils, and include palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, shea butter, beef tallow, lard, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, Rice oil, corn oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, olive oil, milk fat, etc., and processed oils and fats thereof (hydrogenated oil, fractionated oil, transesterified oil) can be used without particular limitation. Particularly in the present invention, it is preferable to use a liquid oil, specifically an oil or fat that is liquid at 25° C., from the viewpoint of ease of handling in continuous production. In terms of flavor, it is preferable to use at least one selected from rapeseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, safflower oil, and corn oil.

After the oil heating process, the noodles may be cooled as is and stored by freezing if necessary, or they may be mixed with other ingredients (meat, seafood, vegetables, etc.) and sauces, soups, seasoning liquids (sauces, etc.). It may be cooled and frozen after mixing with The noodles obtained by the present invention have good surface roughness and are easily entangled with sauces. It is preferable to cool the noodles after the oil heating process before freezing, from the viewpoint of ease of temperature control and hygiene. Various methods such as air cooling, vacuum cooling, etc. can be used to cool the noodles after the oil heating process is completed. Freezing is usually carried out at -50°C or higher and 0°C or lower, more preferably -45°C or higher and -10°C or lower.

After the oil heating process, the noodles are mixed with ingredients and sauces as described above, if necessary, and then divided into predetermined portions, for example, 150 to 300 g per person, and placed on a tray, etc. After that, it can be packaged as necessary and subjected to refrigeration or freezing. In particular, frozen cooked noodles can be stored for a long time.

As for the method of heating the frozen noodles, a method suitable for the desired type of cooked noodles may be adopted as appropriate. In addition, heating methods for frozen noodles at the time of eating include microwave heating, oven heating, etc. Also, frying frozen noodles or foods containing them using a frying pan, etc., or boiling the food with the food sealed in the packaging material. It may be heated, and is not particularly limited. The frozen noodles of the present invention have a chewy texture, a fragrant flavor, a glossy texture, a rough surface, and a good appearance with a stir-fried feel even after being reheated from a frozen state when heated and eaten.

Examples of frozen noodles include, but are not limited to, stir-fried pasta such as Neapolitan spaghetti and peperoncino spaghetti, fried noodles, fried udon, and fried rice noodles.

The present invention will be described below based on Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the Examples below. Rapeseed oil was used as the fat used in the oil heating step. In addition, when applying oil, spread the noodles so that there are no overlapping parts so that they can easily come into contact with the oil, and spread the noodles so that when viewed from above the flowing point, the part where the heated oil has flowed down includes the entire position where the noodles are. The fats and oils were allowed to flow down so that the amount of flow per area was uniform over the entire area.

[Examples 1-1 to 1-4]
For commercially available dried spaghetti (product name "Massimo Premio #201" manufactured by Nisshin Seifun Werna), add 30 g of dried noodles to 3 L of water and boil for 8 minutes, the standard time. I stayed. Spread the boiled noodles on a stainless steel tray so that there are no overlapping parts, and cook using a continuous steam cooking machine (manufactured by Nakanishi Seisakusho, SV roaster, steam injection type) at a steam rate of 100 kg/hour. It was heated with steam at the temperature listed in Table 1 for the heating time listed in Table 1 (steam treatment step).
Next, as an oil heating step, oil at the temperature listed in Table 1 was poured over the noodles after the steam treatment step using an oil spraying machine for the heating time listed in Table 1. The total flow rate of oil in the oil spraying machine was 10 g per 1 g of boiled noodles before the steam treatment step. The steps from the steam treatment step to the oil heating step were performed continuously. The noodles after being coated with oil were cooled with cold air at 10°C, and then blast-frozen at -40°C. The frozen noodles were placed in a nylon-polymer pouch, sealed, and stored in the freezer to obtain frozen noodles.

[Comparative example 1-1]
Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in Examples 1-1 to 1-4, except that the steam treatment step and oil heating step were not performed.

[Comparative Examples 1-2, 1-3]
Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in Examples 1-1 and 1-2, except that the oil heating step was not performed.

[Comparative example 1-4]
The boiled noodles were directly subjected to the oil heating process without performing the steam treatment process. Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1-1 except for this point.

[Comparative example 1-5]
The steam temperature and heating time of the steam treatment step were as shown in Table 1, and instead of the oil heating step, 150 g of boiled noodles after the steam treatment step was coated with 5 ml of 25°C rapeseed oil. Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1-1.

[Comparative example 1-6]
Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1-2 except that the order of the steam treatment step and oil heating step was changed.

(evaluation)
About 100 g of frozen noodles that had been frozen for 7 days, they were placed on a plate and then heated in a microwave at 600 W for 1 minute and 40 seconds. The noodles after heating were evaluated using the following evaluation criteria.

<Evaluation criteria>
●Appearance 5: Very good appearance with moderately rough noodle surface and moderate shine.
4: Good appearance with roughness on the noodle surface and moderate shine.
3: The noodle surface is slightly rough and has a slightly shiny or weak appearance, which is average.
2: Poor noodle surface roughness and strong or weak appearance.
1: Very poor appearance with almost no roughness on the noodle surface and too strong or too weak shine.

●Flavor 5: Strong aroma and taste of oil and fat, very good.
4: There is a fragrant aroma and taste of oil and fat, which is good.
3: Slightly fragrant aroma and taste of fats and oils, average quality.
2: Poor aroma and taste of fats and oils.
1: There is almost no aroma or taste of oil or fat, and it is very poor.

●Texture 5: The texture is very good, with strong chewiness and moderate hardness on the surface of the noodles.
4: Good texture with chewy texture and moderate hardness on the surface of the noodles.
3: The texture is slightly weak, and the noodle surface has a slightly hard or slightly soft texture, which is average.
2: Poor texture with weak texture and hard or soft noodle surface.
1: Very poor texture with almost no chewiness and the noodle surface being too hard or too soft.

As shown in Table 1, in each example in which a steam treatment step at a predetermined temperature and time and an oil heating step at a predetermined temperature and time were combined in this order, the noodles had a rough surface, a shiny appearance, a fragrant flavor, and a chewy texture. Two or more of the textures were evaluated as good, and the remaining one was rated above standard. In the products of these evaluation examples, after being reheated after being frozen, the products not only had a texture and flavor but also an appearance that gave the impression of having been stir-fried. On the other hand, as shown in Tables 1 and 2, in Comparative Example 1-1, which does not perform the steam treatment process and oil heating process, it is difficult to obtain surface roughness and shiny appearance, and these can be improved even if only the steam treatment process is performed. It's hard. Furthermore, Comparative Example 1-4 in which only the oil heating step was performed was inferior in appearance and texture. Furthermore, Comparative Example 1-5, in which water vapor at a temperature exceeding the upper limit of the present invention is used and coated with oil at room temperature, does not produce any effects on appearance and flavor, and Comparative Example in which the order of the oil heating step and the steam treatment step is changed. No. 1-6 has no flavor and is inferior in appearance and texture.

[Examples 2-1 to 2-2, 3-1 to 3-2]
Example 1-1 except that the boiling time was changed to 15 minutes (Table 3) or 20 minutes (Table 4) and the steam treatment step was performed after the water content and boiling yield were set to the values listed in the table. Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in 1-2.

[Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-4, 3-1 to 3-4]
Comparative Example 1-1~ except that the boiling time was changed to 15 minutes (Table 3) or 20 minutes (Table 4) and the steam treatment step was performed after the water content and boiling yield were set to the values listed in the table. Frozen noodles were obtained in the same manner as in 1-4.

Regarding the frozen noodles of Examples 2-1 to 2-2, 3-1 to 3-2, Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-4, and 3-1 to 3-4, Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-7, Evaluations were conducted in the same manner as in 1-1 to 1-4. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

As shown in Tables 1, 3, and 4, when the yield and moisture content are above the predetermined values, after reheating after freezing, the appearance has a fried appearance with moderate surface roughness and moderate shine; It can be seen that the effect of improving the fragrant flavor of fats and oils and the chewy texture becomes remarkable.

Claims (3)

After a steam treatment step in which the pregelatinized noodles are heated with steam at a temperature of 100°C or higher and 280°C or lower, the noodles obtained in the steam treatment step are brought into contact with oil or fat at a temperature of 120°C or higher and 200°C or lower. Perform an oil heating step of heating for more than 60 seconds,
A method for producing frozen noodles, comprising a step of freezing noodles treated with an oil heating step. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1, wherein the pregelatinized noodles are heated to have a water content of 50% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating time in the steam treatment step is 5 seconds or more and 15 minutes or less.