JP6536776B2 - Method for producing dehydrated tofu, and smoked tofu - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing dehydrated tofu, and smoked tofu produced using dehydrated tofu obtained by the method as a food.

  Dehydrated tofu obtained by squeezing tofu can be eaten as it is, or can be used as a food material for producing tofu processed foods such as smoked tofu. However, since tofu is fragile and soft, if a strong pressure is applied to the tofu during pressing, the tofu may be deformed. On the other hand, if you try to squeeze tofu to obtain dehydrated tofu so that the tofu does not break down, it is difficult for the finished dehydrated tofu to maintain both a fresh taste and the smooth texture inherent in the tofu. .

  For example, if the tofu is squeezed while keeping the tofu at 35 ° C. or less while applying a constant pressure so that the tofu does not lose its shape, it takes too long to squeeze the fresh taste from the dehydrated tofu. . If you squeeze the tofu while keeping the temperature of the tofu at more than 35 ° C, the high temperature will increase the evaporation rate of water and you can finish the squeezing in a short time, but the tofu will become hard because the high temperature makes the eating smooth from dehydrated tofu. Feeling is lost.

In the method for producing smoked tofu described in Patent Document 1, 0.2 to 1.2% by mass of calcium chloride is added to soymilk as a coagulant to prepare tofu. After that, the crushed tofu is filled in a mold box covered with cotton cloth, covered with a press lid, and pressed under pressure until the tofu reaches a moisture content of about 75% by weight and squeezed. The conditions for applying a pressing pressure, 10 to 20 g / cm ² at 5 to 30 minutes, conditions are illustrated as 100 to 200 g / cm ² at 10 to 60 minutes.

  However, Patent Document 1 does not describe temperature conditions of tofu at the time of pressing. Moreover, since the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1 completes the pressing of tofu within 90 minutes in total, the time required for pressing is extremely short. For this reason, in the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, it is considered that tofu is exposed to a high temperature during pressing. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, it is considered that the finished dehydrated tofu becomes hard and the smooth texture is lost from the dehydrated tofu.

JP 2007-111037 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing dehydrated tofu in which both fresh taste and smooth texture inherent to tofu are maintained without being deformed. Furthermore, this invention aims at providing the smoked tofu which manufactured the dehydrated tofu obtained by the manufacturing method as a foodstuff.

  In order to achieve the above object, the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention comprises the steps of preparing a tofu, encasing the tofu in a cloth and storing it in a mold box, and storing the mold in the mold box. And a pressing step of pressing the tofu with a push lid while gradually increasing the pressing pressure while keeping the tofu at 35 ° C. or higher above the freezing point of the water of the tofu.

  In the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention, the pressing step is performed while maintaining the tofu contained in the mold box at 3 ° C. or more and 6 ° C. or less.

  Further, in the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention, the push lid is a bamboo shoot.

Further, in the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention, the pressing step includes pressing the tofu contained in the mold box at a pressure of 30 g / cm ² or more and 70 g / cm ² or less in the first step. And 30 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, and in the second stage, press for 30 minutes or more and 240 minutes or less with a pressing pressure of 100 g / cm ² or more and 160 g / cm ² or less, and in the third stage, 300 g / cm ² or more It is performed so as to press for 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less at a pressure of 400 g / cm ² or less.

  In the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention, the tofu prepared in the preparation step is cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a bittern concentration of 0.20% by mass or more and 0.25% by mass or less.

  Further, in the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention, the soymilk is 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less of brix.

  In addition, the smoked tofu according to the present invention is smoked tofu which is obtained by subjecting the dehydrated tofu produced by the method for producing dehydrated tofu to smoking treatment.

  In the method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the present invention, the pressing step is carried out while maintaining the tofu at a temperature of 35 ° C. or higher which is higher than the freezing point of the tofu moisture. Since the temperature is higher than the freezing point of the tofu moisture, the tofu moisture does not become ice in the pressing process. Therefore, ice does not break the internal structure of tofu. Further, since the temperature is 35 ° C. or less, the tofu is exposed to a high temperature in the squeezing step, and the crosslinking reaction of the soy protein does not proceed too much, and the tofu does not become hard. Thus, dehydrated tofu can be produced which exhibits the original smooth texture of tofu.

  Furthermore, in the squeezing process, the pressure applied to the tofu through the pressure lid is gradually increased. In the first stage of the pressing process, since the pressure applied to the tofu is low, it is possible to squeeze water from the tofu without causing the tofu to be deformed. The tofu that has completed the first stage of the pressing process has a lower moisture content and is less likely to be deformed as compared to the tofu just before starting the pressing process. For this reason, after the 2nd step of a pressing process, pushing pressure higher than the pushing pressure applied in the 1st step can be applied to tofu. Therefore, if the pressure applied to tofu is increased stepwise, higher pressure can be applied to tofu from the second stage onward without causing the tofu to be deformed. As a result, since the time required for dehydration of tofu can be significantly shortened, a fresh taste can be maintained with dehydrated tofu. Therefore, it is possible to produce dehydrated tofu with a fresh taste without losing its shape.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing dehydrated tofu which maintains both of a fresh taste and an original smooth texture of tofu without losing its shape.

[Manufacturing method according to the first embodiment]
The method for producing dehydrated tofu according to the first embodiment includes a preparation step, a storage step, and a squeezing step.

  In the preparation step, tofu which is a raw material of dehydrated tofu is prepared. The tofu used as a raw material is not limited to soybeans, and may be manufactured using black beans or the like as a raw material. The tofu used as the raw material is preferably cotton tofu. The tofu, which is a raw material, is preferably produced by a conventional method, and dipped in water at about 80 ° C. for 30 minutes for sterilization, and then dipped in water at 5 to 10 ° C. to cool.

  In the storage process, the tofu is wrapped in cloth and put in a mold box. The fabric is preferably a wet cotton bleached fabric. The mold box is a box-shaped mold box provided with an opening at the top, which is used in applications of squeezing soymilk coagulum to form tofu. It is preferable that the mold box is provided with a large number of micro holes on its side and bottom to discharge water squeezed out of tofu. The material of the mold box is preferably a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, wood, bamboo, and a mixture thereof. In the storing step, the tofu may be wrapped with a cloth outside the mold box, and the tofu wrapped in the cloth may be stored in the mold box. Alternatively, in the storage step, a mold box having a cloth laid inside may be prepared, the tofu may be placed on the cloth in the mold box, and the tofu may be wrapped in a cloth in the mold box.

  In the squeezing step, the tofu contained in the mold box is pushed with the push lid while raising the push pressure stepwise while keeping the tofu at 35 ° C. or higher higher than the freezing point of the water of the tofu. By pressing the tofu, water is squeezed out of the tofu and the tofu is dehydrated. After the tofu is dehydrated, the dehydrated tofu can be removed from the mold box and the cloth to obtain dehydrated tofu.

  Since the water of tofu is an aqueous solution in which the coagulant is dissolved, the freezing point is lower than 0 ° C. due to the lowering of the freezing point. Depending on the concentration of the coagulant, for example, if the temperature of tofu does not fall below about -3 ° C., the moisture of the tofu may not coagulate. On the other hand, the squeezing step is performed while keeping the tofu at a temperature higher than the freezing point of the water of the tofu. As a result, since the water of the tofu does not coagulate while the squeezing step is performed, it is possible to prevent the internal structure of the tofu from being broken by the ice. Thus, the resulting dehydrated tofu maintains the smooth texture inherent to tofu.

  If the pressing process is performed while maintaining the temperature of the tofu at a temperature higher than 35 ° C., the crosslinking reaction of the soy protein proceeds too much and the tofu becomes hard, so the finished smooth texture of the tofu is lost in the finished dehydrated tofu. It will On the other hand, if the squeezing step is performed while keeping the tofu at 35 ° C. or less, the tofu will not be exposed to a temperature higher than 35 ° C., so that the cross-linking reaction of the soy protein is difficult to progress and the tofu becomes hard be able to. Therefore, when the pressing process is performed while keeping the tofu at 35 ° C. or less, the finished dehydrated tofu maintains the original smooth texture of the tofu.

  The squeezing step is more preferably performed while maintaining the tofu contained in the mold box at a temperature higher than 0 ° C. and 20 ° C. or less. If the pressing process is performed while keeping the tofu at a temperature higher than the freezing point of tofu moisture and below 0 ° C., the tofu moisture is unintentionally solidified due to a slight temperature change, vibration, etc. Internal structures may be destroyed. On the other hand, when the squeezing step is performed while maintaining the tofu at a temperature higher than 0 ° C., there is no possibility that the moisture of the tofu coagulates due to a slight temperature change, vibration or the like. Thus, the internal structure of tofu can be further prevented from being broken by ice, so that the finished smooth texture of tofu can be maintained with the finished dehydrated tofu.

  Compared with the case where the squeezing step is performed while keeping the tofu at more than 20 ° C. and 35 ° C. or less, the squeezing step is performed while keeping the tofu at more than 0 ° C. and 20 ° C. or less during the squeezing step. The cross-linking reaction of soy protein can be further suppressed. Therefore, with the finished dehydrated tofu, the tofu's original smooth texture is more maintained.

  The squeezing step is more preferably performed while maintaining tofu at more than 0 ° C. and at most 10 ° C. Compared with the case where the squeezing process is performed while keeping the tofu at 20 ° C. or more above 10 ° C., the dehydrated tofu is completed when the squeezing process is performed while keeping the tofu at 10 ° C. or less above 0 ° C. Fresh taste and tofu's original smooth texture are further maintained. Moreover, the range of higher than 0 ° C. and lower than or equal to 10 ° C. is a range of temperature assuming that the pressing process is performed in a refrigerator room or the like. In general, the target preset temperature of a refrigerator compartment or the like is often set to about 4 ° C. In addition, the temperature in the refrigerator compartment temporarily increases by several ° C due to the opening and closing of a door. For this reason, if the pressing process is performed while keeping the tofu at more than 0 ° C. and at most 10 ° C., it is easy to control the temperature of the tofu in performing the pressing process in the cold storage room or the like.

  The push lid is a push lid having a plate-like shape or the like, which is used in applications of squeezing soymilk coagulum to form tofu. The push lid is preferably one having a large number of micro holes drilled in order to discharge water squeezed out of tofu. The material of the push lid is preferably a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, wood, bamboo, and a mixture thereof. Further, it is preferable that the push lid has a shape corresponding to the opening of the mold box, and has a dimension that hardly generates a gap with the mold box.

  In the squeezing process, a press lid is placed on a cloth that wraps the tofu stored in a mold box, and the tofu is pressed through the press lid by pressing the press lid from above. By using the push lid, it is easy to apply pressure to tofu, and it is possible to avoid applying pressure to a part of tofu locally. Thereby, for example, it is possible to avoid that the corners of tofu are chipped off, the surface of the tofu is largely dented, and so forth.

  The means for applying pressure to the tofu in the pressing step may be a method of placing a weight such as a weight on the push lid, or a method of pressing the tofu from above the push lid with a press device . In the squeezing step, it is more preferable to place an additional plate on the push lid. When tofu is pressed from above the plate placed on the push lid, local pressure is applied to a part of the tofu compared to when tofu is pressed from above the push lid without placing the plate. You can avoid that.

In general, cotton tofu has a moisture content of about 87 to 88% by weight and a certain gel strength. For this reason, it is easy to apply pressure to general cotton tofu and squeeze out water. On the other hand, the tofu prepared in the present invention is, for example, cotton tofu having a water content of 89.2% by weight to 89.5% by weight. As described above, tofu having a high water content has low gel strength, and therefore, if pressed with a pressure of about 130 g / cm ² as it is, for example, the tofu will be deformed.

  The inventor of the present application has intensively studied a method for producing dehydrated tofu by squeezing water from cotton tofu having a low gel strength and having a water content of 89.2% by weight to 89.5% by weight, for example. As a result, the inventor of the present application has found that the pressing pressure applied to tofu is gradually increased in the squeezing step as a means for solving the problem.

For example, when cotton tofu having a low gel strength and having a moisture content of 89.2% by weight to 89.5% by weight is prepared in the preparation step, the tofu contained in the mold box is , at a low press pressure of 30 g / cm ² or more 70 g / cm ² or less, press 30 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less. Thereby, even if it is a tofu with low gel strength, it is possible to squeeze water from the tofu without causing the tofu to be deformed.

Since the moisture content of the tofu which has been subjected to the first stage of the pressing process is lower than that of the tofu just before starting the pressing process, the gel strength increases and it becomes difficult to lose its shape. For this reason, in the second stage of the squeezing process, the tofu contained in the mold box is 30 at a pressure higher than the pressure in the first stage, for example, 100 g / cm ² or more and 160 g / cm ² or less. It can be pressed for more than 240 minutes. The tofu that has completed the second step is more difficult to lose its shape because the moisture content is lower than that of the tofu immediately after the first step. Therefore, when the pressure applied to tofu is increased stepwise, higher pressure can be applied to tofu from the second stage onward without causing the tofu to be deformed.

In the third step of the pressing process, the tofu contained in the mold box is pressed, for example, for 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less with a pressing pressure of 300 g / cm ² or more and 400 g / cm ² or less. By applying a high pressure to the tofu in the third stage, the time required for pressing the tofu can be significantly reduced, so that a fresh taste can be maintained with dehydrated tofu. Therefore, it is possible to produce dehydrated tofu with a fresh taste without losing its shape.

  The step of increasing the pressure in the squeezing step is not limited to three, and may be two. For example, if a general cotton tofu having a moisture content of about 87 to 88% by weight is prepared in the preparation step, the tofu has a certain gel strength, so the first of the three steps of the pressing step There is no need to carry out the steps. In this case, the first step of the above-mentioned pressing process may be omitted, and only the second and third steps of the above-mentioned pressing process may be performed. Alternatively, the step of increasing the pressure in the squeezing process may be four or more stages.

  In the squeezing step, it is preferable to press the tofu so as to squeeze the water from the tofu so that the moisture content of the tofu becomes 70% by weight or more and 75% by weight or less when the final step is completed. If the moisture content of the finished dehydrated tofu is less than 70% by weight, the dehydrated tofu loses a smooth texture due to excessive dehydration. If the moisture content of dehydrated tofu is higher than 75% by weight, the dehydrated tofu becomes soft because the gel strength of the dehydrated tofu is low, and the elastic tofu unique to dehydrated tofu does not stand out. In addition, even if processed tofu processed food such as smoked tofu is manufactured using soft dehydrated tofu as a food, the processed tofu processed food becomes crunchy. Furthermore, if the water content is high, the shelf life of dehydrated tofu will be short.

  When the moisture content of the finished dehydrated tofu is 70% by weight or more and 75% by weight or less, the dehydrated tofu maintains the original smooth texture of the tofu, and has a flexible texture which is unique to the dehydrated tofu. Present.

  In the squeezing step, more preferably, when the final step is finished, the tofu is pressed to squeeze water from the tofu so that the moisture content of the tofu is 73% by weight or more and 75% by weight or less. Is good. Dehydrated tofu having a moisture content of 73% by weight to 75% by weight has a particularly smooth texture, particularly tofu, as compared to dehydrated tofu having a moisture content of 70% by weight or more and less than 73% by weight. The tofu has a distinctive elastic texture.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing method which concerns on Embodiment 1, the manufacturing method of the dehydrated tofu which maintained both fresh taste and smooth texture original tofu without losing shape is provided.

  In addition, as a method of squeezing water from tofu in a short time without squeezing the tofu, preparing the tofu added with a thickening treatment agent and the tofu filled in an edible container, and squeezing these tofu It is possible to think of a way of However, tofu added with a thickening treatment agent no longer exhibits the smooth texture inherent to tofu. In addition, tofu which is filled in an edible container is subjected to pressing pressure in the squeezing step, and the taste component of the container penetrates into the tofu to become tofu exhibiting the taste of the container. For this reason, when the tofu to which the thickening treatment agent is added, or the tofu filled in an edible container is subjected to a pressing process, the finished dehydrated tofu does not have the smooth texture inherent in the tofu.

[Manufacturing method according to the second embodiment]
Regarding the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment, only matters different from the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment will be described. In the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment, the tofu contained in the mold box is maintained in the state of 3 ° C. or more and 6 ° C. or less in the pressing step.

  In a cold storage room where the target setting temperature is set higher than 0 ° C. and lower than 3 ° C., there is a possibility that a local temperature of 0 ° C. or less may occur near the ventilation holes, etc. If the process is carried out, the water of the tofu may coagulate and the internal structure of the tofu may be broken. Also, rather than performing the pressing process in a state where the tofu is maintained at 6 ° C. or higher and 10 ° C. or less, it is better to perform the pressing process in a state where the tofu is maintained at 3 ° C. or more and 6 ° C. or less. , Fresh taste is particularly noticeable. Furthermore, when the squeezing step is performed in a state where the tofu is maintained at 3 ° C. or more and 6 ° C. or less, the shelf life of the finished dehydrated tofu can be set long. For this reason, it becomes easy to manufacture tofu processed foods such as smoked tofu from dehydrated tofu and to distribute the tofu processed foods.

[Manufacturing method according to the third embodiment]
Regarding the manufacturing method according to the third embodiment, only matters different from the manufacturing method according to the first and second embodiments will be described. In the manufacturing method according to the third embodiment, a bamboo shoot is used as a push lid in the pressing step.

  Since bamboo shoots bend in accordance with the uneven shape of the surface of tofu, it is possible to avoid local pressure on the tofu and particularly to prevent the tofu from being deformed if the bamboo shoots are used. In addition, when bamboo shoots are used, there is little risk that bamboo fragments will be mixed into tofu, so quality control of dehydrated tofu is easier than when wooden push lids are used. Furthermore, the gap between the bamboos constituting the bamboo shoots acts as an outlet through which the water squeezed out of the tofu is discharged and an outlet through which the water vapor evaporated from the tofu is discharged out of the mold box. For this reason, when bamboo shoots are used, the time required for dehydration of tofu can be further shortened in the pressing step. Therefore, when bamboo shoots are used, the resulting fresh dehydrated tofu further preserves the original fresh taste of tofu.

[Pressing pressure of the pressing process]
The method for applying the pressing pressure in the squeezing step, which is common to the manufacturing methods according to Embodiments 1 to 3, will be described. The expression step, tofu, housed in the mold box, pressed by a lid press while increasing stepwise pushing pressure, in its first stage, 30 g / cm ² or more 70 g / cm ² 30 minutes or more following pressing force In the second step, the pressing pressure is 100 g / cm ² or more and 160 g / cm ² or less for 30 minutes or more and 240 minutes or less, and in the third step, 300 g / cm ² or more and 400 g / cm ² Press for 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less with the following pressure.

If the pressing pressure is less than 30 g / cm ² in the first stage of the pressing process, the pressing pressure is too low, so it takes a long time to dehydrate the tofu, and the efficiency of the dewatering of the tofu is poor. For this reason, it is unpreferable that pushing pressure is less than 30 g / cm < ² > from the viewpoint of shortening time of a pressing process. In addition, for example, when the tofu prepared in the preparation step is a tofu with a low gel strength and having a moisture content of 89.2% by weight to 89.5% by weight, the pressing pressure is 70 g / l in the first stage of the pressing step. If it is higher than cm ² , tofu may be deformed.

  In the first stage of the pressing process, if the pressing time is less than 30 minutes, the tofu has not been sufficiently squeezed yet. For example, if the length of pressing time is less than 30 minutes, if the tofu prepared in the preparation step has a low gel strength and a moisture content of 89.2 wt% or more and 89.5 wt% or less, Since the gel strength remains low, if it shifts to the second stage of the pressing process as it is, there is a risk that the tofu will be deformed. In the first stage of the pressing process, when the length of time for pressing exceeds 120 minutes, a certain amount of water is already squeezed out of the tofu, so the flow rate of water squeezed out of the tofu decreases. For this reason, it is not preferable that the length of pressing time in the first step exceeds 120 minutes because the efficiency of dewatering of tofu deteriorates, so as to shorten the time of the compression process.

In the first stage of the pressing step, by pressing 30 g / cm ² or more 70 g / cm ² or less of pushing pressure over 30 minutes 120 minutes or less, for example, tofu is prepared in the preparing step moisture content 89.2 wt% or more 89 Even if the tofu has a low gel strength, which is 5% by weight or less, water is appropriately squeezed out of the tofu, and the gel strength of the tofu is increased. For this reason, even if it transfers to the 2nd step of a squeeze process as it is, tofu does not lose its shape.

  In the second stage of the squeezing process, for the same reason as the first stage described above, the upper limit and the lower limit of the height of the pressing pressure and the length of time are set. In the third stage of the squeezing process, the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the height of the pressing pressure are determined for the same reason as the first stage described above. In the third stage of the pressing process, pressing for 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less is an appropriate length of time for adjusting the moisture content of the finished dehydrated tofu to be 70% by weight or more and 75% by weight or less. By being.

  As described above, when the pressing pressure is gradually increased from the first step to the third step in the squeezing step, for example, the tofu prepared in the preparation step has a moisture content of 89.2% by weight or more and 89.5% by weight Even in the case of tofu having a low gel strength of not more than%, it is possible to squeeze water from the tofu in as short time as possible without causing the tofu to be deformed. Furthermore, when the tofu is maintained at 3 ° C. or more and 6 ° C. or less when performing the squeezing step, the time required for squeezing water from the tofu until the water content of the tofu is 70% by weight or more and 75% by weight or less is 12 It will be less than time.

  The ease of squeezing out water from tofu differs greatly depending on the type and quality of soybean used as the raw material for tofu. In addition, since the variety and quality of soybeans that can be obtained as raw materials change constantly according to the yearly climate change and the transition of soybean prices, etc., they are not constant. For this reason, if it is attempted to stably obtain dehydrated tofu having a water content of 70% by weight to 75% by weight each time by carrying out the production method of the present invention, the type and quality of soybean that has become the raw material of tofu. It is necessary to adjust the conditions in each stage from the first stage to the third stage of the squeezing process. In order to cope with such circumstances, in the first to third stages of the above-mentioned pressing process, a constant width is provided for the height of the pressing pressure and the length of time for which the pressing pressure is applied in each stage. ing.

[Coagulant]
Depending on the concentration of the coagulant contained in the soymilk, the tofu prepared from the soymilk has greatly different gel strength. Although it differs depending on the type and quality of soybean used as a raw material, for example, cotton tofu prepared from soymilk with a concentration of bittern of about 0.40% by mass has a sufficiently high concentration of coagulant contained in soymilk, so High gel strength. If cotton tofu having high gel strength is prepared, high pressing pressure of about 200 g / cm ² can be applied to cotton tofu as it is, so that pressing can be easily completed in a short time. However, in this case, since the tofu is hardened by the coagulant, the finished dehydrated tofu has a smooth texture.

On the other hand, cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a bittern concentration of 0.20% by mass or more and 0.25% by mass or less has a low concentration of the coagulant contained in the soymilk, and therefore the gel strength of the cotton tofu is low. It is difficult to squeeze low-strength cotton tofu without breaking it. On the other hand, in the process of completing the present invention, the inventor of the present invention applied cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a concentration of bittern of 0.20% by mass or more and 0.25% by mass or less from the beginning to the end of pressing As a result of a test of applying a low pressure of about 50 g / cm ^2, it was possible to squeeze the cotton tofu without breaking it. At this time, the inventor of the present application has found that dehydrated tofu obtained by the test maintains the smooth texture inherent to cotton tofu. After that, the inventor of the present application has completed the present invention as a result of earnestly examining a method for shortening the time required for the compression process.

  The conditions of the coagulant which are common to the manufacturing methods according to Embodiments 1 to 3 will be described. In the production method of the present invention, the tofu prepared in the preparation step is cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a concentration of bittern (magnesium chloride) of 0.20% by mass or more and 0.25% by mass or less.

  If the concentration of bittern is less than 0.20% by mass, the cross-linking reaction of soy protein does not proceed sufficiently with soymilk, and so onfu becomes extremely soft. For this reason, it is very difficult to apply pressure to cotton tofu so that the cotton tofu does not lose its shape in the pressing process. If the concentration of bittern is higher than 0.25% by mass, the dehydrated tofu produced through the squeezing step does not exhibit a smooth texture.

  Cotton tofu prepared from soymilk with a bittern concentration of 0.20% by mass or more and 0.25% by mass or less is low in gel strength, but when pressed while gradually increasing the pressure in the squeezing process, it is dewatered without losing its shape There is a degree of gel strength that can be Furthermore, a detoxified tofu prepared from soymilk having a bittern concentration of 0.20% by mass or more and 0.25% by mass or less and having been subjected to a pressing step exhibits the smooth texture inherent to cotton tofu. .

  In the production method of the present invention, the tofu prepared in the preparation step is preferably cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a concentration of bittern of 0.21% by mass or more and 0.23% by mass or less. When the concentration of bittern is 0.20% by mass or more and less than 0.21% by mass, if the soybean used as the raw material of cotton tofu is not a specific cultivar and good in quality, the cotton tofu will be deformed at the pressing step. It is difficult to put pressure on cotton tofu so as not to do so. When the concentration of bittern is higher than 0.23% by mass and not higher than 0.25% by mass, the resulting dehydrated tofu exhibits the smooth texture inherent to cotton tofu, but lacks smoothness and delicacy.

  Cotton tofu prepared from soymilk with a bittern concentration of 0.21% by mass or more and 0.23% by mass or less, in the squeezing process, except when the soybean variety used as the raw material is not suitable or the quality is very poor. If you press cotton tofu while raising the pressure stepwise, there is a gel strength that can be dewatered without losing its shape. Furthermore, such cotton tofu exhibits smooth texture like silken tofu although it is cotton tofu. In this case, the finished dehydrated tofu also exhibits a particularly fine and smooth texture, like the prepared tofu.

  In addition, tofu prepared in the preparation step may use, as a coagulant, cotton tofu prepared from soymilk to which calcium sulfate or glucono delta lactone is added. If the gel strength of cotton tofu prepared from soymilk with a concentration of bittern of 0.20% by mass and the gel strength of tofu prepared by adding calcium sulfate or glucono delta lactone to soymilk are the same, sulfuric acid in this case The concentration of calcium or glucono delta lactone is the lower limit value of the concentration as a coagulant. Similarly, if the concentration of bittern is the same as the gel strength of cotton tofu prepared from soymilk of 0.25% by mass, the concentration of calcium sulfate or glucono delta lactone in this case is the upper limit value of the concentration as a coagulant It becomes. The same applies to cotton tofu prepared by adding coagulants not listed in the present specification and a plurality of coagulants to soy milk in combination.

[Tofu to prepare in the preparation process]
The tofu prepared in the preparation step may be prepared by the following methods (1) to (3).
(1) After the soymilk is stirred, a coagulant is added to coagulate the soymilk over 15 to 20 minutes.
(2) The soymilk coagulated material is put in a mold box in which a damp cotton-made bleached cloth is spread, and naturally dewatered for 2 to 5 minutes. After that, the soymilk coagulum is squeezed to squeeze out "Yu."
(3) The soymilk coagulum from which "Yu" is squeezed out is removed from the mold box in water and transferred to cold water, and the center temperature of the soymilk coagulum is lowered to 5 ° C or less. Thus, cotton tofu is obtained.

  The tofu prepared in the preparation step is cotton tofu prepared from soy milk of brix 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less. The brix value of soymilk was measured using a sugar scale. The soymilk concentration of brix 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less corresponds to the soymilk concentration of 10.5% or more and 10.8% or less of the solid content of soybean.

  If soymilk is less than Brix 12.0 or higher than Brix 12.7, then the concentration of soymilk is too thin or too thick, so that the tofu becomes soft and the resulting dehydrated tofu has an elastic texture. I do not present. On the other hand, if soymilk is Brix 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less, cotton tofu has a suitable hardness. As a result, the finished dehydrated tofu exhibits the elastic texture unique to dehydrated tofu, in addition to the smooth texture inherent to cotton tofu. When dehydrated tofu exhibits an elastic texture, tofu-processed foods produced from dehydrated tofu and dehydrated tofu have unique taste with a texture.

In particular, preparing cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a bittern concentration of 0.21% to 0.23% by mass and a brix of 12.0 to 12.7, and wrapping the cotton tofu in a cloth, a storage step to fit the mold box, cotton tofu, housed in the mold box, 3 6 ° C. while maintaining the inclusive ° C., in the first stage 30 g / cm ² or more 70 g / cm ² 30 minutes or more following pressing force press 120 minutes or less, press the second stage 100 g / cm ² or more 160 g / cm ² or less in the press pressure more than 30 minutes 240 minutes or less, the third stage 300 g / cm ² or more 400 g / cm ² less pressing force Dewatered tofu produced by the method for producing dehydrated tofu, which is pressed with a bamboo stick while gradually increasing the pressing pressure so as to be pressed for 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less, is not deformed and is fresh Taste and silky texture Exhibits a fine smooth mouthfeel of tofu as corrosion, texture a resilient, has a unique taste that is crunchy.

[Tofu processed foods such as smoked tofu]
The smoked tofu of the present invention is obtained by subjecting the dehydrated tofu to smoking treatment using the dehydrated tofu produced by the above-mentioned production method as a food. The smoking treatment may be a hot water method in which dehydrated tofu is cooked for 10 to 60 minutes at a temperature higher than 80 ° C., or a hot water method in which dehydrated tofu is smoked for several hours with smoke of 30 to 60 ° C. Alternatively, the dehydrated tofu may be soaked in soy sauce and dried. The smoked odor causes smoked odor to the dehydrated tofu, and further, a light brown skin is formed. The smoked tofu thus obtained has a light brown, relatively hard shell, a relatively white, yet relatively soft inside, and exhibits a cheese-like appearance and texture.

  When the smoking process is carried out by the hot water method or the hot water method, the smoke material is burned using a device such as smoked smoke (smoker) or oven to burn out dehydrated tofu. Examples of the smoke material include smoked chips, smoked wood, twigs, and the like which include one or more kinds of walnut, cherry, nara, hickory, beech, apple, sawdust and the like. From the viewpoint of the flavor imparted to the finished smoked tofu, the smoke material is more preferably a smoked chip containing cherry.

  Moreover, the pickles of tofu can be manufactured by using the dehydrated tofu manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing method as a foodstuff. For example, when dehydrated tofu produced by the above-mentioned production method is dipped in three cups of vinegar for about one day to two days, three cups of tofu can be obtained. When the dehydrated tofu produced by the above-mentioned production method is pickled in a cocoon bed, it is possible to obtain the tofu pickles. Such tofu pickles can be set to a long shelf life and are considered to be beneficial to health maintenance if taken daily because they are rich in soy protein.

  The tofu-processed food such as the smoked tofu according to the present invention is produced using the dehydrated tofu produced by the above-mentioned production method as a food, so it is not cracked, a fresh taste is maintained, and it exhibits a smooth texture.

[Dehydrated tofu as a foodstuff for producing smoked tofu]
The dehydrated tofu produced by the above-mentioned production method is adjusted to have a water content of 70% by weight to 75% by weight, so that the smoked tofu produced using the dehydrated tofu as a foodstuff is elastic like cheese. It has a texture. For this reason, dehydrated tofu having a water content of 70% by weight or more and 75% by weight or less is suitable as a food material for producing smoked tofu that exhibits an elastic texture like cheese.

  When dehydrated tofu produced by the above-mentioned production method is adjusted to a water content of 73% by weight to 75% by weight, smoked tofu produced using the dehydrated tofu as a food has a water content of 70% by weight or more and 73 Compared with the smoked tofu produced by using dehydrated tofu less than the weight% as a food, a more elastic texture like cheese is exhibited. Such dehydrated tofu is more suitable as a foodstuff for producing smoked tofu which exhibits a resilient texture like cheese.

  In the preparation step of the aforementioned manufacturing method, cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a concentration of bittern of 0.21% by mass to 0.23% by mass is prepared, and the cotton tofu is prepared in the squeezing step of the aforementioned manufacturing method. The smoked tofu, which is produced at a temperature of 3 ° C. to 6 ° C. and is obtained by using dehydrated tofu as a food, exhibits fine and smooth texture. If you eat such smoked tofu, you will feel like you are eating cheese. Such dehydrated tofu is excellent as a foodstuff in producing a smoked tofu with a texture like cheese.

  In the preparation process of the above-mentioned manufacturing method, cotton tofu prepared from soymilk having a concentration of bittern of 0.21 mass% or more and 0.23 mass% or less and a brix of 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less is prepared. The smoked tofu manufactured using the dehydrated tofu having a moisture content of 73% by weight to 75% by weight obtained as a food material while keeping the tofu at 3 ° C. or more and 6 ° C. or less in the squeezing step of the manufacturing method is elastic. It has a rich texture and a smooth and smooth texture. If you eat such smoked tofu, it will be associated with eating like cheese from the texture and texture. Such dehydrated tofu is extremely excellent as a foodstuff for producing smoked tofu with cheese-like taste.

[Pouch]
The tofu-processed food such as dehydrated tofu or smoked tofu obtained by the production method of the present invention can be filled in a pouch, sealed, preferably vacuum (deaerated) and distributed as a chilled product. The pouch is preferably made of a material having a low oxygen permeability.

  In addition, tofu-processed food such as dehydrated tofu or smoked tofu obtained by the production method of the present invention may be subjected to low-temperature heat sterilization for the purpose of extending the shelf life after filling in a pouch and vacuum sealing. When vacuum sealing is performed, heat is efficiently transmitted to the dehydrated tofu or tofu processed food, so that the time required for the heat sterilization can be shortened, and the heating temperature may be low. Thereby, at the time of heat sterilization, it is possible to suppress that the dehydrated tofu or tofu processed food becomes hard by heating.

Comparative Example 1
In the comparative example 1, the cotton tofu prepared from soymilk of Brix 12.3 whose density | concentration of bitterness is 0.24 mass% was prepared at the preparation process. In the storage process, the above-mentioned cotton tofu was wrapped with a cotton wet bleached cloth and stored in a mold box. In the squeezing process, while holding the tofu stored in the mold box at 5 ° C., apply 130 g / cm ² of pressing pressure from the beginning to the end of the squeeze and press with a push lid to squeeze water from the tofu And

However, in Comparative Example 1, after starting pressing, pieces of cotton tofu appeared in the micropores provided on the side of the mold box. Because of this, the test was discontinued on the way. The tofu contained in the box was crushed. When the concentration of bittern is 0.24% by mass and it is soymilk of brix 12.3, the concentration of the coagulant contained in soymilk is low, and furthermore, the tofu prepared from the soymilk has a high moisture content. As a result, since the tofu has low gel strength, it is considered that the cotton tofu loses its shape when it is applied with a pressure of 130 g / cm ² as it is.

Comparative Example 2
Only the test conditions different from those of Comparative Example 1 will be described for Comparative Example 2. In Comparative Example 2, the cotton tofu contained in the mold box is kept at 5 ° C. in the squeezing step, and is pressed with a pressing lid at a pressing pressure of 70 g / cm ² from the beginning to the end of the pressing, I squeezed out the water. Thus, dehydrated tofu was obtained.

  In Comparative Example 2, dehydrated tofu having a water content of 75.0% by weight could be obtained without losing the shape of the tofu, but the pressing step required 24 hours or more. Ten evaluators ate the dehydrated tofu obtained in Comparative Example 2 and evaluated the texture. As a result, dewatered tofu exhibited the smooth texture inherent to cotton tofu, but was evaluated as not fresh. The need for more than 24 hours for the pressing process is considered to be the cause of the loss of freshness. In addition, some of the evaluators evaluated that the texture of dehydrated tofu lacks delicacy in smoothness.

Example 1
For Example 1, only the test conditions different from those of Comparative Example 1 will be described. In Example 1, in the pressing step, the tofu stored in the mold box is pressed at a pressing pressure of 70 g / cm ² for 40 minutes in the first step while maintaining at 5 ° C., 160 g in the second step / cm press 40 minutes ² push pressure, in a third stage, by pressing 640 minutes press pressure of 400 g / cm ^2, pressing a lid press while increasing stepwise pushing pressure. Thus, dehydrated tofu was obtained.

  In Example 1, the resulting dehydrated tofu did not lose its shape, and its water content was 70.1% by weight. Moreover, in Example 1, the time required for the pressing step was 12 hours. As compared with Comparative Example 2, in Example 1, it is possible to say that the time required for the squeezing step was significantly reduced from 24 hours or more to 12 hours by pressing cotton tofu while gradually increasing the pressing pressure.

  Ten evaluators ate the dehydrated tofu obtained in Example 1 to evaluate the texture. As a result, dehydrated tofu was evaluated as fresh and maintaining the smooth texture inherent to cotton tofu. In Example 1, compared with Comparative Example 2, the time required for the squeezing step was significantly shortened, so it is considered that freshness was maintained with dehydrated tofu. Among the evaluators, there were those who evaluated that the dehydrated tofu obtained in Example 1 lacked delicacy in smoothness.

Example 2
For Example 2, only test conditions different from those of Comparative Example 1 will be described. In Example 2, a cotton tofu prepared from soy milk of Brix 12.3 having a concentration of bittern of 0.22% by mass was prepared in the preparation step. Furthermore, in the squeezing process, the cotton tofu stored in the mold box is pressed at a pressing pressure of 50 g / cm ² in the first step for 90 minutes while keeping at 5 ° C., and in the second step, 131 g / cm ² By pushing for 180 minutes by pressure and pushing for 450 minutes with 345 g / cm ² in the third step, the pressure was gradually increased while pushing with a bamboo stick. Thus, dehydrated tofu was obtained.

  In Example 2, since the concentration of bittern included in soymilk was as thin as 0.22% by mass, cotton tofu prepared from the soymilk exhibited smooth texture like silken tofu while being cotton tofu. Since the cotton tofu prepared in Example 2 was prepared from soymilk having a lower concentration of bitterness than the cotton tofu prepared in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Example 1, the gel strength of cotton tofu was low.

  In Example 2, the finished dehydrated tofu did not lose its shape, and its water content was 73.2% by weight. In Example 2, the time required for the pressing step was 12 hours. Ten evaluators ate the dehydrated tofu obtained in Example 2 to evaluate the texture. As a result, dehydrated tofu is fresh, and it is evaluated that it has a fine smooth texture like cotton tofu like silken tofu, and brings out the unique elastic texture of dehydrated tofu. The

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is used for a method for producing dehydrated tofu, and tofu-processed food such as smoked tofu produced by using the dehydrated tofu obtained by the method as a food.

Claims (5)

A method for producing dehydrated tofu in which water is squeezed out of cotton tofu ,
A preparation step of preparing a pre-Symbol cotton tofu,
A storage step of wrapping the cotton tofu in a cloth and storing it in a mold box;
While maintaining the temperature of the tofu stored in the mold box at 10 ° C. or higher higher than the freezing point of the moisture of the tofu, the tofu may be pressed so as not to lose its shape while gradually increasing the pressing pressure. Pressing to obtain the dehydrated tofu by squeezing water from the
Including
The said cotton tofu coagulated soymilk having a concentration of 0.20 mass% or more and 0.25 mass% or less and a brix of 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less, with a concentration of a coagulant consisting of bittern and / or magnesium chloride And
The pressing step is a first step of pressing the tofu contained in the mold box with a pressing pressure of 30 g / cm ² or more and 70 g / cm ² or less for 30 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, 100 g / cm ^{A second step} of pressing for 30 minutes or more and 240 minutes or less with a pressing pressure of ² or more and 160 g / cm ² or less, and 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less with a pressing pressure of 300 g / cm ² or more and 400 g / cm ² or less A method for producing dehydrated tofu, characterized by comprising a third step of pressing. The cotton tofu is wrapped in a wet bleached cloth and stored in the mold box, and the temperature of the cotton tofu is maintained substantially at 5 ° C. while the cotton tofu is 130 g / g without passing through the first step. process for the preparation of dehydrated curd according to claim 1, original shape when it is pressed in the previous SL pressing lid pressing pressure of cm ^2. The moisture content of the above-mentioned cotton tofu is 89.2 mass% or more and 89.5 mass% or less,
In the squeezing step, water was squeezed out of the tofu until the water content became 70% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less in the first step, the second step, and the third step. The method for producing dehydrated tofu according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dehydrated tofu is obtained.   The method for producing dehydrated tofu according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the push lid is a bamboo shoot. A method of producing smoked tofu in which dehydrated tofu, in which water is squeezed out of tofu, is smoked ,
A preparation step of preparing a pre-Symbol cotton tofu,
A storage step of wrapping the cotton tofu in a cloth and storing it in a mold box;
While maintaining the temperature of the tofu stored in the mold box at 10 ° C. or higher higher than the freezing point of the moisture of the tofu, the tofu may be pressed so as not to lose its shape while gradually increasing the pressing pressure. Pressing to obtain the dehydrated tofu by squeezing water from the
Smoking process of subjecting the dehydrated tofu to smoking treatment;
Including
The said cotton tofu coagulated soymilk having a concentration of 0.20 mass% or more and 0.25 mass% or less and a brix of 12.0 or more and 12.7 or less, with a concentration of a coagulant consisting of bittern and / or magnesium chloride And
The pressing step is a first step of pressing the tofu contained in the mold box with a pressing pressure of 30 g / cm ² or more and 70 g / cm ² or less for 30 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, 100 g / cm ^{A second step} of pressing for 30 minutes or more and 240 minutes or less with a pressing pressure of ² or more and 160 g / cm ² or less, and 420 minutes or more and 660 minutes or less with a pressing pressure of 300 g / cm ² or more and 400 g / cm ² or less A method for producing smoked tofu, comprising the step of: applying a third step.