JPH03272640A - Method for storing fresh food - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to preserve a fresh food for a long period while retaining the taste by subjecting the fresh food of vegetable, etc., to branching treatment at high temperature, dipping the treated fresh food into solution of gelatin, etc., capable of dissolving at high temperature and gelling at low temperature, wrapping the periphery of the food with the gelatin, cooling the solution until becoming gel state and subjecting the the treated food to freezing treatment. CONSTITUTION:A fresh food such as vegetable, fruit, mushrooms, edible wild plant, edible meat or fishes and shellfishes is subjected to branching treatment at high temperature and simultaneously dipped into a solution of gelatin capable of dissolving at high temperature and gelling at low temperature to wrap the periphery of the fresh food with gelatin and the treated food is cooled until the gelatin becomes gel state and then subjected to freezing treatment. Thereby it is made possible to safely preserve the fresh food for a long period.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field 1 This invention applies to vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and wild vegetables.

This invention relates to a method for safely preserving fresh foods such as meat and seafood for a long period of time without deteriorating their freshness, flavor, etc.

[Conventional technology] Conventionally, when preserving food, various techniques such as drying it, keeping it in a low-temperature environment, or preventing it from coming into contact with air such as vacuum packaging have been widely known as lifestyle wisdom. There is.

That is, in order to prevent the deterioration of preserved foods, it is important to control the effects of temperature, humidity, air, and sunlight.

However, it is unavoidable that the quality of harvested (captured) fresh food will deteriorate over time, and the main causes of this are internal microorganisms and enzymes, and moisture content. Deterioration is also induced by transpiration, degeneration of the solid components themselves over time, aging, oxidation, putrefaction, etc.

Therefore, various attempts have been made to slow down the rate of deterioration by controlling the storage environment. The most popular method is to lower the temperature by cooling or freezing.

Experiments have shown that, for example, beef can be stored for two years if frozen at temperatures below -18°C.

Next is blanching treatment. This is a method in which fresh foods are subjected to boiling water or steam bath treatment to sterilize microorganisms present inside the food and to inactivate enzymes. However, although it is not possible to make fresh foods completely sterile, it is clear that it is effective to sterilize them before storage.

In addition, regarding the enzyme function, if apples are peeled and left for a while, they will turn brown due to oxidative enzymes, so a well-known method to prevent this is to soak them in salt water and prevent them from coming into contact with air. be.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As mentioned above, various methods for preserving fresh foods have been proposed and are widely used, but the reality is that no definitive method has yet been developed.

The reason for this is that fresh foods, for example vegetables and fruits, continue to undergo life processes even after they are harvested, and physiological changes are unavoidable. This can be said to be due to the fact that the action stops and physical or chemical changes, such as those seen in rot, are induced.

Therefore, the ideal preservation form would be to slow down the rate of deterioration to almost a standstill, but as conventional methods do not necessarily yield satisfactory results, it is difficult to ensure safety during industrialization. A proposal for a highly reliable method of preserving fresh food has been long awaited.

[Means for Solving Problems 9] In order to prevent fresh foods from deteriorating in freshness and losing flavor, this invention prevents the moisture contained in the foods from evaporating and being lost, and also prevents them from being frozen. It focuses on the fact that it is sufficient to prevent organic matter from oxidizing or rotting by microorganisms by processing it, and its unique feature is that fresh foods such as vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, wild vegetables, meat, and seafood can be heated to high temperatures. This is a preservation method for fresh foods that involves blanching, cooling in a solution such as gelatin that dissolves at high temperatures and gels at low temperatures, and then freezing. ), and is frozen while being surrounded by gelatin, which has good water retention properties, and is isolated from the air, so fresh food, whether animal or plant, will not lose moisture for a long period of time. When cooking, for example, by putting it in a hot bath, the gelatin etc. can be washed out at the same time as thawing, and the freshness is maintained to the extent that there is almost no difference from when it was harvested, and the flavor and flavor are preserved. It is possible to obtain a product that does not lose its aroma or the like.

[Example] Next, an example of the preservation method of the present invention will be described using matsutake mushrooms, which are said to be the most difficult to maintain freshness among fresh foods, as an example.

+l) First example 1st step (washing) Wash 100 g of matsutake mushrooms in advance.

2nd step (gelatin bath) Pour about 22 g of water into a heating container, add about 6 g of gelatin powder, and stir while heating for about several minutes to prepare a solution of 3% gelatin. Make this and heat it to about 90℃~
A high temperature state of 110° C. is maintained, and the matsutake mushrooms obtained in the first step are placed in a colander or a wire mesh basket, and immersed therein for a short period of 3 to 10 seconds to perform a gelatin bath.
While sterilizing at high temperature, the entire surface of the matsutake mushroom is completely surrounded by gelatin.

In this case, the point to be noted is the time required for the gelatin bath.

That is, if matsutake mushrooms are immersed in a high-temperature gelatin solution for a long time, they will lose their freshness, and will also lose their aroma, flavor, and toothsomeness.

Therefore, it can be said that it is effective to quickly remove the matsutake mushrooms from the gelatin bath for about 3 to 10 seconds.

Third step (cooling) Next, the matsutake mushrooms are cooled at gelatin coagulation temperature (approximately 5°C to 25°C).
) Allow to cool naturally.

In addition, if the room temperature is high, gelatin will be cooled relatively quickly by cooling it in a refrigerator or air cooler, and gelatin will become gel-like and can coat the surface of matsutake mushrooms. Because it has excellent water retention properties,
Matsutake mushrooms are said to be in a state where they do not lose their moisture.

Fourth Step (Freezing) Next, the matsutake mushrooms are stored in a suitable freezer, frozen, and preserved.

In addition, the point to keep in mind is in the third step.

If the fourth freezing process is started before the gelatin becomes gelatinous, the water contained in the gelatin will freeze and the gelatin will become sherbet-like, resulting in the gelatin coating losing its sealing properties and reducing the freshness of the matsutake mushrooms. This is a significant factor in the decline.

Fifth step (thawing) When cooking matsutake mushrooms that have been frozen in this way,
The frozen matsutake mushrooms are thawed in warm water at 50°C to 60°C and washed at the same time. At this time, the gelatin will dissolve in the warm water, so it will not remain on the surface of the matsutake mushrooms.

The matsutake mushrooms obtained in this way have almost no loss in flavor or freshness, and their aroma, which is said to be particularly valuable, has been monitored to be almost unchanged from when they were harvested. Also, with conventional freezing methods, matsutake loses its unique texture, but with this method, it retains the texture of freshly harvested mushrooms.

(2) Second embodiment Next, a second example will be described.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a hot gelatin bath is applied after the hot water bath.

That is, when gelatin is heated to a high temperature, it may become difficult to gel, and its use is effective in such cases.

Step 2A (Hot Water Bath) Matsutake mushrooms that have been washed with water in the same manner as in the first example are sterilized by immersing them in a hot water bath boiling at about 100° C. for a short period of about 3 to 10 seconds.

In this case, it is important to bathe matsutake mushrooms in hot water as quickly as possible, just as in the first example.

Step 2B (gelatin bath) Matsutake mushrooms sterilized in the previous step are mixed with a gelatin component ratio of 2 to 3.
% in a gelatin solution at a temperature of about 0° C. to 40° C. to cool it, and its surface is surrounded by gelatin.

Regarding the third to fifth steps, since there is no difference from the first embodiment, explanation thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, an attempt was made to apply this method to matsutake mushrooms, which are difficult to maintain freshness, but this method can also be applied to loose vegetables, wild vegetables, and yams. It goes without saying that it is effective, and it goes without saying that even when applied to meat, seafood, etc., it can safely prevent oxidation and putrefaction, and that it can be preserved for a long period of time. be.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed in the Examples, the preservation method of the present invention involves blanching fresh foods at high temperatures, surrounding the surface with gelatin or the like having excellent water retention properties, and then subjecting the fresh foods to freezing treatment. The moisture content of fresh foods is not lost and the rate of quality deterioration is extremely slowed down.
It can be stored safely for a long period of time, and when cooking, it can be thawed and gelatin removed simply by bathing in hot water, making it a truly simple preservation process, low cost, and suitable for industrialization. The method is what you get.

In addition to gelatin, similar effects can be obtained by using proteins such as casein, agar, algae such as carrageenan, pectin, and mannan.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing is An example of the preservation method of this invention is shown. It is a block diagram.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Fresh foods such as vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, wild vegetables, meat, and seafood are blanched at high temperatures, and then immersed or poured into solutions such as gelatin, which dissolves at high temperatures and gels at low temperatures. A method of preserving fresh foods in which the outer periphery is surrounded by gelatin, etc., cooled until the gelatin becomes gel-like, and then frozen.