JPH11276062A - Forming of fruits - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently obtain syrup-impregnated fruits having shape inherent in the fruits and retaining the original flavor and color tone by impregnating fruits with a syrup followed by freezing them at a temperature higher than the freezing point of the syrup but lower than the freezing point of the fruits. SOLUTION: A fruit such as strawberry, apple or orange is impregnated with a syrup such as of fructose (sugar concentration being pref. Bx: 15-40) and then frozen at a temperature higher than the freezing point of the syrup after impregnation but lower than the freezing point of the fruit after impregnation; wherein the fruit impregnation temperature is pref. -3.5 to -7.5 deg.C.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid having a low freezing point.
The present invention relates to a method for freezing and shaping a solid when a solid having a soft tissue having a high freezing point is present.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A frozen raw fruit is hard and hard to eat as it is. Conventionally, there has been a method of impregnating them with an antifreeze such as ethyl alcohol and glycerin or a sugar solution having a high concentration in order to make them soft and easy to eat under freezing. In order to improve the impregnation efficiency of the sugar solution, a method using freezing, ultrasonic waves, and reduced pressure (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei.
126740) A method of injecting a heated concentrated sugar solution into a frozen, vacuum-dried fruit with an injection needle, and then immersing the fruit in a warm sugar solution (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 52-3847). Is reduced and then immersed in a sugar solution (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-132258), or a method of microwave heating before or after immersion in the sugar solution (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 1-265861 and 2-164747). .

However, fruits impregnated with a sugar solution by these methods are softened due to tissue destruction in an impregnation step or the like, and cannot be frozen to the original shape of the fruit as it is. In other words, if a general freezing method such as arranging on a tray and freezing is used, the fruit does not have the original shape, it becomes flat, or fruit juice etc. oozes from the fruit, which freezes on the tray Not only the original shape of the fruit,
Even the taste tends to be impaired. This results in a loss of sight and taste, which account for a large part of a person's appetite for food.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for inexpensively and efficiently freezing sugar-impregnated fruits in a sugar solution in the original shape of the fruits. It is an object of the sugar-impregnated frozen fruit obtained as a result is a frozen product having no change in the original flavor and color tone of the fruits used as a raw material and having the original shape of the fruits.

[0005]

The present invention will be described in detail below.

The fruits referred to in the present invention include other edible fruits such as strawberries, apples, oranges and grape. In particular, strawberries are a preferred material for the present invention. The fruits to be used do not require extraordinarily complicated pretreatments, and may be of such a degree that they do not hinder eating.

The sugar solution referred to in the present invention refers to an aqueous solution of sugar generally called a syrup, and the sugar concentration in the present application is represented by a solid content ratio called brix (abbreviated as Bx in the present application). For example, a sugar solution of Bx25 degrees
It is a sugar solution in which 25 kg of sugar is dissolved in 100 kg of the sugar solution.

[0008] The sugar content of the sugar-impregnated fruit referred to in the present invention is Bx because it is intended to eat softly under freezing.
It is 15 degrees to 40 degrees, preferably Bx about 20 degrees to 30 degrees.

First, fruits of relatively large shape, such as apples, which are processed into a form in which sugar is easily penetrated, are removed from the skin, peels and the like of the fruit, are cut into 1 to 2 cm squares. Thereafter, the fruit is soaked (impregnated) in the sugar solution. The method of sugar impregnation is not specified, but usually in the final step of sugar impregnation, the sugar is impregnated in a sugar solution higher than the target sugar content, and at this stage, a difference in sugar content is produced between the fruit and the sugar solution. The temperature is adjusted without impregnating the fruit impregnated with the sugar solution without removing the fruit from the sugar solution.

[0010] The temperature adjustment referred to in the present invention means that the mixture of the fruit and the sugar solution impregnated with the sugar is left for about 24 hours in an environment at a temperature between the freezing point of the fruit after the sugar impregnation and the freezing point of the sugar solution, Freezing only fruits. Therefore, for example, when the sugar content of the impregnated sugar solution is Bx50 degrees and the sugar content of the sugar-impregnated fruit is Bx25 degrees, the fruit impregnated with the sugar solution is allowed to stand in an atmosphere of -3.5 to -7.5 ° C. That means.

[0011]

[Function] The impregnation of sugar into fruit tissue means that the cell membrane or cell tissue of fruit is destroyed by some means, exuding the juice inside the cell,
This is the result of the infiltration of the sugar solution. That is, as a result of the sugar impregnation, the cell tissues forming the tissue of the fruit itself are partially destroyed, so that the sugar-impregnated fruit has a very soft tissue.

Therefore, the fruit which has been completely impregnated in the sugar solution does not have the original shape of the fruit at atmospheric pressure, and is in a crushed state. Also tended to be inferior to the target.

[0013] By adjusting the temperature while the fruit is floating in the impregnated sugar solution according to the present invention, only the fruit can be frozen without impairing the shape of the fruit.

The resulting frozen fruit is similar in shape to the original shape of the fruit, and the fruit shape does not collapse even at atmospheric pressure, and neither sugar solution nor juice flows out.

Therefore, a frozen sugar-impregnated fruit excellent in flavor and shape can be obtained. In addition, since the sugar-impregnated fruit is in a frozen state also in the freezing process, it is possible to use a freezer or a continuous freezing tunnel generally used for freezing foods, and no special equipment is required for equipment. Inexpensive and efficient.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. (Example 1) Strawberries (Nomamine, fruit Bx10) were previously removed, frozen, and strawberry: sugar solution = 1: 2 in a Bx50 degree sugar solution (fructose-glucose solution sugar diluted with water).
Impregnation. This is sealed in a plastic bag and
Leave in refrigerator at 24 ° C. for 24 hours. The sugar content of the strawberry at this stage is about B × 20 ± 3 degrees. Bx of the sugar solution is reduced to about Bx45 due to the influence of water and fruit juice leached from strawberries. In this state, take out the sugar-impregnated strawberries, arrange them on a tray, and freeze them.
Spherical shape) was not obtained, it became flat and crushed, and sugar solution or fruit juice flowed out before freezing, and only those having impaired shape and flavor were obtained.

Example 2 On the other hand, the strawberry in the sugar solution which had been completely impregnated in Example 1 was left in a bag at -5.0 ° C. for 24 hours.
When stored for a period of time, the sugar-impregnated strawberry is frozen while floating in the sugar solution, remains in the original shape of the strawberry, does not collapse even under atmospheric pressure, and can be completely frozen easily by placing it in the freezer. did it. The sugar solution at this time was -5.0
At ℃, the freezing point was not reached, it remained a liquid, and the strawberry and the sugar solution could be easily separated.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the fruit has an original shape, and
The freezing treatment of sugar-impregnated fruits without deterioration in flavor and color tone can be performed efficiently.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method for freezing a fruit, wherein the fruit is impregnated with a sugar solution, and then the fruit is frozen in an environment not lower than the freezing point of the impregnated sugar solution and not higher than the freezing point of the impregnated fruit. 2. The method for freezing fruit according to claim 1, wherein the sugar content of the sugar solution is Bx15 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less.