JPS6236160A - Compressed low-temperature food - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:A compressed low-temperature food, obtained by rehumidifying a dried food, etc., suitably humidifying the resultant food, compressing the humidified and cooling the compressed food to a refrigration temperature or below, capable of being well reconstituted by returning to ordinary temperature at any time, and readily and economically heandleable and preservable because of low volume thereof. CONSTITUTION:A food obtained by rehumidifying a food, preferably cabbage, dried by a method, e.g. freeze-drying, or stopping the drying in the driving process, etc., to humidify the food to preferably about 15-18% water content, compressing the resultant food and cooling the food to a low temperature below the refrigeration temperature, preferably <=-18 deg.C.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a novel processed food, in which the food is dried, compression molded, and then brought to a low humidity level below refrigeration temperature, and brought to room temperature in a timely manner. By restoring food, it is possible to return the flavor, appearance, and quality of the food to the excellent state before processing, and the storage volume at low temperatures is significantly reduced, making handling and storage of food easier and more economical. It is something that makes it possible.

The details will be described below. Moisture is added to and humidified meat, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish dishes, and other dried foods that have been dried by freeze drying, vacuum drying, or other methods. This humidification treatment imparts plasticity to the dried food and is carried out to prevent tissue destruction when compressed.The amount of humidification depends on the type of food, drying method, and compression ratio as described below. It varies in the range of /θ to 3θ%, but cabbage,
In the case of vegetables such as onions and hekusai, the water activity value (A
Favorable results were obtained when the water content was approximately 75 to 7 f%. This humidification lowers the relative humidity (R, H) to about jθ~gj%, preferably about 6θ~gj%.
Forced circulation of gas with a humidity level of 75% allows uniform humidification throughout the drying product without damaging it, resulting in good results; food drying can be stopped midway through. It is preferable to obtain the above-mentioned desired water content by using other appropriate methods.

The amount of water soaked in this way is approx. rN! ;05'
,; Compress by applying a pressure of 1. For the above vegetables,
If the material is compressed at a relatively low pressure of about S~/5'% and the volume is reduced to about /20, an excellent product that maintains the structure/θ can be obtained. At this time, it is more preferable to hold the compressed state for a certain period of time, and a suitable holding time is approximately j to 3θ seconds.

This compressed product is made into a compressed low-temperature food by cooling it to a low temperature.

The compressed food should be left to cool, preferably at below the refrigeration temperature of j°C. When the temperature rises above this
The flavor tends to deteriorate in a short period of time, and the shelf life is also short. If the temperature is lowered to a frozen state below -/I°C, the flavor will not deteriorate over a long period of time and the structure of the food will be well maintained. Therefore, it is possible to store it for a long period of time, and it is more preferable because it is easy to use and convenient for distribution. Foods can also be maintained at excellent quality even in a temperature range that does not reach the above-mentioned frozen product level. For example, if the temperature is slightly frozen at -2 to -7°C or below θ°C to the freezing point (sometimes referred to as freezing temperature), the restorability of the food may become more favorable. .

This low-temperature food is used by returning it to room temperature, adding water, compressing it, and restoring it. In the case of frozen products, you can thaw them in the same way as ordinary frozen foods, and there is no need to take any special methods. In the case of the above-mentioned vegetables, the thawed food is approximately 6θ to 9
By immersing the vegetables in hot water at about 0.degree. C. for about S to .theta. minutes, the original volume can be restored to about 55 or more, and the appearance, flavor, texture, etc., can be obtained close to that of fresh vegetables. This restoration operation is performed under slower conditions than the previously proposed method of boiling in hot water for 30 minutes to an hour, and this further improves the quality of the restored product. I'm letting you do it.

Example: Remove the outer leaves and core of Chinese cabbage (Japanese cabbage, produced in Miwa, Ibaraki Prefecture),
Divide it lengthwise, then cut it horizontally into J'cr11 pieces, wash it,
Water/θθθ9, Lactose/θθKfs Salt/OKfs
Blanching treatment was performed by immersing the sample in a mixture of sodium sulfite/Kg and heated to 2θ°C or higher for 3 minutes.

This was frozen at -2J°C using an air blast method and dried for 24 hours at a vacuum degree θ and a shelf temperature Jθ°C, resulting in a moisture content of 3.0% and a bulk specific gravity of 0.03 g/cc.
of dried hekusai was obtained. This was placed in a mesh tray in a room, and humidified air with a relative humidity of 7θ% was forcedly circulated for 7min to obtain a humidified product with a water activity value of 0.7J water content/S%. This is compressed by applying a pressure of 7 to 100 ml, and held in the compressed state for an additional 70 seconds to reduce the volume to /7. It's reduced to. The compressed product was frozen at -j°C, packed in a plastic laminated bag to obtain compressed frozen Chinese cabbage, and stored at -/°C or below.

This frozen product was irradiated with microwaves to thaw it, and then immersed in hot water at 75°C for 7 minutes to restore it.

Regarding this restored product, 70 panelists were selected and
A sensory test was conducted regarding the appearance, shape, and texture, and the following results were obtained.

Note: The score is the total score of 70 panelists.

Flavor, appearance, shape, and texture were evaluated using a 5-point scale, and the evaluation criteria were as follows.

As mentioned above, the product of the present invention is almost the same as the non-compressed product, and is therefore a useful processed food.

Example 2 Cut the upper and lower ends of an onion (F, 7 Ranui, produced in Furano, Hokkaido), divide it, wash it, slice it into 3 Tna width, mix with water 70θ noodles and lactose 300 noodles and boil at 0°C.
Blanch them by immersing them in the heated solution for 7 and a half minutes. This was freeze-dried in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a dried onion with a moisture content of 2.7%, bulk specific gravity θ, θ g/cc. This was put in a mesh tray and placed indoors, and the raw steam coming out of the steam generator was adjusted to a relative humidity of 70%, and humidified for minutes while being forced to circulate, resulting in a water activity value of 9 S1.
A product was obtained which was uniformly humidified throughout with a water content/g%. This was compressed by applying fluoridation pressure and holding for 2θ seconds to obtain a product whose volume was compressed to /7.

The temperature of these 8 compressed products was lowered to -3℃ and packed in plastic laminated film bags to obtain compressed low temperature foods, about -j~-
Stored at 7°C.

The crystal was returned to room temperature and restored by immersing it in hot water at 70°C for a minute.

When this reconstituted product was subjected to a sensory test in the same manner as in Example 1, it was found to be 0 points for flavor, 0 points for appearance, 0 points for texture, and 7 points at 4°C, indicating that good results were obtained.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A compressed low-temperature food made by compressing a dried food that has been appropriately moistened by rehumidifying the food or by stopping drying during the drying process, and then bringing the temperature to a temperature below the refrigeration temperature. 2. The compressed low-temperature food according to claim 1, wherein the compressed food is kept in a frozen state. 3. The compressed low-temperature food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food is vegetables such as cabbage, onion, and Chinese cabbage.