JPWO2006025102A1 - Method and apparatus for manufacturing processed seafood - Google Patents

Abstract

A reduced pressure heating process for heating raw or pretreated fish directly in contact with water vapor under reduced pressure, and a pressurized heating process for heating the fish after the reduced pressure heating process in direct contact with water vapor under pressure A method for producing processed fish products is provided. In the reduced-pressure heating process, the water can be rapidly vaporized in the meat, that is, the water can be removed by preventing bumping, and the fish skin can be stabilized in a state of being attached to the meat. In the pressure heating process, the fish is rapidly heated to the inside of the fish to soften the bone while sufficiently solidifying the protein inside. Therefore, according to this method, it is possible to produce a processed fish product that is soft up to the bone while maintaining the form of the epidermis and meat.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing processed products using fish, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for manufacturing processed fish products that can easily maintain the form of fish epidermis and meat and can soften bones. .

  In processed fish foods, it is preferable in terms of taste and design that the original appearance of the fish is maintained, except for flakes and other non-flavored meat. However, the skin covering the surface of fish is soft and easily peeled off by heating. Fish meat also tends to collapse when it becomes soft by heating. Furthermore, if the meat is heated too much, the meat may become hard and hard to the touch, and the boiled fish may become cloudy so that the appearance may deteriorate. For this reason, there are various difficulties in producing processed fish foods that retain the original appearance of fish. For example, as a method for producing a boiled fish product, Japanese Patent No. 2732209 discloses a method for solidifying a whole boiled fish by adding a jelly solution that gels by cooling after the boiled fish is created and then added to the boiled juice. Has been. In this method, the fish can be held in the jelly of the broth by charging the jelly solution, and the shape can be stabilized. However, since the process of cooking fish is the same as before, the meat tends to collapse or the skin peels due to boiling of the broth or contact with the fish or between the pots. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-37447 discloses a method in which raw fish is cooked for a short time, then sealed with a seasoning liquid in a sealed container, and the whole sealed container is heated to produce a cooked fish product. This method can prevent the fish meat from becoming hard and the seasoning liquid from becoming cloudy, but the epidermis is easily peeled off during the operation of putting fish into the sealed container in the middle of heating. In addition, when the sealed container is a retort pouch, heating the food in a sealed state tends to give the food a smell of the retort pouch, which may impair the flavor.

On the other hand, in order to protect the natural environment, it is desired to reduce the waste parts such as bones, fins and heads in fish foods. For example, a product that can be eaten up to bones and fins by cooking for a long time, such as boiled rice cake, is preferable in that it has less waste and can ingest calcium contained in bones. However, in the cooking method including the stew process, the taste is generally deep, and the taste is characteristic of the stewed fish, or the taste of the seasoning liquid is mainly used. In order to soften the bones, it has been considered to heat and pressurize the fish, such as steaming raw fish, but peeling of the epidermis and collapse of the meat are often significant.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-95865 (Japanese Patent No. 2732209) JP 2001-37447 A

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a processed fish product that is soft to the bone while maintaining the form of the skin and meat of the fish.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus suitable for manufacturing a processed fish product that is soft to the bone while maintaining the form of the skin and meat of the fish.

As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a reduced-pressure heating step in which raw or pretreated fish is heated in direct contact with water vapor under reduced pressure, and the fish after the reduced-pressure heating step. And a pressurized heating step of heating by direct contact with water vapor under pressure.
According to this method, in the reduced-pressure heating step, the moisture in the fish, particularly the moisture on the surface of the fish, can be gradually evaporated by coagulating the fish protein from the surface side and bringing it into contact with water vapor heated under reduced pressure. . Thereby, moisture can be rapidly vaporized in the meat, that is, water can be removed by preventing bumping, and the skin of the fish can be stabilized to be attached to the meat. Next, in the pressure heating step, the fish is rapidly heated to the inside of the fish to soften the bone while sufficiently solidifying the protein inside. By bringing water vapor into contact with the fish even in the pressure heating process, the whole can be heated more uniformly while preventing bumping between the already stabilized skin and meat or in the meat. Therefore, according to this method, it is possible to produce a processed fish product that is soft up to the bone while maintaining the form of the epidermis and meat.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reduced pressure heating step is performed at a temperature of 50 ° C. or higher and 90 ° C. or lower. By this method, it is possible to efficiently remove moisture and coagulate proteins by suppressing bumping in fish, and to quickly stabilize the epidermis against meat.
Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a method of setting the pressure corresponding to the saturated water vapor pressure at a temperature 3 to 10 ° C. higher than the processing temperature in the reduced pressure heating step. In this method, in particular, it is possible to quickly evaporate moisture while suppressing the sudden boiling of moisture in the meat.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a pressure removing step for gradually reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure after the pressure heating step. According to this method, bumping of moisture existing in the meat or between the meat and the epidermis can be suppressed when returning from the pressure heating process to the atmospheric pressure.
Moreover, in another preferable form in this invention, it has the reduced pressure drying process dried under reduced pressure after the said pressure heating process. Thereby, it is possible to suppress water vapor in the atmosphere from liquefying on the fish surface and remaining on the fish surface or penetrating into the fish during pressure removal and heat removal after pressure heating. Thereby, peeling accompanying softening of the epidermis can be effectively suppressed.

Moreover, in one of the preferable forms in this invention, the seasoning process which immerses fish in a seasoning liquid is provided after a pressurization heating process. According to this method, the seasoning liquid penetrates well into the fish from which moisture has been removed.
Moreover, one of the different forms in this invention is equipped with the baking color addition process which burns the skin of fish after a pressurization heating process. In this method, the epidermis is stabilized in a state where it adheres to the meat, and after removing moisture from the fish, it is burnt so that the burnt epidermis is stably attached to the flesh and a flavor due to scorching is added. Processed fish products can be obtained.
Moreover, one of the different forms in this invention is equipped with the frying process which fries fish with oil after a pressurization heating process. In this method, a processed fish product that can eat bone more easily can be obtained by processing at a higher temperature by a frying process.
Moreover, one of the other forms in this invention is equipped with the powder adhesion process which adheres a powder to the surface of fish after a pressurization heating process. In this method, it is possible to obtain a processed fish product having a garment such as Tatsuta fried, tempura, fried and fried chicken, and a garment that can more easily eat bones, by fried in oil for a short time.
Of course, a frying step of frying fish with oil after the powder adhering step may be provided. Thereby, it can be set as the processed fish product by which the powder provided to the fish by the powder adhesion process was stabilized on the fish surface.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a container formed so as to be pressure resistant, a pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the pressure in the container from a reduced pressure state to a pressurized state, and a steam supply capable of heating the container. And a cooling means capable of cooling the inside of the container, and the fish in the container are sequentially heated under reduced pressure, heated under pressure, dried under reduced pressure, and cooled or frozen. It is a manufacturing method of a processed product.
In this method, fish can be directly brought into contact with water vapor, and the reduced-pressure heating step and the pressurized heating step can be continuously performed. In addition, the vacuum drying process or the cooling or freezing process can be appropriately performed continuously, or the cooling or freezing process can be continuously performed after the vacuum drying process. Therefore, it can process consistently, without conveying fish, can prevent the peeling of the epidermis and the collapse of meat accompanying conveyance in the middle of a process, and can maintain a sanitary state favorable.

Further, a different form of the present invention includes a container formed so as to be pressure-resistant, a pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the inside of the container from a reduced pressure state to a pressurized state, and a water vapor supply means capable of heating the inside of the container. And a control device for controlling the pressure in the container to a saturated water vapor pressure corresponding to a temperature higher by 3 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. or less than a predetermined heating temperature when heating the inside of the container under reduced pressure.
According to this apparatus, the manufacturing method of processed fish goods provided with the pressure reduction heating process and pressure heating process concerning this invention can be implemented favorably. In particular, in the reduced pressure heating step, by setting the saturated water vapor pressure corresponding to a temperature 3 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. or less higher than the heating temperature, it is possible to quickly remove moisture while suppressing peeling of the epidermis and collapse of the flesh. .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while maintaining the form which consists of the skin and meat of fish, it is soft to a bone, The manufacturing method of processed fish goods and the form which consists of a skin and meat of fish, and to a bone Providing processing equipment suitable for the production of softened fish processed products, to obtain processed fish products that retain the original appearance of fish, can soften bones, reduce the bulk of discarded parts, or can eat up to bone Can do.

It is a figure which shows an example of the manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

  The kind of fish used for the manufacturing method of processed fish products according to the present invention is not particularly limited. Fishes with a distinct outer skin appearance and outer shape such as flounder, flounder, hailfish, yellowtail, and herring are preferred because processed fish with a good appearance can be obtained. Moreover, not only fish with a small fat layer between the epidermis and meat as described above, but fish with a thick fat layer between the epidermis and meat, that is, mackerel, horse mackerel, The method of the present invention is also suitable for blue-backed fish such as saury and sardines. These fishes can be used either as whole fish, with some parts removed such as internal organs and heads, or with parts separated. Preferably, those having at least a part of the epidermis are used. In addition, it is possible to use a head, fin, spine, small bone and the like with bones attached.

  These fish may be raw or pretreated. In this specification, raw fish includes fish that has not been heat-treated yet, and includes, for example, fish that has been refrigerated, frozen, or partially frozen without being subjected to heat treatment.

  Moreover, the fish pre-processed in this specification is the fish by which the various well-known process given to raw fish was performed except heat processing. That is, the pretreatment includes various cooking methods or various processing methods and parts thereof applied to raw fish. For example, impregnation treatment soaked in oil, extract, soup, salt, miso, soy sauce, drying / dehydration treatment, fermentation treatment, salt, pepper, wheat flour, potato starch, rice flour, sesame, poppy, green seaweed, and other various ingredients , A process for applying flakes and the like, a process for applying other ingredients as a filling, and a process for applying a baked color or a cut to the skin. Moreover, what combined 2 or more types of these is also included. In addition, in this specification, heat processing means the process which changes the protein in fish by heat.

The method for producing a processed fish product according to the present invention includes a reduced pressure heating step for raw or pretreated fish, and a subsequent pressure heating step. Hereinafter, each step will be described.
In the reduced pressure heating process, raw or pretreated fish is heated by directly contacting water vapor under reduced pressure. In this specification, under reduced pressure means a space whose pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure. In addition, heating water vapor directly in contact with fish means that the fish is placed in an atmosphere rich in water vapor, preferably in an atmosphere mainly composed of water vapor, and the water vapor is heated to transfer heat from the water vapor to the fish. Means heating. Specifically, for example, by putting fish into a pressure-resistant container and supplying water vapor heated to a predetermined temperature while vacuuming the gas in the container, the fish is brought into direct contact with the water vapor and subjected to heat treatment. can do.

  In the reduced pressure heating step, heating is performed at a temperature higher than the temperature at which the protein in the fish coagulates. Preferably, when heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the coagulation temperature of the protein and close to the coagulation temperature, it is possible to effectively suppress changes in the state of meat and the flavor and efficiently process the meat. In general, proteins begin to solidify gradually from about 50 ° C., and heat denaturation and solidify more rapidly as the temperature increases. Therefore, the heating temperature in the reduced pressure heating step is preferably 50 ° C. or higher, more preferably 55 ° C. or higher, and more preferably 60 ° C. or higher. On the other hand, the temperature should be low in order to make it difficult to cause boiling of water, changes in fish flavor, and the like. For this reason, it is preferable that the heating temperature in a pressure reduction heating process is 90 degrees C or less, and it is more preferable in it being 80 degrees C or less. Therefore, a preferable range is 55 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower, and more preferably 60 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower.

  The pressure in the reduced pressure heating step is not particularly limited, and for example, it can be satisfactorily processed in the range of 10,000 Pa to 80,000 Pa. However, since water vapor shows a predetermined saturated water vapor pressure with respect to temperature, when most of the gas in the processing vessel is water vapor, the upper limit of the pressure is determined with respect to the heating temperature. That is, when filling the inside of the processing vessel with water vapor and performing the reduced pressure heating step, the minimum heating temperature or the maximum pressure is determined correspondingly by determining the pressure or the heating temperature. The atmosphere of fish in the reduced pressure heating step preferably has a high water vapor ratio for heating efficiency and gradual evaporation of moisture. Therefore, when the atmosphere is formed almost by water vapor, it is 12,000 Pa at 50 ° C. and 70,000 Pa at 90 ° C. The saturated water vapor temperature is preferably 16,000 Pa or more at which the temperature is about 55 ° C., and is preferably 48,000 Pa or less at which the temperature is about 80 ° C. More preferably, the saturated water vapor temperature is about 60 ° C. or more and 80 ° C. or less, and is set to 19,000 Pa or more and 48,000 Pa or less.

  In order to promote the removal of moisture in the fish, it is preferable to control the pressure in the processing space to a pressure corresponding to the saturated water vapor pressure at a temperature higher by 3 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. or less than the predetermined control temperature. By this control, it is possible to efficiently remove moisture by suppressing bumping of moisture in the fish. Therefore, for example, when the heating temperature is 55 ° C., the atmospheric pressure is 19,000 Pa or higher corresponding to the saturated water vapor pressure of 60 ° C., or when the heating temperature is 80 ° C., it corresponds to the saturated water vapor pressure of 90 ° C. 80,000 Pa is preferable.

  The treatment time in the reduced pressure heating step is a time until at least the protein on the surface of the fish is solidified and the epidermis is stabilized to the meat. Such treatment time varies depending on the size of the fish, the structure of the skin and meat, the type of pretreatment, and the like. For fillets, it is typically 10 minutes or longer and within 40 minutes. The reduced pressure heating step is preferably a short time because there is a risk of losing the flavor when it is long.

  According to the reduced pressure heating step, the moisture in the fish can be evaporated while the protein on the surface side of the fish is gradually solidified and the moisture is prevented from adhering to the skin of the fish. Thereby, the state in which the epidermis adheres to the flesh is stabilized, and peeling of the epidermis is suppressed. In addition, the moisture in the fish is removed and the protein on the surface is solidified, so that the collapse of the meat (for example, flushing due to the evaporation of moisture) can be suppressed. Moreover, since the surface of the fish can be heated uniformly by heating the water vapor as a heating medium in direct contact with the fish, the temperature distribution in the fish can be made smooth. Furthermore, since the humidity of the atmosphere is stabilized, it is possible to perform processing while preventing bumping. In particular, by making the treatment pressure correspond to a saturated water vapor pressure that is about 3 to 10 ° C. higher than the heating temperature, the time required for the reduced pressure heating step can be shortened, and the taste of fish can be better maintained.

  The processed fish product after the reduced pressure heating process is preferably continuously subjected to the pressurized heating process, but may be stored by freezing, refrigeration or the like. In this case, since the epidermis is frozen in a state of being stabilized in the meat, it is easy to maintain the appearance of the fish even by thawing after storage. In the case of cryopreserving, for example, it is preferable to cool while maintaining the pressure in the reduced pressure heating step. When cooled in the same processing container, it is possible to keep the sanitary condition better. Thereafter, it can be appropriately thawed and subjected to a pressure heating process.

(Pressurized heating process)
In the pressure heating step, the fish after the pressure reduction heating step is heated by being brought into direct contact with water vapor under pressure. In the pressure heating step, the treatment is performed at a temperature higher than that in the pressure reduction heating step under a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure. Specifically, fish are heated at a temperature of 105 ° C. or higher. In order to soften the bones well, it is preferable to heat the fish at a temperature of 110 ° C. or higher, but it varies depending on the size, thickness, and location of the fish. Moreover, it is preferable that it is 125 degrees C or less from a viewpoint of maintenance of the flavor in meat, and food texture. Therefore, the heating temperature in the pressure heating step is preferably 105 ° C. or higher and 125 ° C. or lower, and more preferably 110 ° C. or higher and 125 ° C. or lower.

The pressure in the pressure heating step can be considered in the same manner as in the pressure reduction heating step. From the viewpoint of heating efficiency, it is preferable that the atmosphere is composed of water vapor, but in order to increase the pressure, it can be adjusted to a desired pressure by mixing other gases. When the atmosphere is almost only water vapor, the pressurized state substantially corresponds to the heating temperature. For this reason, it is preferable that the heating temperature (saturated water vapor temperature) is about 120,000 Pa, which is about 105 ° C, and the pressurized state is 232,000 Pa, which is about 125 ° C.
Moreover, it is preferable to control the pressure in the processing space to a pressure 29,000 Pa to 78,000 Pa higher than the saturated water vapor pressure corresponding to a predetermined control temperature (preferably 105 ° C. or more and 125 ° C. or less). In this way, by controlling to a preset temperature and pressure, moisture can be quickly evaporated while effectively avoiding rapid evaporation of moisture from the fish under pressure, and wetting of fish can be prevented.

  The pressurizing and heating step can be performed by various devices including a water vapor supply unit capable of maintaining a pressurized state and supplying water vapor. For example, the same type as the reduced pressure heating step can be used. It is preferable to process the fish without moving it using the same apparatus as the reduced pressure heating step, because the steps such as carrying out and transporting can be simplified, and the skin and meat are not damaged by these steps.

  In the pressure heating process, the fish is efficiently heated while preventing the meat from collapsing due to the evaporation of moisture, and further softened to the bones. In the case of fish, the epidermis is stabilized by flesh through a vacuum heating process, and the protein on the surface side is solidified, so that even under severe conditions involving pressurization, the epidermis may peel off or The meat will not collapse. On the other hand, the meat and bone inside the fish are sufficiently denatured (changed) by pressure heating, and the penetration of the flavor and the softening of the bone proceed. In particular, since the moisture in the meat is removed in the reduced pressure heating step, the meat can be heated quickly and can be processed in a short time while suppressing the deterioration of flavor and texture.

After the pressurizing and heating step, the product is left as it is or actively cooled, and / or the processing space is returned to near normal pressure. Thereby, processed fish products can be taken out. Preferably, after the pressurizing and heating step, a depressurizing step for gradually reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure is performed.
The depressurization step is a step of decreasing the pressure stepwise or continuously from the pressure in the pressure heating step to atmospheric pressure, and the pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure over at least 2 minutes, preferably over 3 minutes. More preferably, the pressure in the pressure heating process is reduced from the pressure to the atmospheric pressure over 5 minutes. Moreover, although it changes also with the kind of fish, the state of water removal, etc., the pressure reduction speed | velocity in a pressure reduction process is 0.005 MPa / second or less, Preferably it is 0.001 MPa / second or less. The method for decreasing the pressure is not particularly limited. For example, it may be lowered stepwise by opening the exhaust valve intermittently or continuously by lowering the set pressure by the control means. By the depressurization step, it is possible to effectively prevent the flesh from collapsing and the epidermis from being peeled off due to a sudden vaporization of water inside the fish due to a rapid decrease in water vapor pressure. Moreover, by gradually lowering the pressure, it is possible to suppress water vapor from condensing in the fish skin during decompression, and to maintain a good dry state of the skin. In the decompression process, the fish is naturally cooled by the pressure drop.

  Further, preferably, after the pressurizing and heating process or after the depressurizing process, a reduced pressure drying process is performed in which the inside of the processing space is in a reduced pressure state. The final reduced pressure state in the reduced pressure heating step is preferably 2000 Pa or more and 32,000 Pa or less. More preferably, it is 2300 Pa or more and 31,000 Pa or less. In addition, it is preferable to gradually reduce the pressure to such a reduced pressure state over a period of 10 minutes to 30 minutes from the pressure at the end of the pressurizing and heating step. That is, when the depressurization step is performed, it is preferable to reduce the pressure to the depressurized state rapidly after completion of the depressurization step as it is or over 20 minutes or less. That is, the decompression step may be substantially included in the reduced pressure drying step. When the above-described final reduced pressure state is obtained, this reduced pressure state is preferably maintained for a period of time of 1 minute or more and 10 minutes or less. After the reduced-pressure drying step, processed fish products can be taken out by introducing air or the like to return the processing space to normal pressure.

  By the reduced-pressure drying step, water in the fish and water attached to the fish surface can be effectively evaporated. Evaporation of water from the fish surface also cools the fish efficiently. Moreover, the oil component adhering to the fish surface can also be effectively removed. By these actions, it is possible to stabilize the epidermis in the processed fish product after the pressurizing and heating process to the meat more reliably. Moreover, it can also be set as the processed fish goods by which oxidation and modification | denaturation were suppressed by suppression of the residue of a water | moisture content and an oil component, and deterioration of a color and flavor was suppressed.

  The processed fish product after the pressurizing and heating step, after the depressurizing step, or after the reduced pressure drying step can be provided as it is by packaging or the like as appropriate. Further, a cooling process such as refrigeration or freezing may be performed. In the cooling step, after the pressurizing and heating step, the depressurizing step, or the reduced pressure drying step, the cooling process is preferably performed in the same apparatus, more preferably without moving the fish. In this case, it is preferable because a stable state of the epidermis in the flesh can be maintained well, and a refrigerated product or a frozen product that can be stored for a long time with easy hygiene management can be obtained.

Various cooking can be performed on the fish thawed after the pressurizing and heating step, after the depressurizing step, after the reduced pressure drying step, or after the cooling step. For example, a seasoning step of immersing fish in the seasoning liquid can be performed. The kind of seasoning liquid is not specifically limited, For example, soy sauce base seasoning liquid of boiled fish-style soup, soup, or broth soup can be mentioned. The seasoning liquid may be enclosed in a predetermined container together with the processed fish product, or may be collected after the fish has been soaked for a predetermined time. In fish that have undergone the reduced pressure heating step and the pressurized heating step, the moisture inside the meat has decreased, so that the seasoning liquid penetrates well into the fish even without heating. Furthermore, the seasoning liquid penetrates into the softened bone. Thereby, it can also make it harder to feel bones at a meal.
Or you may perform the baking color addition process which burns the skin of fish. In the baking color adding step, typically, the skin is directly heated by a gas burner or the like, but may be burned with charcoal or the like so as to burn the surface. Since the water has been removed from the fish that has undergone the reduced pressure heating step and the pressurized heating step, the fragrance produced by scorching can be added better at the same time as the addition of the grilled color. In particular, in fish that have undergone a vacuum drying step, the moisture on the surface of the fish has been reduced, so that it is well colored and the epidermis is not easily peeled off.
Or you may perform the powder adhesion process of sprinkling the flour for fried Tatsuta on the surface of fish, or attaching the breadcrumbs for frying. The powder used in the powder adhering step is mainly composed of wheat flour, and appropriately contains a thickener, potato starch, bread crumbs, sesame seeds, poppy, aonori and the like. In the powder adhesion step, the powder is adhered so as to cover at least a part or the whole of the surface of the fish. For the attachment of the powder, moisture is typically used, and moisture is added to the powder or fish surface, and the powder is attached to the fish surface via the moisture. The skin-like product obtained by attaching powder to the fish surface is a so-called garment, and it is possible to obtain a clothing product with clothing on the fish surface by the powder adhesion process. These products can be made into fried products such as Tatsuta fried, fried, tempura, etc. by performing a frying process described later.

  After the pressurizing and heating process, after the depressurizing process, after the reduced-pressure drying process, or after the cooling process, the fish thawed or after the powder adhering process, a frying process in which the fish is fried in oil can be performed. Since the frying process is typically processed at a higher temperature than in the pressure heating process, in particular, a processed fish product that can eat bones more easily can be obtained. The heating temperature and heating time in this frying process are not particularly limited. A pre-frying process that heats the interior at a relatively low temperature, which can be used as a processed fish product that can be eaten deliciously by adding a deep-fried color before cooking and performing a short frying process in the cooking area to warm the fish. And you may cook to the extent which does not require a new frying process especially. By performing the pre-frying process, the frying time at the kitchen can be effectively shortened.

  In addition, processed fish products that have undergone any one or more of these seasoning steps, grilled color addition steps, and frying steps may be provided as they are by packaging or the like, or cooling steps such as refrigeration or freezing. You may provide after applying.

  In the processed fish product obtained by this production method, the meat is sufficiently heated and the bones are soft while maintaining a good integrated state of the epidermis and the meat. Moreover, since there is no heat processing in the state immersed in the liquid, the flavor, texture, and taste peculiar to fish are kept favorable. For this reason, it is a processed fish product that is delicious, has a good appearance, and is flexible to bone. Moreover, since the reduced pressure heating process and the pressurized heating process do not require seasonings or chemicals, it is possible to provide processed fish products that have a good appearance applicable to various seasonings and cooking and are soft to bone. In particular, processed fish products manufactured according to a preferred embodiment can be eaten with bone, are rich in nutrients and are free of waste. Even when bones are not eaten, since the bones are flexible, they can be easily broken down and can be discarded with reduced bulk. In addition, it is predicted that the biodegradation and the like will be faster.

Next, a processing apparatus suitable for carrying out the method of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the processing apparatus of the present invention. The processing apparatus 2 includes a container 4 that can withstand full vacuum, a heating unit 6, a decompression unit 8, and a pressurization unit 10.
Although not shown, the container 4 has an openable / closable part, and is formed so that a material to be processed can be taken in and out of the container 4.

The heating means 6 uses a steam supply device in this embodiment. The heating means 6 can supply water vapor into the container 4 through a pipe 12. A temperature control valve 14 is attached to the pipe 12 so that the amount of water vapor supplied to the container 4 can be adjusted.
The decompression means 8 uses a vacuum suction device in this embodiment. The decompression means 8 is configured so that the inside of the container 4 is vacuum-sucked through the pipe 16 to be in a decompressed state. A vacuum control valve 18 is attached to the pipe 16 so that the reduced pressure state in the container 4 can be adjusted.
The pressurizing means 10 is formed so as to be capable of pressurizing the inside of the container 4 by introducing pressurized air into the container 4 through the pipe 20. A pressure control valve 22 is attached to the pipe 20.

The temperature and pressure in the container 4 are respectively detected by known sensors (not shown), and the detected data is transmitted to a control means (not shown). The control means can adjust the temperature and pressure by controlling the temperature control valve 14, the vacuum control valve 18 and the pressure control valve 22 based on these temperatures and pressures, respectively.
The container 4 is also provided with a pipe 24 and a valve 26 for releasing pressure, and this valve is also controlled by a control means or the like. Further, the container 4 is also formed with a drain pipe 28 and a valve 30, which are similarly controlled by a control means or the like.

  Although not particularly illustrated, the processing device 2 may further include a cooling means for cooling the inside of the container. By providing the cooling means, the work material in the container 4 can be refrigerated, vacuum-cooled (dry under reduced pressure), or frozen.

Next, a method for food processing of fish using the above processing apparatus will be described.
First, the raw or pretreated fish is placed on the cooking shelf so as to be in direct contact with the atmosphere in the container 4 and placed in the container 4. At this time, in order to improve the peelability of the fish between the shelf surface and the fish, it is preferable to interpose a sheet or coat the shelf surface.

  Next, the inside of the container 4 sealed so as to be able to form a reduced pressure state is sucked through a pipe 16 by a pressure reducing means (vacuum suction device) 8 to obtain a predetermined reduced pressure state. At this time, the pressure in the container 4 is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the opening / closing of the vacuum control valve 18 is adjusted via the control means to adjust the pressure to a predetermined reduced pressure state. Next, saturated steam is injected into the container 4 through the pipe 12 by the heating means (steam generator) 6 while maintaining this state. At this time, the temperature in the container 4 is detected by a known sensor (not shown), and the water vapor supply amount is adjusted by the control means using the temperature adjustment valve 14.

  The reduced pressure heating condition is preferably performed in the range as described above. In particular, it is preferable to control the temperature in the container 4 to 55 ° C. or more and 80 ° C. or less. At this time, the control means supports the temperature in the container 4 higher than the predetermined control temperature by 3 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. or less. It is preferable to control to the saturated water vapor pressure. By controlling in this way, rapid evaporation of moisture in the fish body under reduced pressure can be avoided.

Next, in order to carry out the pressurized heating process, after the inside of the container 4 is brought into a pressurizable state, saturated steam and pressurized air are put into the container 4 by the heating means (steam generator) 6 and the pressurizing means 10. Introduce.
The pressure heating condition is preferably performed in the range as described above. In particular, it is preferable to control the temperature in the container 4 to 105 ° C. or more and 125 ° C. or less. At this time, the control means causes the pressure in the container 4 to be 29,000 Pa than the saturated water vapor pressure corresponding to a predetermined control temperature. It is preferable to control the pressure to ˜78,000 Pa high. By controlling in this way, rapid evaporation of water in the fish body under pressure can be avoided.

After the pressurizing and heating step, the pressure release valve 26 is opened to reduce the pressure in the pressurized container 4 and the drain valve 30 is opened to remove moisture in the container 4. At this time, the opening / closing timing or the degree of opening of the valve 26 is adjusted by the control means, and the pressure-removing step can be performed by adjusting so as to gradually reduce the pressure to atmospheric pressure.
Preferably, the vacuum drying step is carried out after this or directly after the pressure heating step. In the vacuum drying step, the sealed container 4 is sucked through the pipe 16 by the vacuum suction device 8 to obtain a predetermined reduced pressure state. At this time, the pressure in the container 4 is detected by a known pressure sensor (not shown), and the vacuum adjusting valve 18 is adjusted by the control means so as to be adjusted to a preferable pressure reduction speed.
Further, in the present apparatus, it is possible to obtain a stored product such as a refrigerated product or a frozen product by cooling the inside of the container 4 by using a cooling means as the pressure is reduced or after obtaining a reduced pressure state. As the cooling means, means for introducing liquefied gas such as cooling air or liquid nitrogen into the container 4 as a cooling medium is preferable.

As described above, a pressure reducing means (vacuum suction means) that has a container formed so as to be pressure-resistant and can be in a reduced pressure state, and a pressure means that can be in a pressurized state. A heating means that can be heated (preferably a vapor supply means), and a cooling means that can be cooled (preferably a liquid nitrogen jet means). A process, a pressure-removing process, a reduced-pressure drying process, and a cooling process (preferably a freezing process) can be carried out efficiently while maintaining the form of the processed fish product well.
In particular, when the pressure heating step is performed subsequent to the pressure reduction heating step, it is further heated by the pressure heating step while obtaining an integrated state of the skin and meat in the pressure reduction heating step, so that good meat and skin can be obtained. It is easy to maintain an integrated state and the work is also simplified. In addition, when any one or more of the decompression step, the reduced pressure drying step, and the cooling step is performed, an integrated state of the meat and the epidermis is maintained, and a processed fish product that is hygienic and has good storage stability is obtained. It can be easily obtained.

Further, in the case of having a steam supply means as the heating means, it is provided with a control means for controlling the pressure in the container to a saturated steam pressure corresponding to a temperature higher by 3 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. or less than a predetermined control temperature in the reduced pressure heating step. preferable. Thereby, it becomes an apparatus which can perform the water | moisture content removal from fish more efficiently by a pressure reduction heating process.
In the pressurizing and heating step, it is preferable to include a control means capable of controlling the pressure in the container by setting it to a pressure 29,000 Pa or more and 78,000 Pa or less higher than the saturated water vapor pressure corresponding to a predetermined control temperature. Thereby, it becomes an apparatus which can remove the water | moisture content from fish by a pressurization heating process, or can suppress that a fish gets wet in a pressurization heating process.

Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described.
(Appearance and meat state of various processed fish products)
In this example, saury, sardines, and flounder were used as fish, and the samples of Examples 1, 2, and 3 were used. All were used in the raw state, the flounder used the fillet, and the other fish were used whole for the other fish.

A reduced pressure heating process, a pressurized heating process, and a reduced pressure drying process were performed on the above samples under the conditions shown in Table 1. Table 1 shows the appearance of each sample after the reduced-pressure heating step and the appearance and the state of the meat of each sample after the reduced-pressure drying step.

As a comparative example, the fish of Example 1 was used as a sample of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and the fish of Examples 2 and 3 were used as samples of Comparative Examples 3 and 4, which were cooked only by the conventional pressure heating process. The conditions are shown in Table 2, and the appearance and the state of the flesh after the pressure heating process are also shown.

From the above results, in Examples 1 to 3, the state in which the epidermis was stabilized in the flesh was obtained after the reduced pressure heating step, and even after this state passed through the pressurized heating step and the reduced pressure drying step. It was maintained. In addition, all the fish were cooked so that they could easily eat up to the bones.
On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 2 to 4, it was clarified that the epidermis peeled off and the body collapsed in any fish. In Comparative Example 1, cooking was carried out under mild pressure and heating conditions, but the epidermis did not peel off or collapsed, but the bones were hard and could not be eaten.

(Effect of decompression treatment on the appearance of processed fish products)
For saury (80 fish / 10 kg size), the head and internal organs were removed and then washed with 3% salt water. Then, it is put on the tray as it is, and using an air steam type high temperature and high pressure cooking sterilizer (STERI-ACE VC type PRS-10-1VCC, manufactured by Nissen Co., Ltd.) having the structure schematically shown in FIG. After the heat treatment under reduced pressure, the heat treatment was performed under pressure. The reduced pressure heat treatment conditions were a pressure of 39,000 Pa, a temperature of 70 ° C. and a time of 15 minutes, and the pressure heat treatment was a pressure of 225,400 Pa, a temperature of 120 ° C. and a time of 30 minutes. Next, the drain valve (valve 30 in FIG. 1) was intermittently opened at different times to adjust the time until normal pressure was reached, and the pressure was removed, and the appearance of the saury was observed. For sample A, the opening and closing timing of the valve in sample A was immediately after pressurization and heating treatment, and the valve was fully opened to return to normal pressure. In sample B, the valve was released for 1 second and then closed for 2 seconds immediately after the pressurization and heating treatment. This was repeated until normal pressure was reached. In sample C, the valve was released for 1 second immediately after pressurizing and heating, and then closed for 5 seconds, and this was repeated until normal pressure, and in sample D, the valve was released for 1 second immediately after the pressurizing and heating process. Close and repeat until normal pressure. Table 3 shows the results of observing the appearance of the saury after the decompression process, the decompression method, the decompression time and the decompression speed.

In the sample A without the depressurization step (decompression rate 0.00493 MPa / sec), the original appearance of the fish, which has been maintained through the reduced pressure heating step and the pressurized heating step, is explosive vaporization of water when the pressure is released ( It was destroyed by flashing. On the other hand, in the sample B (0.00247 MPa / second) which was decompressed at a decompression rate of 0.0025 MPa / second over 60 seconds, the collapse of the meat was reduced, and the decompression step was provided, so that the appearance of the saury was improved. It was found that it can be maintained. In particular, in Samples C (decompression rate 0.0011 MPa / second) and D (decompression rate 0.00823 MPa / second) with a decompression rate of 0.001 MPa / second or less, there was no collapse of the flesh due to flushing, and the epidermis was not torn. . From this, it was clarified that the appearance of saury is hardly deteriorated in the depressurization step at a pressure reduction rate of 0.001 MPa / second or less.
In addition, although not shown in particular, there were some samples in which the skin was turned over near the tail of the saury. This turn-up can be avoided by performing a pressure-removing process after pressing and heating in a state where a shielding plate that can withstand pressure changes, such as a stainless steel plate, is pressed against the fish near the tail fin.

Claims (12)

A reduced pressure heating step in which raw or pretreated fish is heated by direct contact with water vapor under reduced pressure; and
A method for producing a processed fish product, comprising: a pressure heating step in which the fish after the reduced pressure heating step is heated by being brought into direct contact with water vapor under pressure.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to claim 1, wherein the reduced pressure heating step is performed at a temperature of 50 ° C. or higher and 90 ° C. or lower.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to claim 2, wherein in the reduced pressure heating step, the pressure corresponds to a saturated water vapor pressure at a temperature 3 to 10 ° C. higher than the processing temperature.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a depressurization step of gradually reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure after the pressurizing and heating step.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a reduced-pressure drying step of drying under reduced pressure after the pressure-heating step.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a seasoning step of immersing the fish in the seasoning liquid after the pressure heating step.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a baking color adding step for scorching the skin of the fish after the pressure heating step.   The manufacturing method of the fish processed product in any one of Claims 1-5 provided with the frying process which fries fish with oil after a pressurization heating process.   The method for producing a processed fish product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a powder adhering step for adhering the powder to the surface of the fish after the pressure heating step.   The manufacturing method of the fish processed goods of Claim 9 provided with the frying process which fries fish with oil after a powder adhesion process. A container formed to be pressure-resistant, a pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the pressure in the container from a reduced pressure state to a pressurized state, a water vapor supply means capable of heating the inside of the container, and cooling the inside of the container A method for producing a processed fish product, comprising: a cooling means capable of performing heating, and sequentially heating raw or pretreated fish in a container under reduced pressure, pressurizing and heating, drying under reduced pressure, and cooling or freezing. A container formed so as to be capable of withstanding pressure; pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the inside of the container from a reduced pressure state to a pressurized state; and a water vapor supply means capable of heating the inside of the container, and heating the inside of the container under reduced pressure At this time, the processing apparatus includes a control means for controlling the pressure in the container to a saturated water vapor pressure corresponding to a temperature higher by 3 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. or less from a predetermined heating temperature.

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