Ready-to-eat frozen meals

Abstract

To prevent heating spots produced in microwave cooking of frozen food and burning adhesion of noodles or cooked rice accompanying the spots.SOLUTION: In microwave cooking frozen food, paste seasoning liquid is placed on a main ingredient such as a noodle or rice and oil seasoning liquid is placed immediately below the paste seasoning liquid and in openings of the main ingredient. The paste seasoning liquid has a viscosity at 30°C of 5 Pa s or more. An oil seasoning has a water content of 1 wt.% or less. A salt content of the oil seasoning liquid is higher than that of the paste seasoning liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooked frozen food that is made ready to eat by cooking in a microwave oven, and more specifically, to a cooked frozen food in which a low-salt paste seasoning liquid containing ingredients such as meat is placed on top of a main ingredient such as noodles, and an oil seasoning liquid is placed directly below the paste seasoning liquid and in the gaps between the main ingredients. [Background technology]

[0002] Frozen foods have been attracting attention in recent years due to their convenience and the fact that they can be stored for long periods without the use of preservatives. In particular, there has been an increase in demand in recent years for frozen foods in which main ingredients such as noodles or rice and soups or sauces (hereinafter referred to as "soups, etc.") are frozen together and can be easily prepared for consumption by simply cooking in a microwave oven.

[0003] The problem with such prepared foods is that the main ingredient may burn due to heat spots during microwave cooking. In extreme cases, the main ingredient may burn due to overheating, but the center may remain frozen. This has been a long-standing problem in this field.

[0004] Methods that have been attempted to eliminate heat spots include (1) attaching or incorporating materials that prevent heat spots into the main ingredients such as noodles, and (2) changing the shape of the main ingredients or the arrangement of the seasoning liquid.

[0005] For example, methods disclosed for attaching a material that prevents heat spots to the surface of a main ingredient include dispersing a heat-resistant gel with a melting point of 90°C or higher in the food, attaching an oil-in-water emulsion containing ethanol, and mixing gliadin.

[0006] As methods for improving the placement of seasoning liquid, a method of adjusting the ratio of large ingredients to sauce, a method of dividing the sauce and placing it in portions, etc. have been disclosed.

[0007] However, from the viewpoint of realizing a suitable flavor, materials to prevent heating spots are unnecessary and may cause an unpleasant taste in some cases. Also, although heating spots of the sauce can be eliminated by changing the ratio or arrangement of the sauce, there is still a difference in heating efficiency between the main ingredient and the sauce, so heating spots of the food as a whole cannot be eliminated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-327773 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-056998 [Patent Document 3] JP 2006-020630 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2011-062116 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2019-024443 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to suppress heating spots that occur when frozen foods are cooked in a microwave oven and the accompanying burning of noodles or cooked rice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The inventors have discovered that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by providing a frozen food in which a paste seasoning liquid with a low salt content is placed on top of a main food ingredient such as noodles or rice, and an oil seasoning liquid with a high salt content is placed directly below the paste seasoning liquid and in the gaps between the main ingredients. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The completion of the present invention makes it possible to suppress heating spots that occur when cooking frozen foods in a microwave oven and the accompanying burning of noodles or cooked rice. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a top view and a cross-sectional view of a frozen food product according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The present invention relates to a frozen food for microwave cooking in which a paste seasoning liquid is placed on a main ingredient and an oil seasoning liquid is placed directly below the paste seasoning liquid and in the gaps between the main ingredient, characterized in that the viscosity of the paste seasoning liquid at 30°C is 5 Pa s or more, the water content of the oil seasoning liquid is 1% by weight or less, and the salt content of the oil seasoning liquid is higher than the salt content of the paste seasoning liquid. This will be explained in detail below.

[0014] (main ingredients) Examples of the main food ingredient include rice and noodles containing starch. Examples of rice include white rice, brown rice, barley, etc., which have been gelatinized by cooking, etc., and specifically include cooked rice, barley rice, and steamed rice. Fried rice made by frying cooked rice or barley rice also falls under the category of rice in the present invention.

[0015] The noodles include those made by cutting raw noodle strands formed by a conventional method to a specified length and subjecting them to a gelatinization process by steaming, and specific examples include Chinese noodles, udon, soba, pasta, etc. Fried noodles and fried udon noodles, which are made by stir-frying gelatinized Chinese noodles or udon, also fall under the category of noodles in the present invention.

[0016] (Paste seasoning) The viscosity of the paste seasoning liquid in the present invention at 30°C must be 5 Pa·s or more, and preferably 10 Pa·s or more. In the present invention, the paste seasoning is placed on top of the main ingredient to facilitate absorption of microwaves. In addition, the microwaves irradiated to the oil seasoning are suppressed by placing the paste seasoning directly on top of the oil seasoning. Therefore, a viscosity of 5 Pa·s or more is required to prevent the paste seasoning from entering the gaps between the ingredients. According to the JAS standard, the viscosity of a thick sauce (pork cutlet sauce) is specified as 2 Pa·s or more, so the viscosity of the paste seasoning in the present invention must be at least twice the standard for a thick sauce.

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferable that the viscosity of the paste seasoning at 30°C is 200 Pa·s or less. If the viscosity of the paste seasoning is too high, it is difficult to transport by pump, resulting in low productivity. Also, when frozen, the main ingredient and the paste seasoning are bonded by the anchor effect, but if the viscosity of the paste seasoning is too hard, the paste seasoning does not penetrate into the main ingredient and does not bond sufficiently, making it prone to breakage from even a small impact.

[0018] The method for thickening the paste seasoning can be appropriately selected from the following methods: adding a thickener such as starch, gelatin, carrageenan, agar, alginic acid, etc., or emulsifying it like mayonnaise to thicken it.

[0019] The edible salts used in paste seasonings include sodium chloride (table salt) or salt substitutes such as potassium chloride and magnesium chloride.

[0020] Furthermore, although details will be described later, the effects of the present invention are remarkable when the moisture content of the paste seasoning exceeds 10% by weight.

[0021] If necessary, the paste seasoning may contain added umami components such as sodium glutamate and inosinic acid, sour components such as lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, sodium citrate, sodium lactate, and potassium lactate, sweet components such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, trehalose, galactose, oligosaccharides, glycerin, xylitol, and sorbitol, and spices such as nutmeg, turmeric, Japanese pepper, and chili pepper.

[0022] (Oil seasoning) The oil seasoning of the present invention contains at least edible oils and fats and edible salt. The edible oils and fats used in the oil seasoning are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include rapeseed oil, palm oil, soybean oil, corn oil, rice oil, sesame oil, olive oil, linseed oil, peanut oil, beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, fish oil, and oils and fats obtained by chemical or enzymatic treatment, such as tri / diglyceride, hardened oil, and interesterified oil.

[0023] The amount of edible fats and oils blended is preferably 20% by weight or more, more preferably 30% by weight or more, based on the total amount of the oil seasoning. Also, it is preferably 99% by weight or less, more preferably 95% by weight or less. If the amount of edible fats and oils added is insufficient, the fluidity of the oil seasoning is poor, and productivity is reduced.

[0024] As with paste seasonings, the edible salts used in oil seasonings include sodium chloride (table salt) or salt substitutes such as potassium chloride and magnesium chloride.

[0025] The moisture content of the oil seasoning of the present invention is 1% by weight or less. As will be described in detail later, if the moisture content exceeds 1% by weight, it may cause the main food ingredient to burn.

[0026] If necessary, the oil seasoning may contain umami components such as sodium glutamate and inosinic acid, sour components such as lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, sodium citrate, sodium lactate, and potassium lactate, sweet components such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, trehalose, galactose, oligosaccharides, glycerin, xylitol, and sorbitol, and spices such as nutmeg, turmeric, Japanese pepper, and red pepper. If the viscosity is too low, a thickener such as starch, gelatin, carrageenan, agar, or alginic acid may be added.

[0027] (salt content) In the present invention, it is necessary that the salt content of the paste seasoning liquid is lower than that of the oil seasoning liquid. Note that in the present invention, the ratio of edible salt (solute) dissolved in the seasoning is referred to as the "salt concentration," while the ratio of edible salt contained in the seasoning regardless of whether it is dissolved is referred to as the "salt content."

[0028] This section explains the “burning” of main ingredients. The salt concentration of staple foods (noodles, rice, etc.) is often not salty, or even if it is, it is only about 4% by weight, since if the salt concentration is too high it is unsuitable for consumption. On the other hand, the salt concentration of seasonings used to flavor staple foods is generally 4% or more by weight, and often exceeds 10% by weight, since the amount of seasonings used is smaller than that of the staple foods and they are assumed to be diluted. It is known that when a staple food and seasoning with different salt concentrations are cooked for a long period of time, moisture transfer occurs from the medium with the lower salt concentration (staple food) to the medium with the higher salt concentration (seasoning).

[0029] On the other hand, microwave cooking is characterized by the fact that ingredients placed on the outside absorb microwaves more easily and are heated more easily, and that the heating efficiency (microwave absorption efficiency) of ice is significantly lower than that of water or oil. For this reason, when cooking in a microwave oven, the main ingredients and seasonings placed on the outside melt quickly and continue to be heated for a long time, while the main ingredients placed in the center tend to remain frozen. And the main ingredients placed on the outside and heated for a long time tend to burn.

[0030] Although the details are unclear, it is speculated that "burning" occurs through the following mechanism. In the present invention, "burning" refers to the occurrence of "hardening of the main ingredient" and / or "adhesion between main ingredients" as described below. When the main ingredient and seasoning are thawed and the temperature rises, moisture transfer occurs from the main ingredient to the seasoning due to the difference in salt concentration. This phenomenon is likely to occur in the area where the main ingredient and seasoning are in contact. Next, if the main ingredient in the area where moisture transfer has occurred is continuously heated in a microwave oven, it will exceed 100°C. This is the same situation as baking the main ingredient in an oven or with superheated steam, which leads to hardening of the main ingredient. Meanwhile, starch, a type of adhesive, flows out onto the surface of the main ingredient. Therefore, in the area where the main ingredient hardens, adjacent main ingredients will be bonded to each other via the starch.

[0031] Therefore, in the present invention, seasonings are divided into paste seasonings with a low salt content and oil seasonings with a higher salt content than paste seasonings but a lower water content, to prevent moisture migration and the associated "burning." This will be explained in detail below.

[0032] Salt content of paste seasonings The salt content of the paste seasoning is preferably 3% by weight or less, and the closer to 0% by weight the better. In the present invention, the moisture content of the oil seasoning is limited to 1% by weight or less, so most of the moisture required for the entire seasoning (paste seasoning and oil seasoning) is supplied from the paste seasoning. In other words, the paste seasoning has a higher moisture content than the oil seasoning. Therefore, if the salt content is high, the salt concentration also increases, which causes moisture migration and burning of the main ingredient. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the salt content low for the paste seasoning.

[0033] On the other hand, for oil seasonings, the moisture content is limited to 1% by weight or less, so edible salt hardly dissolves in them. Therefore, even if the salt content of an oil seasoning is high, the salt concentration does not rise above a certain level, and it has almost no effect on moisture migration or burning of the main ingredient.

[0034] The salt content of the paste seasoning liquid must be lower than that of the oil seasoning liquid. If the salt content of the paste seasoning liquid is equal to or higher than that of the oil seasoning liquid, there is no need to take the trouble of separately preparing the paste seasoning liquid and the oil seasoning liquid.

[0035] The salt content of the paste seasoning liquid is preferably 3% by weight or more, and more preferably 5% by weight or more, lower than the salt content of the oil seasoning liquid. If the difference between the salt content of the paste seasoning liquid and the salt content of the oil seasoning liquid is small, the effect of suppressing seizure is small, and the effect of the present invention may not be clearly achieved.

[0036] (moisture content) Moisture content of paste seasonings It is necessary that the water content of the paste seasoning is higher than that of the oil seasoning. When the water content of the paste seasoning is lower than that of the oil seasoning (1% by weight), the salt concentration of the paste seasoning does not increase, as in the case of the oil seasoning, so there is no need to take the trouble of adjusting the paste seasoning liquid and the oil seasoning liquid separately. Note that the effect of the present invention is remarkable when the water content of the paste seasoning exceeds 10% by weight. When the water content of the paste seasoning is slightly higher than that of the oil seasoning (for example, about 2% by weight), edible salt often remains undissolved and the salt concentration is difficult to increase, so the effect of the present invention may not be clearly observed.

[0037] Moisture content of oil seasonings The moisture content of the oil seasoning is 1% by weight or less, and preferably 0.5% by weight or less. If the moisture content exceeds 1% by weight, the edible salt in the oil seasoning dissolves and the salt concentration increases, which can cause the main ingredient to burn.

[0038] (Arrangement of paste seasonings and oil seasonings) It is necessary that the paste seasoning liquid is placed on the main ingredient, and the oil seasoning liquid is placed directly below the paste seasoning liquid and in the gaps between the main ingredients. In microwave cooking, the heating efficiency (microwave absorption efficiency) of ice is significantly lower than that of water or oil. For this reason, in the present invention, the paste seasoning, which contains more ice when frozen, is placed on the outer surface side where microwaves are easily absorbed, thereby increasing the heating efficiency.

[0039] On the other hand, oil seasonings have a low moisture content and contain more edible oils and fats, which are efficient at heating, so even if they are placed in the center where microwaves cannot reach, their heating efficiency does not decrease significantly. Rather, by placing oil seasonings in the center, heat is transferred (heat transfer) from the oil seasoning, which is prone to rising in temperature, to the main ingredient and paste seasoning. For this reason, by placing oil seasonings in the center of frozen foods, the center of the main ingredient and the bottom of the paste seasoning, which are difficult to thaw, can be heated efficiently.

[0040] In the present invention, in addition to the main ingredients, paste seasoning, and oil seasoning, other ingredients such as meat such as chicken, pork, beef, and lamb, vegetables such as green onions, onions, carrots, eggplants, tomatoes, burdock, and bamboo shoots, mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, and shimeji mushrooms, potatoes, and beans may be added. The extracts (water, lipids, umami components, salty components, etc.) extracted from the other ingredients into the paste seasoning and oil seasoning are included in the ingredients of each seasoning. For example, when making a paste seasoning by adding ground pork, most of the water, lipids, and umami components contained in the ground pork flow into the paste seasoning, so only a small portion corresponds to the other ingredients.

[0041] (Main ingredient manufacturing method) Rice The rice used as the main ingredient can be produced according to a conventional method. Specifically, rice, barley, etc. are cooked by boiling and drying, boiling in hot water, stir-frying, steaming, etc., and further stir-frying as necessary to produce the rice. This rice is then molded and moved to the next combining step (a step of combining with seasonings). Note that it is preferable to cool the temperature of the rice to 20 to 40°C before the combining step. If the rice is moved to the next step while still at a high temperature, the viscosity of the seasonings will change significantly due to the heat of the rice, making it difficult to control the quality.

[0042] noodles The noodles used as the main ingredient can be produced according to a conventional method. A specific production example is given below.

[0043] Wheat flour, and optionally starch, buckwheat flour, and other grain flours are added to make the main ingredient flour, to which auxiliary ingredients such as salt, alkaline water, polymerized phosphate, egg white, gluten, emulsifiers, and fats and oils are added as necessary, and the mixture is thoroughly kneaded together with the kneading water. The auxiliary ingredients may be added in powder form to the main ingredient, or may be added by adding them to the kneading water.

[0044] After thoroughly kneading to prepare a noodle dough, the dough is formed into a noodle sheet using a composite noodle sheet machine or the like, which is then passed through a rolling mill roll several times to roll it thinly until it has reached the final noodle sheet thickness, and then cut out with a cutting roll to form noodle strands (raw noodle strands). Note that noodle strands may also be formed by extruding the noodle strips with an extruder, like spaghetti.

[0045] These raw noodle strings are gelatinized by steaming, cut into servings, and packed into molds. It is preferable to cool the noodle strings to 20-40°C before the next combining step (combining with seasonings). If the noodle strings are transferred to the next step while still at a high temperature, the viscosity of the seasoning will change significantly due to the heat of the noodle strings, making it difficult to control the quality.

[0046] (Merging process) The oil seasoning is placed into the gaps between the molded main ingredients. If the oil seasoning has a high viscosity and it takes a long time to penetrate the gaps between the main ingredients, it can be heated to reduce the viscosity before adding it. However, care must be taken to ensure that the heat of the oil seasoning does not deteriorate the quality of the main ingredients.

[0047] Next, the paste seasoning is placed on the main ingredient and directly above the oil seasoning. After the paste seasoning is placed, it is preferable to proceed to the cooling process immediately. If the interval before the cooling process is too long, the paste seasoning and the oil seasoning may be mixed together.

[0048] Other ingredients may be mixed with the paste seasoning beforehand and then added. However, if the viscosity of the paste seasoning exceeds 200 Pa s due to the presence of other ingredients, the other ingredients must be added at a different time from the paste seasoning.

[0049] (cooling process) Finally, these foods are frozen to produce frozen foods. As freezing conditions, rapid freezing at -35°C or below is preferable. If slow freezing is used, the seasoning may peel off before freezing, or the paste seasoning and the oil seasoning may mix together, making it impossible to achieve the object of the present invention. In addition, if slow freezing is used, it takes time to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range (between -1 and -5°C), destroying the structure of the frozen food and deteriorating the texture. EXAMPLES

[0050] An example is given below.

[0051] (noodles) 950g of semi-strong flour was mixed with 50g of acetylated tapioca starch, 5g of egg white powder, and 5g of gluten, and then kneaded with 15g of salt, 15g of kansui preparation (50% sodium carbonate, 45% potassium carbonate, 5% polymeric phosphate), and 1g of gardenia pigment dissolved in 340g of water. The mixture was then kneaded in a vacuum mixer under normal pressure for 4 minutes, and then kneaded under reduced pressure for 8 minutes to prepare dough.

[0052] The dough thus prepared was combined to form a noodle band, which was then rolled to 1.4 mm using a roll. The noodle band was then cut using a No. 18 roll cutting blade to form noodle strands, which were then cut into lengths of approximately 30 cm.

[0053] 130 g of cut noodles were placed in a boiling bucket and boiled for 120 seconds in boiling water at 100° C. After boiling, the noodles were drained for 20 seconds, washed under running water to cool, and then packed into a cooling tray to a depth of 20 mm.

[0054] (Paste seasoning A) 25 parts of white sugar, 8.3 parts of lard, 3.9 parts of cornstarch, 0.3 parts of xanthan gum, and 62.5 parts of water were thoroughly mixed and stirred using a mixer to prepare paste seasoning A with a viscosity of 7 Pa s at 30°C. A B-type viscometer was used to measure the viscosity of all seasonings.

[0055] (Paste seasoning B) Nine parts of white sugar, three parts of lard, five parts of cornstarch, 0.1 parts of xanthan gum, and 82.9 parts of water were thoroughly mixed and stirred using a mixer to prepare paste seasoning B with a viscosity of 20 Pa·s at 30°C.

[0056] (Paste seasoning C) Two parts of finely divided table salt (referred to as "salt" in Table 1), seven parts of white sugar, three parts of lard, five parts of cornstarch, 0.1 part of xanthan gum, and 82.9 parts of water were thoroughly mixed and stirred using a mixer to prepare paste seasoning C with a viscosity of 20 Pa s at 30°C.

[0057] (Paste seasoning D) 8 parts of white sugar, 8 parts of lard, 3.5 parts of cornstarch, 40 parts of tomato paste, 33.0 parts of frozen diced onions, and 7.5 parts of water were thoroughly mixed and stirred using a mixer to prepare paste seasoning D with a viscosity of 20 Pa s at 30°C. Note that since paste seasoning D contained residual solid matter, it was strained through a 30-mesh wire screen before the viscosity was measured.

[0058] (Oil seasoning) 17 parts of finely ground salt, 1 part of chili oil, 17 parts of sesame oil, and 65 parts of lard were thoroughly mixed and stirred in a mixer to prepare an oil seasoning. The moisture content of the oil seasoning was less than 0.1%.

[0059] A mixed seasoning was prepared by mixing 75 parts of the paste seasoning A and 25 parts of the oil seasoning.

[0060] [Table 1]

[0061] 25 parts of oil seasoning were placed in the center of the noodles in the tray, and then 75 parts of paste seasoning A were placed directly above the noodles and oil seasoning. Finally, the tray was quickly frozen to produce frozen food 1 (Example 1).

[0062] Frozen foods 2 to 4 (Examples 2 to 4) were produced in the same manner as for frozen food 1, except that paste seasoning A was changed to paste seasonings B to D.

[0063] 100 parts of the mixed seasoning was filled into the center of the noodles in the tray, and the tray was quickly frozen to produce frozen food 5 (Example 5).

[0064] (burn-in evaluation) Frozen Food 1 was thawed in a microwave oven (Sharp Corporation "RE-S26A", 500W, 8 minutes), and then the seasoning was washed off with hot water at 70°C to prepare evaluation sample 1. Frozen Foods 2 to 5 were thawed in a microwave oven under similar conditions to prepare samples 2 to 5.

[0065] Frozen Food 1 was placed in a pot of hot water (300 ml) and heated until boiling to thaw Frozen Food 1, and then the seasonings were washed off with 70°C hot water to prepare Comparative Sample 1. Frozen Foods 2 to 5 were thawed under similar conditions using a pot to prepare Comparative Samples 2 to 5.

[0066] Samples 1 to 4 were evaluated according to the following criteria. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2. ◯: No burning of the noodles occurred at all. ×: Burning occurred in 10 or more noodle strings. △: Between 〇 and ×

[0067] [Table 2]

[0068] In addition, no burning occurred in any of the comparative samples 1 to 5 that were thawed using cooking in a pot.

[0069] For sample 1, some burning occurred in the contact area between the paste seasoning and the oil seasoning, although this was within the practical range. This is thought to be because the paste seasoning and the oil seasoning mixed together, partially forming a seasoning with a high salt concentration. For sample 3, some burning occurred in the contact area between the paste seasoning and the main ingredient. This is thought to be because the paste seasoning contains salt. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Paste seasoning 2 noodle blocks 3. Oil seasoning

Claims

1. A frozen food product for microwave cooking in which a paste seasoning liquid is placed on a main ingredient, and an oil seasoning liquid is placed directly below the paste seasoning liquid and in the gap between the main ingredient and the main ingredient. The viscosity of the paste seasoning liquid at 30 ° C. is 5 Pa · s or more, The moisture content of the oil seasoning is 1% by weight or less, And the salt content of the oil seasoning is higher than the salt content of the paste seasoning. A frozen food for cooking in a microwave oven.

2. 2. The frozen food product for microwave cooking according to claim 1, wherein the salt content of the oil seasoning liquid is at least 5% by weight higher than the salt content of the paste seasoning liquid.

3. 3. The frozen food for microwave cooking according to claim 1, wherein the paste seasoning liquid has a water content of 10% by weight or more.

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