Preparation method of cooked millet and cooked millet

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation method of cooked millet and the cooked millet, and is characterized in that the cooked millet is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts of millet, 150-200 parts of water, 150-200 parts of starch and 30-50 parts of edible oil; comprising the following steps: water immersion pretreatment, stepped temperature-controlled cooking, quick-cooling and anti-sticking treatment, dehydration and dispersion treatment, starch uniform wrapping treatment, stepped temperature-controlled steaming, stepped oil and rice mixing and twisting, and sterilization and packaging. According to the preparation method of the cooked millet, the contradiction between gelatinization and retrogradation is solved by combining step-by-step temperature-controlled cooking, quick-cooling and anti-sticking treatment, dehydration and dispersion treatment, starch uniform wrapping treatment, step-by-step temperature-controlled steaming and step-by-step oil and rice mixing and twisting. The invention relates to a preparation method of cooked millet, which can be used for preparing a cooked millet product which has the characteristics of being elastic in mouth feel, high in rice grain integrity, strong in retrogradation resistance, capable of being directly eaten after being fried again and the like. The requirements of the current healthy instant food market are fully met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to a method for preparing cooked millet and a cooked millet product. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread adoption of fast-paced lifestyles, consumers' demand for ready-to-eat foods is constantly evolving. Currently, the Chinese ready-to-eat cereal market has exceeded 30 billion yuan. At the same time, modern consumers are experiencing a surge in demand for convenient foods that are low in sugar, low in fat, and high in fiber. The requirements for "ready-to-eat" foods have shifted from simply being "edible" to pursuing "deliciousness + nutrition." However, traditional instant rice products generally suffer from high sugar and high additive content, and their texture becomes soft and mushy after rehydration, failing to simultaneously meet consumers' dual demands for health and taste.

[0003] Millet, as a high-quality grain, is nutritionally complete and easily digestible, rich in protein, fat, vitamins, carbohydrates, carotene, and other nutrients. It also offers various health benefits such as strengthening the spleen and stomach, nourishing blood and calming the mind, and regulating blood sugar and lipids. Research has found that some health-conscious individuals desire cooked millet products that can be reheated and paired with other dishes to fill gaps in breakfast, lunch, and outdoor dining options. However, traditional millet products, such as millet porridge and millet flour, have limitations in their consumption scenarios. Other existing cooked millet products suffer from rapid retrogradation and a soft, mushy texture after reheating. For example, traditional 160℃ baking causes the millet skin to caramelize and the internal starch to excessively gelatinize, forming a dense structure. This results in high water penetration resistance during rehydration, requiring prolonged soaking (e.g., 8 minutes of cold soaking), and the grains are prone to cracking. Excessive starch gelatinization during steaming not only makes the product soft and mushy but also causes it to stick together after reheating. Furthermore, after 3 days of storage at room temperature, the starch retrogradation rate can reach 40%-50%, leading to a significantly harder texture.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method to prepare cooked millet, so as to produce a convenient and heatable cooked millet product that can meet the purchasing needs of most consumers for cooked millet with a "chewy texture, soft and smooth taste, and rich aroma". Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 150-200 parts water, 150-200 parts starch and 30-50 parts edible oil.

[0007] Includes the following steps:

[0008] Soak millet at room temperature to obtain moist millet;

[0009] Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃;

[0010] Place the cooked millet in cold water and cool it to below 25°C;

[0011] The cooled millet is dehydrated to control the moisture content to below 12%, and a blower is used to blow air through the millet grains.

[0012] Add starch and mix it with rice grains to obtain mixed rice grains;

[0013] The mixed rice grains are steamed at a temperature of 80-110℃ in stages.

[0014] After steaming, during the cooling process, add cooking oil in batches, mixing the oil with the rice grains and kneading them.

[0015] The rice grains, after being mixed with cooking oil, are aseptically packaged.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention: soaking millet at room temperature, including soaking millet at 25-32°C for 25-35 minutes to obtain moist millet.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention: the moistened millet is cooked at a stepped temperature of 70-100℃, including: cooking at 70±3℃ for 5-6 minutes, cooking at 90±3℃ for 3-4 minutes, and cooking at 100℃±3℃ for 5-6 minutes.

[0018] As a further aspect of the present invention: placing the cooked millet in cold water and cooling it to below 25°C includes: spraying the cooked millet with cold water at 5-8°C to cool the millet grains to below 25°C within 3 minutes.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention: the cooled millet is dehydrated by means of: air drying dehydration treatment, with a wind speed of 4-6 m / s and a wind temperature of 28-32℃.

[0020] As a further aspect of the present invention: the mixed rice grains are steamed at a stepped temperature of 80-110℃, including: steaming at 80±3℃ for 5-6 minutes, steaming at 100±3℃ for 10-12 minutes, and steaming at 110℃±3℃ for 15-18 minutes, with a pressure of 0.15MPa during steaming.

[0021] As a further aspect of the present invention: after steaming is completed, during the cooling process, edible oil is added in batches, and the edible oil is mixed with the mixed rice grains and kneaded, including: adding 10 parts of edible oil when the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 0.5 minutes, adding 10 parts of edible oil when the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 1 minute, adding 10 parts of edible oil when the temperature drops to 50±3℃ in 2 minutes, and adding 20 parts of edible oil when the temperature drops to 30±3℃ in 2 minutes.

[0022] As a further aspect of the present invention: the edible oil comprises, by weight, 100 parts refined vegetable oil, 1-3 parts Sichuan pepper, 2-4 parts star anise, 5-10 parts scallion segments, 0.5-1.5 parts bay leaves, 1-2 parts cinnamon, and 3-6 parts coriander root.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention: the edible oil cooking step includes mixing according to the mass proportions and heating at a temperature of 120-150℃ for 30-50 minutes, and filtering out solid impurities to obtain edible oil.

[0024] Secondly, a cooked millet, prepared according to any one of the above-mentioned methods for preparing cooked millet.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0026] A method for preparing cooked millet involves water soaking pretreatment, stepped temperature-controlled cooking, rapid cooling and anti-sticking treatment, dehydration and dispersion treatment, starch coating treatment, stepped temperature-controlled steaming, stepped oil-millet mixing and kneading, and sterilization packaging. This method is free of preservatives, phosphates, and synthetic colloids. The combination of stepped temperature-controlled cooking, rapid cooling and anti-sticking treatment, dehydration and dispersion treatment, starch coating treatment, stepped temperature-controlled steaming, and stepped oil-millet mixing and kneading resolves the contradiction between gelatinization and retrogradation. Water soaking pretreatment before cooking reduces the high energy consumption of traditional preparation processes, improving overall preparation efficiency by 30%. Adding starch and edible oil at specific times and temperatures effectively solves the problems of unstable texture and short shelf life associated with traditional cooked millet.

[0027] The cooked millet produced can be used directly as an instant staple food or as a base for fried rice. The cooked millet products have the characteristics of chewy texture, high grain integrity, strong resistance to retrogradation, and can be eaten directly after re-frying, thus fully meeting the current demand of the healthy ready-to-eat food market. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for preparing cooked millet. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] A type of cooked millet comprises the following ingredients in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 150 parts water, 150 parts starch, and 30 parts edible oil. Its preparation method is as follows:

[0032] S1: Soak millet at 25-32℃ for 25 minutes to obtain moist millet;

[0033] S2: Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃, cooking for 5 minutes at 70±3℃, 3 minutes at 90±3℃, and 5 minutes at 100℃±3℃.

[0034] S3: Place the cooked millet in cold water and spray it with 5-8℃ cold water to cool the millet to below 25℃ within 3 minutes;

[0035] S4: Dehydrate the cooled millet to control the moisture content to below 12% by blowing air to dry it with a wind speed of 4-6 m / s and a wind temperature of 28-32℃.

[0036] S5: Add starch and mix the starch with the rice grains to obtain mixed rice grains;

[0037] S6: Steam the mixed rice grains at a stepped temperature of 80-110℃, steaming at 80±3℃ for 5 minutes, at 100±3℃ for 10 minutes, and at 110℃±3℃ for 15 minutes, with a pressure of 0.15MPa during steaming.

[0038] S7: Steaming is complete. During the cooling process, add cooking oil in batches, mixing and kneading the cooking oil with the mixed rice grains. When the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 0.5 minutes, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 1 minute, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 50±3℃ in 2 minutes, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 30±3℃ in 2 minutes, add 20 parts of cooking oil.

[0039] S8: Aseptically package the rice grains mixed with cooking oil.

[0040] Example 2

[0041] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts starch and 40 parts edible oil.

[0042] S1: Soak millet at 25-32℃ for 30 minutes to obtain moist millet;

[0043] S2: Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃, cooking for 5 minutes at 70±3℃, 3 minutes at 90±3℃, and 5 minutes at 100℃±3℃.

[0044] S3: Place the cooked millet in cold water and spray it with 5-8℃ cold water to cool the millet to below 25℃ within 3 minutes;

[0045] S4: Dehydrate the cooled millet to control the moisture content to below 12% by blowing air to dry it with a wind speed of 4-6 m / s and a wind temperature of 28-32℃.

[0046] S5: Add starch and mix the starch with the rice grains to obtain mixed rice grains;

[0047] S6: Steam the mixed rice grains at a stepped temperature of 80-110℃, steaming for 5 minutes at 80±3℃, 10 minutes at 100±3℃, and 15 minutes at 110℃±3℃, with a pressure of 0.15MPa during steaming.

[0048] S7: Steaming is complete. During the cooling process, add cooking oil in batches, mixing and kneading the cooking oil with the mixed rice grains. When the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 0.5 minutes, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 1 minute, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 50±3℃ in 2 minutes, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 30±3℃ in 2 minutes, add 20 parts of cooking oil.

[0049] S8: Aseptically package the rice grains mixed with cooking oil.

[0050] Example 3

[0051] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 200 parts water, 200 parts starch and 50 parts edible oil.

[0052] S1: Soak millet at 25-32℃ for 35 minutes to obtain moist millet;

[0053] S2: Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃, cooking for 6 minutes at 70±3℃, 4 minutes at 90±3℃, and 6 minutes at 100℃±3℃.

[0054] S3: Place the cooked millet in cold water and spray it with 5-8℃ cold water to cool the millet to below 25℃ within 3 minutes;

[0055] S4: Dehydrate the cooled millet to control the moisture content to below 12% by blowing air to dry it with a wind speed of 4-6 m / s and a wind temperature of 28-32℃.

[0056] S5: Add starch and mix the starch with the rice grains to obtain mixed rice grains;

[0057] S6: Steam the mixed rice grains at a stepped temperature of 80-110℃, steaming for 6 minutes at 80±3℃, 12 minutes at 100±3℃, and 18 minutes at 110℃±3℃, with a pressure of 0.15MPa during steaming.

[0058] S7: Steaming is complete. During the cooling process, add cooking oil in batches, mixing and kneading the cooking oil with the mixed rice grains. When the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 0.5 minutes, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 1 minute, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 50±3℃ in 2 minutes, add 10 parts of cooking oil. When the temperature drops to 30±3℃ in 2 minutes, add 20 parts of cooking oil.

[0059] S8: Aseptically package the rice grains mixed with cooking oil.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, in the preparation methods of Examples 1-3:

[0061] S1: Soak millet at room temperature to obtain moist millet. Specifically, the temperature of the soaking water is stably maintained between 25-32℃, ensuring that the soaking effect is not poor due to excessively low temperature, nor that the nutrients and internal structure of the millet are not damaged due to excessively high temperature. During soaking, the water flow continuously circulates to enhance the rinsing effect on the surface of the millet, thereby effectively removing various impurities attached to the surface of the raw material, such as dust, soil, and straw fragments. At the same time, under the combined effect of temperature and time, the water fully and evenly penetrates into the interior of the raw material. The large molecules inside the millet, such as starch and protein, absorb water and swell and soften to a certain extent, initially making the raw material soft. This soft state can effectively prevent the millet grains from becoming mushy later.

[0062] S2: Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃. Specifically, water is added as a cooking medium during the cooking process. Cook at 70±3℃ for 5-6 minutes; this stage is a low-temperature pre-cooking phase. The temperature of around 70℃ gently activates the enzymes inside the millet, causing the starch molecules to slowly absorb water and swell, laying the foundation for the subsequent softening process. Next, cook at 90±3℃ for 3-4 minutes. The increased temperature further accelerates the penetration of water into the millet and the gelatinization of the starch. At the high temperature of 90℃, the proteins inside the millet begin to denature, forming a tighter network structure with the starch, making the millet gradually softer and more glutinous. Finally, cook at 100℃±3℃ for 5-6 minutes. At the boiling point, the millet reaches a completely softened state, giving it a good taste and flavor.

[0063] A low-temperature environment prevents the surface of the millet from rapidly gelatinizing due to sudden high temperatures, while the high temperature at the end acts as a sterilizer, ensuring the millet's hygiene and safety. A gradient heating method prevents the surface of the millet from becoming excessively gelatinized due to a sudden temperature increase, while ensuring the interior is sufficiently heated and softened.

[0064] S3: Place the cooked millet in cold water and cool it to below 25℃. Specifically, immediately after cooking, spray with 5-8℃ cold water to cool the millet grains to below 25℃ within 3 minutes, quickly passing them through the millet gelatinization temperature zone of 100-40℃. The low temperature allows for rapid absorption of heat from the millet grains without excessive stimulation, preventing surface cracking or internal structural damage. During the spraying process, high-pressure cold water is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the millet grains in the form of fine droplets, ensuring that each grain of millet is fully in contact with the cold water for efficient heat exchange. The requirement is to reduce the temperature of the millet grains from the high temperature after cooking to below 25℃ within 3 minutes. This rapid cooling process allows the millet to quickly pass through its gelatinization temperature zone, where starch is in a highly plastic and viscous state, a period prone to grain sticking. Rapid cooling breaks the gelatinization state of the starch at high temperatures, causing the starch molecules to quickly rearrange and form a more stable structure, thus effectively inhibiting grain sticking. Through a rapid cooling and anti-sticking process, we can produce millet products with distinct grains and excellent quality, meeting the market demand for high-quality millet.

[0065] S4: After cooling, the millet is dehydrated to control the moisture content below 12%, while simultaneously using a blower to dry the grains. Specifically, a blower is used for drying and dehydration, with a wind speed of 4-6 m / s and a wind temperature of 28-32℃. After the initial cooking and cooling processes, the millet still contains a certain amount of moisture on its surface and inside. If this moisture is not removed in time, it will become a breeding ground for microorganisms, causing the millet to mold and spoil during storage, seriously affecting its food safety and commercial value. Dehydration also removes some sugars, making it suitable for healthy eating. A gentle airflow disperses the millet grains, removing surface moisture and preventing clumping. The low wind speed also prevents damage to the grain surface, thus maintaining the appearance and quality of the millet.

[0066] S5: Add starch by mixing it with rice grains to obtain mixed rice grains. Specifically, starch is used as an auxiliary ingredient to coat the millet, locking in aroma, enhancing flavor, and improving texture. When the starch coats the millet, ensure that the coated grains are uniform and do not stick together. Appropriate heating not only increases the smoothness of the millet, making it easier to chew and reducing roughness, but also gives it a certain elasticity, making it more chewy and enhancing the overall eating experience.

[0067] S6: Steam the mixed rice grains at a stepped temperature of 80-110℃; specifically, steam at 80±3℃ for 5-6 minutes, at 100±3℃ for 10-12 minutes, and at 110℃±3℃ for 15-18 minutes, with a steaming pressure of 0.15MPa. Similar to step S2, the stepped temperature increase promotes even cooking and softening of the coated rice grains from the outside in, preventing over-gelatinization of the surface layer while leaving the inside undercooked, and also preventing excessive starch adhesion on the surface of the rice grains. The temperature and duration of step S6 are higher than those of step S2 to ensure the millet is thoroughly cooked.

[0068] In steps S3-S6, the rice is cooked until it expands to the perfect size, with the surface of the grains puffed up and the interior partially cooked, allowing the starch coating to adhere easily. This puffed-up state ensures even starch coating in the next step. The rice grains cannot be fully cooked because fully cooked grains are too sticky, which is detrimental to subsequent processes and compromises the final product's texture. Steaming utilizes the diffusion and ripening effect of heat to fully integrate and shape the rice grains with the starch, while preventing direct contact between the grains and water droplets, thus ensuring uniform grain size and distinct granules after oiling.

[0069] Meanwhile, the process of boiling, cooling, and then steaming again allows for better control over the millet's cooking level and moisture content. At different heating stages, the steaming time and temperature are adjusted according to the millet's condition and product requirements, avoiding problems such as over-gelatinization or uneven moisture distribution that might occur with single-stage steaming, thus ensuring the stability and consistency of the finished product's quality. Specifically, the initial boiling allows the millet to absorb some moisture and begin gelatinization. Cooling at this point allows the millet's internal structure to briefly "relax" and readjust. The subsequent second steaming allows the millet to absorb moisture more evenly and fully, further gelatinizing the starch, resulting in a softer, more elastic texture, avoiding a soft exterior and hard interior. The cooling process forms a slightly firm outer skin on the surface of the millet, while the interior remains relatively soft. After reheating, this difference in texture between the outer skin and the interior creates a unique chewing experience, allowing diners to feel different texture changes during chewing, with a chewy, springy feel.

[0070] S7: After steaming, during the cooling process, add edible oil in batches, mixing and kneading the oil with the rice grains. Specifically, add 10 parts edible oil when the temperature drops to 80±3℃ after 0.5 minutes, 10 parts edible oil when the temperature drops to 80±3℃ within 1 minute, 10 parts edible oil when the temperature drops to 50±3℃ after 2 minutes, and 20 parts edible oil when the temperature drops to 30±3℃ after 2 minutes. Following the cooling process of the cooked rice grains, the oil is mixed and kneaded in batches in a step-by-step manner, ensuring thorough contact and deep penetration of the oil into the surface of the rice grains, forming a protective film. This protective film locks in the moisture of the rice grains, preventing them from sticking together, keeping each grain separate, improving the product's appearance and ease of consumption, and inhibiting the drying and overall retrogradation of the rice grain skin. Furthermore, the edible oil protective film extends the product's shelf life and optimal consumption period.

[0071] Edible oil is sprayed onto the surface of millet grains at a ratio of 3-5% of the dry weight of the millet. After spraying, the millet is then subjected to secondary drying in a fluidized bed at 40-50℃ for 5-8 minutes. This process inhibits moisture migration and flavor deterioration in the cooked millet. Specifically, during the processing and preservation of cooked millet, to effectively inhibit moisture migration and prevent flavor deterioration, edible oil is blended at a ratio of 3-5% of the dry weight of the millet. 1000g of raw millet yields approximately 4000-4500g of cooked millet after steaming, requiring 300g-500g of edible oil. Using specialized spraying equipment, the edible oil is evenly sprayed onto the surface of each millet grain, ensuring that each grain is fully coated with oil, forming a thin and uniform protective film. After the oil spraying process, the oil-coated millet is quickly transferred to a fluidized bed device. Inside the fluidized bed, specific airflow control keeps the millet in a fluid-like suspension state, thereby achieving uniform and efficient drying. During this process, the temperature of the fluidized bed is controlled at 40-50℃, allowing the millet to undergo secondary drying within this temperature range for 5-8 minutes. This effectively removes excess moisture from the surface of the millet without damaging its nutritional components and flavor due to excessively high temperatures or prolonged drying time.

[0072] By combining the above-mentioned treatment method of edible oil spraying with fluidized bed secondary drying, the protective film formed by the edible oil on the surface of millet can effectively block the intrusion of external moisture, while slowing down the migration rate of moisture inside the millet. This inhibits the growth of microorganisms and chemical reactions caused by moisture changes, thus preserving the original flavor and quality of cooked millet to the greatest extent, extending its shelf life, and providing consumers with cooked millet products with better taste and higher quality.

[0073] In this embodiment, the edible oil, by weight, comprises 100 parts refined vegetable oil, 1-3 parts Sichuan peppercorns, 2-4 parts star anise, 5-10 parts scallion segments, 0.5-1.5 parts bay leaves, 1-2 parts cinnamon, and 3-6 parts coriander root. The edible oil preparation step includes mixing the ingredients according to the weight proportions, heating at 120-150℃ for 30-50 minutes, and filtering out solid impurities to obtain the edible oil. Specific steps for preparing the edible oil include:

[0074] (1) Prepare the ingredients by weight: 100 parts refined vegetable oil, 1-3 parts Sichuan pepper, 2-4 parts star anise, 5-10 parts scallion segments, 0.5-1.5 parts bay leaves, 1-2 parts cinnamon and 3-6 parts coriander root;

[0075] (2) Heat the vegetable oil to 120-150℃, add spices and extract at a constant temperature for 30-50 minutes; the spices are soaked in 60℃ warm water for 10 minutes beforehand and then drained.

[0076] (3) After filtration through a 200-mesh filter, the oil is cooled to below 40°C to obtain a clear edible oil liquid.

[0077] The oil is prepared through low-temperature simmering with compound spices and precision filtration: simmering at 120-150℃ avoids the decomposition of heat-sensitive substances such as geraniol; filtration through a 200-mesh screen removes colloidal impurities, ensuring an oil transmittance of ≥90%. The oil film isolates moisture, and the surface water activity of the millet is as low as ≤0.35, delaying starch retrogradation and preserving aroma and flavor. Scallion segments and coriander roots are rich in sulfides, forming a heat-stable complex with cinnamaldehyde, delaying aroma volatilization. This imparts a uniform light golden-yellow color to the millet, with a colorimeter ΔE value ≤3.5, enhancing visual appeal. Table 1 below shows the performance tests of the edible oil in this embodiment compared to traditional vegetable oils.

[0078] Accelerated hardness (7 days) test: The experimental group of cooked millet was prepared using the edible oil of this embodiment, while the control group of cooked millet was prepared using traditional vegetable oil; the hardness of the two products was tested after 7 days; among them, the texture analyzer mostly uses grams as the unit, which is convenient to be directly correlated with the sample mass;

[0079] Moisture adsorption rate (24h) test: The experimental group of cooked millet was prepared using the edible oil of this embodiment, while the control group of cooked millet was prepared using traditional vegetable oil; the moisture adsorption rate of the two products was tested after 24 hours.

[0080] Flavor retention rate (60 days) test: The experimental group used the edible oil of this embodiment in the preparation process of cooked millet, while the control group used traditional vegetable oil in the preparation process of cooked millet; the flavor of the two products was tested after 60 days.

[0081] The test results are shown in Table 1 below, based on the above tests:

[0082] Table 1. Performance comparison of the edible oil in this embodiment with that of traditional vegetable oil:

[0083] Test Project Edible oil in this embodiment Traditional vegetable oils Accelerates hardness recovery (7 days) ≤800g ≥2200g Moisture adsorption rate (24h) ≤1.2％ ≥3.5％ Flavor retention rate (60 days) ≥85％ ≤40％

[0084] Note: Data must be derived from accelerated laboratory tests (37℃, RH 75%).

[0085] As shown in Table 1, traditional vegetable oil ≥2200g indicates severe retrogradation, while the edible oil in this embodiment ≤800g indicates excellent anti-retrogradation performance. The water absorption rate of traditional vegetable oil ≥3.5% indicates that traditional oils easily absorb moisture, which may cause rice grains to absorb moisture, clump together, and deteriorate, shortening the shelf life. The water absorption rate of the edible oil in this embodiment ≤1.2% indicates that it has moisture-proof properties and can effectively block the penetration of environmental moisture, keeping the rice grains dry and stable. The flavor retention rate of traditional vegetable oil ≤40% indicates that traditional oils suffer from severe flavor deterioration during storage, which may cause the food to have an "oily taste" or lose the aroma of millet. The flavor retention rate of the edible oil in this embodiment ≥85% indicates flavor stability, which can effectively delay oil oxidation and flavor substance degradation, and maintain the original aroma and taste of millet.

[0086] S8: The rice grains mixed with edible oil are aseptically packaged; specifically, the processed rice grains are vacuum-sealed in iron cans or aluminum foil, sterilized at 121°C, and stored at room temperature for 6-12 months to complete the preparation of the cooked millet product. In other embodiments, the product can be sealed and frozen for storage, with a shelf life of one year.

[0087] The cooked millet product prepared according to the cooking method of any of the above embodiments is tested and found to have a rehydration time of ≤2 minutes, an expansion rate of ≥150%, and a hardness (texture analyzer test) of ≤300g; after refrigeration at 4℃ for 7 days, the regeneration value (DSC enthalpy value) is <1.0J / g (traditional process >4.0J / g), which is superior to similar products on the market.

[0088] In the research process of the method for preparing cooked millet in this invention, the selection of starch was tested. Comparative examples 1-6 were prepared and tested to select the optimal type of starch as a component of cooked millet.

[0089] Comparative Example 1

[0090] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts corn starch and 40 parts edible oil.

[0091] The preparation method is the same as in Example 2.

[0092] Comparative Example 2

[0093] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts sweet potato starch, and 40 parts edible oil.

[0094] The preparation method is the same as in Example 2.

[0095] Comparative Example 3

[0096] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts mung bean starch, and 40 parts edible oil.

[0097] The preparation method is the same as in Example 2.

[0098] Comparative Example 4

[0099] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts potato starch, and 40 parts edible oil.

[0100] The preparation method is the same as in Example 2.

[0101] Comparative Example 5

[0102] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts wheat flour and 40 parts edible oil.

[0103] The preparation method is the same as in Example 2.

[0104] Comparative Example 6

[0105] A method for preparing cooked millet includes: using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 180 parts water, 180 parts corn flour and 40 parts edible oil.

[0106] The preparation method is the same as in Example 2.

[0107] Evaluation method: The cooked millet prepared in Examples 1-6 of this invention can be eaten after microwave heating or steaming. The heated cooked millet was tested and scored:

[0108] Table 2 Test standards for starch or flour used in the preparation of cooked millet

[0109]

[0110] Table 3. Test results of using starch or flour in the preparation method of cooked millet.

[0111] index Material Appearance texture taste Flavor Example 1 corn starch 23.5 23 23.5 23 Example 2 Sweet potato starch 19.5 17.5 13 20 Example 3 mung bean starch 22 18 16 19.5 Example 4 potato starch 19.5 16.5 14 20 Example 5 wheat flour 16 12 8 18 Example 6 Corn flour 13 9 6 13

[0112] Tables 2 and 3 show that starch is superior to flour in appearance, texture, taste, and flavor, with cornstarch being superior to other types of starch. Therefore, cornstarch is the best choice. Tests showed that 100 parts millet to 180 parts cornstarch is optimal.

[0113] In summary, a method for preparing cooked millet involves raw material selection, water soaking pretreatment, stepped temperature-controlled cooking, rapid cooling and anti-sticking treatment, dehydration and dispersion treatment, starch coating treatment, stepped temperature-controlled steaming, stepped oil-millet mixing and kneading, and sterilization packaging. This method is free of preservatives, phosphates, and synthetic colloids. The combination of stepped temperature-controlled cooking, rapid cooling and anti-sticking treatment, dehydration and dispersion treatment, starch coating treatment, stepped temperature-controlled steaming, and stepped oil-millet mixing and kneading resolves the contradiction between gelatinization and retrogradation. Water soaking pretreatment before cooking reduces the high energy consumption problem in traditional preparation processes, improving overall preparation efficiency by 30%. Adding starch and edible oil at specific times and temperatures effectively solves the problems of unstable texture and short shelf life associated with traditional cooked millet.

[0114] The resulting cooked millet can be eaten directly as a ready-to-eat staple food or used as a base for fried rice. With its chewy texture, high grain integrity, strong resistance to retrogradation, and ability to be eaten directly after re-frying, this cooked millet product fully meets the current demand in the healthy ready-to-eat food market.

[0115] It should also be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0116] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for preparing cooked millet, characterized in that, include: The ingredients are composed of the following parts by weight: 100 parts millet, 150-200 parts water, 150-200 parts starch and 30-50 parts cooking oil. Includes the following steps: Soak millet at room temperature to obtain moist millet; Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃; Place the cooked millet in cold water and cool it to below 25°C; The cooled millet is dehydrated to control the moisture content to below 12%, and a blower is used to blow air through the millet grains. Add starch and mix it with rice grains to obtain mixed rice grains; The mixed rice grains are steamed at a temperature of 80-110℃ in stages. After steaming, during the cooling process, add cooking oil in batches, mixing the oil with the rice grains and kneading them. The rice grains, after being mixed with cooking oil, are aseptically packaged.

2. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 1, characterized in that, Soak the millet at room temperature, including soaking it at 25-32℃ for 25-35 minutes, to obtain moist millet.

3. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 2, characterized in that, Cook the moistened millet in stages at 70-100℃, including: cooking at 70±3℃ for 5-6 minutes, cooking at 90±3℃ for 3-4 minutes, and cooking at 100℃±3℃ for 5-6 minutes.

4. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 3, characterized in that, Place the cooked millet in cold water to cool it to below 25°C, including: spraying the cooked millet with 5-8°C cold water to cool the grains to below 25°C within 3 minutes.

5. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cooled millet is dehydrated by means of air drying, with a wind speed of 4-6 m / s and a wind temperature of 28-32℃.

6. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 5, characterized in that, The mixed rice grains are steamed at a stepped temperature of 80-110℃, including: steaming at 80±3℃ for 5-6 minutes, steaming at 100±3℃ for 10-12 minutes, and steaming at 110℃±3℃ for 15-18 minutes, with a steaming pressure of 0.15MPa.

7. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 6, characterized in that, After steaming, during the cooling process, add cooking oil in batches, mixing and kneading the oil with the rice grains. This includes adding 10 parts cooking oil when the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 0.5 minutes, adding 10 parts cooking oil when the temperature drops to 80±3℃ in 1 minute, adding 10 parts cooking oil when the temperature drops to 50±3℃ in 2 minutes, and adding 20 parts cooking oil when the temperature drops to 30±3℃ in 2 minutes.

8. The method for preparing cooked millet according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The edible oil, by weight, comprises 100 parts refined vegetable oil, 1-3 parts Sichuan pepper, 2-4 parts star anise, 5-10 parts scallion segments, 0.5-1.5 parts bay leaves, 1-2 parts cinnamon, and 3-6 parts coriander root.

9. The method for preparing cooked millet according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cooking oil preparation steps include mixing the ingredients according to the specified mass proportions, heating them at a temperature of 120-150℃ for 30-50 minutes, and filtering out solid impurities to obtain the cooking oil.

10. A type of cooked millet, characterized in that, It is prepared by the method of preparing cooked millet according to any one of claims 1-9.

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