Ready-to-eat rehydration type porridge composition and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a ready-to-eat rehydration type porridge composition and a preparation method thereof. The ready-to-eat rehydration type porridge composition comprises three parts which are independently subpackaged, namely a roasted flavor freeze-dried main material bag, a freeze-dried small red bean bag and a pre-cured five-cereal powder bag, the roasted flavor freeze-dried main material bag comprises block-shaped freeze-dried sweet potato blocks or freeze-dried pumpkin blocks which are prepared through steaming, baking Maillard treatment and vacuum freeze-drying; the freeze-dried small red bean bag contains freeze-dried small red beans which are complete in particles and are prepared through cooking, curing and vacuum freeze-drying; the pre-cured five-cereal powder bag comprises puffed, cooked and crushed rice flour and millet flour, low-temperature baked and cooked and crushed soybean flour and coix seed flour, and instant oatmeal. The preparation method of the instant rehydration porridge composition provided by the invention solves the core problem of rehydration taste and flavor of freeze-dried food materials through a series of unique raw material pretreatment processes, especially a triple process of steaming, baking and freeze-drying for sweet potatoes / pumpkins.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of convenient food processing technology, specifically to an instant rehydrated porridge composition and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Instant porridge is an important product of modern fast-paced life. Currently, mainstream products on the market mainly suffer from the following technological shortcomings: ① Hot air drying type: Various ingredients are cooked and then dehydrated by hot air drying. This type of product has a long rehydration time (usually more than 10 minutes), and the taste is poor after rehydration. Fruit and vegetable particles are tough, and grains are stiff, seriously losing the "soft and glutinous" and "smooth" feel of fresh porridge, and the flavor is severely lost.

[0003] ② Pure Powder Paste Type: All ingredients are crushed and mixed into a single powder packet. After brewing, it forms a uniform paste. Although convenient, it lacks the real texture and chewiness of the ingredients, resulting in a monotonous taste that fails to meet consumers' expectations for a "porridge" experience. It is closer to a "paste" than a "porridge".

[0004] ③ Regular freeze-dried type: This method attempts to process ingredients using freeze-drying technology. However, simply freeze-drying raw or steamed ingredients, while preserving nutrients, results in a significantly different texture after rehydration compared to freshly cooked ingredients. For example, freeze-dried sweet potato chunks often have a soft exterior and a hard interior after rehydration, resulting in a chewy texture and a lack of pleasant, complex flavors. Red beans, if not thoroughly cooked, are extremely difficult to rehydrate after freeze-drying, leading to a noticeable hard center.

[0005] Consumers expect the following from an ideal instant porridge: convenient (ready to eat after brewing), good taste (soft, smooth, and chewy), good flavor (natural ingredient aroma, no artificial additives or off-flavors), and authentic appearance (able to see and eat whole food particles). Current technologies cannot meet all of these requirements at the same time.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a technological innovation that can break through the technical bottlenecks of existing instant porridge products and provide a convenient solution that maximizes the quality of porridge cooked at home over a slow fire. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide an instant rehydrated porridge composition and its preparation method to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition comprises three separately packaged parts: a roasted flavored freeze-dried main ingredient packet, a freeze-dried red bean packet, and a pre-cooked multigrain powder packet; The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package contains block-shaped freeze-dried sweet potato blocks or freeze-dried pumpkin blocks that have been steamed, roasted, Maillardized, and vacuum freeze-dried. The freeze-dried red bean package contains whole-grained freeze-dried red beans that have been steamed, cooked, and then freeze-dried under vacuum. The pre-cooked grain powder package contains puffed and cooked rice flour and millet flour, low-temperature baked and cooked soybean flour and Job's tears flour, and instant oat flakes.

[0009] As a further aspect of the present invention: the size of the main ingredient blocks in the roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package is 10mm×15mm to 20mm×25mm, and the moisture content is ≤3%; the moisture content of the freeze-dried red beans in the freeze-dried red bean package is ≤3%.

[0010] As a further aspect of the present invention: the pre-cooked grain powder packet, by weight percentage, comprises: 20%-40% instant oatmeal, 30%-50% puffed rice flour, 10%-25% puffed millet flour, 5%-10% roasted soybean flour, and 5%-10% roasted Job's tears flour.

[0011] A method for preparing an instant rehydrated porridge composition includes the following steps: (1) Preparation of freeze-dried main ingredient with roasted flavor: a. Pre-treatment: Wash and peel the sweet potatoes or pumpkins, and cut them into standard-sized pieces; b. Steaming: Steam at 100-110℃ for 20-35 minutes, until the center is fully cooked and the texture is soft and glutinous; c. Baking Maillardization: Place the steamed block material in an oven at 150-200℃ and bake for 20-45 minutes, until the surface turns a distinct golden brown and emits a rich roasted aroma; d. Freeze-drying: The baked material is vacuum freeze-dried until the moisture content is ≤3% to obtain the freeze-dried main ingredient with roasted flavor; (2) Preparation of freeze-dried red beans: a. Soaking: After rinsing the red beans, soak them in room temperature water for 3-6 hours; b. Steaming: Steam the soaked red beans in boiling water or steam for 40-60 minutes, until the beans are fully cooked, soft inside but basically intact in shape; c. Freeze-drying: The cooked red beans are vacuum freeze-dried until the moisture content is ≤3% to obtain freeze-dried red beans; (3) Preparation of pre-cooked grain powder: a. Extrusion flour production: Rice and millet are extruded separately using an extruder at 130-150℃, then cooled and pulverized to 60-100 mesh to obtain extruded rice flour and extruded millet flour; b. Baking and grinding: Baking soybeans and Job's tears at a low temperature of 120-140℃ for 30-50 minutes until they are cooked and fragrant, then cooling and grinding them to 60-100 mesh to obtain baked soybean powder and baked Job's tears powder; c. Mixing: Mix the powders obtained in steps (3) a and b with instant oat flakes in a ratio at a temperature <25℃ and relative humidity <40% to obtain pre-cooked grain powder; (4) Repackaging and combination packaging: The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient obtained in step (1), the freeze-dried red beans obtained in step (2), and the pre-cooked grain powder obtained in step (3) were measured and individually packaged in aluminum foil bags with high oxygen barrier properties. The three separate aluminum foil packages are placed together in the outer packaging container of a single minimum sales unit.

[0012] As a further aspect of the present invention: the baking Maillard process described in step (1)c is preferably carried out at 170-185°C for 25-35 minutes.

[0013] As a further aspect of the present invention: the outer packaging container of the smallest sales unit mentioned in step (4) is a food-grade paper cup or a food-grade plastic cup, and the independent aluminum foil package is adapted to the capacity of the outer packaging container, so that consumers can directly prepare and consume the product in the outer packaging container.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package is the soul of this invention's flavor and texture innovation. It is made through a three-step process: "steaming until fully cooked → high-temperature baking (Maillard reaction) → vacuum freeze-drying". Steaming ensures that the starch is fully gelatinized, resulting in a soft and glutinous texture; high-temperature baking is a key step, not for dehydration, but to carry out the Maillard reaction and caramelization reaction, producing a rich aroma and caramelized flavor unique to roasted sweet potato / pumpkin, which greatly enriches the product's flavor layers; vacuum freeze-drying, while preserving this roasted flavor and soft and glutinous texture to the maximum extent, achieves dehydration, allowing it to quickly absorb water and recover. Freeze-dried red bean buns are made using a process of "soaking → steaming until fully cooked → vacuum freeze-drying". Thorough steaming ensures that the starch inside the red beans is completely gelatinized, making the structure sandy and soft. After freeze-drying, the beans can quickly absorb water like a sponge, restoring their "sandy, soft, and glutinous" state and avoiding the problem of a hard core. The pre-cooked multigrain powder packet provides the base for the porridge. Through two different cooking methods, namely puffing (rice, millet) and baking (soybeans, Job's tears), it not only ensures that the powder gelatinizes immediately upon contact with boiling water, providing the porridge's thickness, but also brings out the roasted aroma and nutty flavor of the grains themselves, which complements the flavor of the roasted main ingredients. The preparation method described in this invention precisely controls the process parameters of each key step, such as cooking time, baking temperature and time, and freeze-drying curve, which is the guarantee for achieving the above-mentioned high-quality products. The packaging system of this invention adopts the principle of "internal separation and external uniformity." Three functional aluminum foil pouches inside effectively isolate oxygen and moisture, ensuring the long-term stability of all components, especially freeze-dried materials and easily oxidized grains. The outer packaging container serves not only as a sales unit but also directly as a food container, achieving ultimate convenience with "packaging as tableware." This design ensures that the flavor components do not interfere with each other and maintain stable quality during storage and transportation, while creating a seamless "one-step preparation, instant enjoyment" experience for consumers, perfectly meeting the core needs of modern fast-paced lifestyles for healthy and convenient food. This packaging system is a crucial guarantee for the successful implementation and market launch of the technical solution of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of the preparation method of an instant rehydrated porridge composition. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] Example 1 A ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition comprises three separately packaged parts: a roasted flavored freeze-dried main ingredient packet, a freeze-dried red bean packet, and a pre-cooked multigrain powder packet; The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package contains block-shaped freeze-dried sweet potato blocks or freeze-dried pumpkin blocks that have been steamed, roasted, Maillardized, and vacuum freeze-dried. The freeze-dried red bean package contains whole-grained freeze-dried red beans that have been steamed, cooked, and then freeze-dried under vacuum. The pre-cooked grain powder package contains puffed and cooked rice flour and millet flour, low-temperature baked and cooked soybean flour and Job's tears flour, and instant oat flakes.

[0018] Preferably, the main ingredient blocks in the roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package are 10mm×15mm to 20mm×25mm in size and have a moisture content of ≤3%, and the freeze-dried red bean package has a moisture content of ≤3%.

[0019] Preferably, the pre-cooked grain powder packet, by weight percentage, comprises: 20%-40% instant oatmeal, 30%-50% puffed rice flour, 10%-25% puffed millet flour, 5%-10% roasted soybean flour, and 5%-10% roasted Job's tears flour.

[0020] A method for preparing an instant rehydrated porridge composition includes the following steps: (1) Preparation of freeze-dried main ingredient with roasted flavor: a. Pre-treatment: Wash and peel the sweet potatoes or pumpkins, and cut them into standard-sized pieces; b. Steaming: Steam at 100-110℃ for 20-35 minutes, until the center is fully cooked and the texture is soft and glutinous; c. Baking Maillardization: Place the steamed block material in an oven at 150-200℃ and bake for 20-45 minutes, until the surface turns a distinct golden brown and emits a rich roasted aroma; d. Freeze-drying: The baked material is vacuum freeze-dried until the moisture content is ≤3% to obtain the freeze-dried main ingredient with roasted flavor; (2) Preparation of freeze-dried red beans: a. Soaking: After rinsing the red beans, soak them in room temperature water for 3-6 hours; b. Steaming: Steam the soaked red beans in boiling water or steam for 40-60 minutes, until the beans are fully cooked, soft inside but basically intact in shape; c. Freeze-drying: The cooked red beans are vacuum freeze-dried until the moisture content is ≤3% to obtain freeze-dried red beans; (3) Preparation of pre-cooked grain powder: a. Extrusion flour production: Rice and millet are extruded separately using an extruder at 130-150℃, then cooled and pulverized to 60-100 mesh to obtain extruded rice flour and extruded millet flour; b. Baking and grinding: Baking soybeans and Job's tears at a low temperature of 120-140℃ for 30-50 minutes until they are cooked and fragrant, then cooling and grinding them to 60-100 mesh to obtain baked soybean powder and baked Job's tears powder; c. Mixing: Mix the powders obtained in steps (3) a and b with instant oat flakes in a ratio at a temperature <25℃ and relative humidity <40% to obtain pre-cooked grain powder; (4) Repackaging and combination packaging: The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient obtained in step (1), the freeze-dried red beans obtained in step (2), and the pre-cooked grain powder obtained in step (3) were measured and individually packaged in aluminum foil bags with high oxygen barrier properties. The three separate aluminum foil packages are placed together in the outer packaging container of a single minimum sales unit.

[0021] Preferably, the baking Maillardization described in step (1)c is preferably done at 170-185°C for 25-35 minutes.

[0022] Preferably, the outer packaging container of the smallest sales unit in step (4) is a food-grade paper cup or a food-grade plastic cup, and the independent aluminum foil package is adapted to the capacity of the outer packaging container, so that consumers can directly prepare and consume the product in the outer packaging container.

[0023] Outer packaging containers (such as food-grade paper cups).

[0024] Roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient pack (individual aluminum foil bag).

[0025] Freeze-dried red bean buns (individual aluminum foil bags).

[0026] Pre-cooked multigrain powder packets (individual aluminum foil bags).

[0027] Further explanation regarding the Maillard baking process: This step is crucial for creating a unique flavor. Baking is not only for dehydration (the main dehydration is achieved through subsequent freeze-drying), but also for the Maillard reaction and caramelization. After steaming, the sweet potato / pumpkin chunks are coated with gelatinized starch and sugars. At a high temperature of 150-200℃, these reducing sugars react with amino acids to produce aroma compounds such as pyrazines and furans, resulting in the rich, characteristic caramel, sweet, and nutty aroma of roasted sweet potatoes / pumpkins. This process successfully transforms the "boiled flavor" of ordinary steaming into a more appealing "roasted flavor," which is a non-obvious aspect of this invention. The degree of roasting is judged by the surface color of the chunks turning golden yellow to light caramel color and emitting a rich aroma.

[0028] Further explanation regarding the packaging system: The three-component independent packaging system used in this invention is not a simple repackaging, but a functional repackaging designed based on the different physicochemical properties of each component.

[0029] Preserving the roasted aroma: The flavor substances in freeze-dried ingredients with roasted aroma are easily volatile and oxidized. Individual vacuum or nitrogen-filled packaging can lock in their precious roasted aroma to the greatest extent.

[0030] Maintaining differential rehydration: Grain powder gelatinizes immediately upon contact with water. If mixed with freeze-dried block materials, the rapid gelatinization of the powder during reconstitution will hinder the freeze-dried blocks from absorbing water, resulting in uneven rehydration. After dispensing, pour the powder into boiling water sequentially or simultaneously. Utilizing water convection, synchronized but non-interfering optimized rehydration can be achieved.

[0031] To avoid the mutual influence of textures: Fine powder particles generated during transportation can adhere to the pores of the freeze-dried block, affecting its rehydration speed and final taste. Repackaging avoids this problem.

[0032] Enhance user experience: Individually packaged bags can be used as measuring cups to ensure accurate dispensing.

[0033] Example 2 Comparative Experiment on Optimization of Process Parameters To demonstrate the superiority of the process of this invention, a comparative example is provided: Comparative Example A: Sweet potato chunks were simply steamed and then freeze-dried (i.e., the baking step was omitted).

[0034] Comparative Example B: Sweet potato chunks were steamed, baked, and then dried using hot air instead of freeze-drying.

[0035] Comparative Example C: All components (freeze-dried potato chunks, freeze-dried beans, and multigrain powder) are mixed in one package.

[0036] result: The product of this invention: after rehydration, the sweet potato chunks are soft, sweet, and fragrant with a distinct roasted aroma; the red bean paste is soft; and the porridge has a uniform consistency.

[0037] Comparative Example A: After rehydration, the sweet potato chunks were soft but lacked the aroma of roasting, and had a bland flavor, no different from ordinary ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable granules.

[0038] Comparative Example B: After rehydration, the sweet potato chunks were hard and chewy, shrank significantly, lost their caramelized flavor, and turned brownish in color, making them unappealing.

[0039] Comparative Example C: It tends to clump together when mixed, and some sweet potato chunks and red beans cannot be fully rehydrated because they are coated with the powder paste, resulting in a hard center and a poor eating experience.

[0040] This comparative experiment powerfully demonstrates that the "steaming-baking-freeze-drying" triple process and "three-component independent packaging" are indispensable for achieving the technical effects described in this invention.

[0041] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

[0042] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition, characterized in that, It consists of three separately packaged parts: a roasted flavored freeze-dried main ingredient packet, a freeze-dried red bean packet, and a pre-cooked multigrain powder packet; The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package contains block-shaped freeze-dried sweet potato blocks or freeze-dried pumpkin blocks that have been steamed, roasted, Maillardized, and vacuum freeze-dried. The freeze-dried red bean package contains whole-grained freeze-dried red beans that have been steamed, cooked, and then freeze-dried under vacuum. The pre-cooked grain powder package contains puffed and cooked rice flour and millet flour, low-temperature baked and cooked soybean flour and barley flour, and instant oat flakes.

2. The ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main ingredient blocks in the roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient package are 10mm×15mm to 20mm×25mm in size and have a moisture content of ≤3%. The freeze-dried red bean package contains freeze-dried red beans with a moisture content of ≤3%.

3. The ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-cooked grain powder packet, by weight percentage, consists of: 20%-40% instant oatmeal, 30%-50% puffed rice flour, 10%-25% puffed millet flour, 5%-10% roasted soybean flour, and 5%-10% roasted Job's tears flour.

4. A method for preparing the ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition as described in claims 1-3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Preparation of freeze-dried main ingredient with roasted flavor: a. Pre-treatment: Wash and peel the sweet potatoes or pumpkins, and cut them into standard-sized pieces; b. Steaming: Steam at 100-110℃ for 20-35 minutes, until the center is fully cooked and the texture is soft and glutinous; c. Baking Maillardization: Place the steamed block material in an oven at 150-200℃ and bake for 20-45 minutes, until the surface turns a distinct golden brown and emits a rich roasted aroma; d. Freeze-drying: The baked material is vacuum freeze-dried until the moisture content is ≤3% to obtain the freeze-dried main ingredient with roasted flavor; (2) Preparation of freeze-dried red beans: a. Soaking: After rinsing the red beans, soak them in room temperature water for 3-6 hours; b. Steaming: Steam the soaked red beans in boiling water or steam for 40-60 minutes, until the beans are fully cooked, soft inside but basically intact in shape; c. Freeze-drying: The cooked red beans are vacuum freeze-dried until the moisture content is ≤3% to obtain freeze-dried red beans; (3) Preparation of pre-cooked grain powder: a. Extrusion flour production: Rice and millet are extruded separately using an extruder at 130-150℃, then cooled and pulverized to 60-100 mesh to obtain extruded rice flour and extruded millet flour; b. Baking and grinding: Baking soybeans and Job's tears at a low temperature of 120-140℃ for 30-50 minutes until they are cooked and fragrant, then cooling and grinding them to 60-100 mesh to obtain baked soybean powder and baked Job's tears powder; c. Mixing: Mix the powders obtained in steps (3) a and b with instant oat flakes in a ratio at a temperature <25℃ and relative humidity <40% to obtain pre-cooked grain powder; (4) Repackaging and combination packaging: The roasted flavor freeze-dried main ingredient obtained in step (1), the freeze-dried red beans obtained in step (2), and the pre-cooked grain powder obtained in step (3) were measured and individually packaged in aluminum foil bags with high oxygen barrier properties. The three separate aluminum foil packages are placed together in the outer packaging container of a single minimum sales unit.

5. The method for preparing the ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition according to claim 4, characterized in that, The Maillard baking process described in step (1)c is preferably carried out at 170-185°C for 25-35 minutes.

6. The method for preparing the ready-to-eat rehydrated porridge composition according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer packaging container of the smallest sales unit mentioned in step (4) is a food-grade paper cup or a food-grade plastic cup. The individual aluminum foil package is adapted to the capacity of the outer packaging container, so that consumers can directly prepare and consume the product in the outer packaging container.

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