A method for preparing granular suspension-filled soft tofu
By using cold coagulation technology and konjac flour, the problems of uneven coagulation and particle settling in traditional tofu have been solved, resulting in the production of soft tofu with granular suspension filling that is elastic, resilient, and has a unique texture.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202610512654.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
In traditional tofu making methods, the coagulant reacts too quickly, making it difficult to control the coagulation process. This results in uneven tofu texture, a monotonous taste, and egg curds forming easily at high temperatures, making it difficult for granular materials to be evenly distributed.
Using cold coagulation technology, egg liquid is added and mixed with konjac flour at low temperature to form a viscous suspension. Edible particles are then added, and magnesium chloride and gypsum are used as coagulants. Pasteurization is then used to form a granular suspension to fill tender tofu.
This process achieves a uniform combination of eggs and tofu, and a uniform distribution of granular materials, resulting in tofu with elasticity, resilience, and a unique texture that develops a tiger-skin effect when fried.
Smart Images
Figure CN122074623A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of tofu product technology, and in particular to a method for producing soft tofu filled with granular suspension. Background Technology
[0002] Tofu, a traditional Chinese food, is widely popular for its rich nutrition and delicate texture. Traditional tofu making methods typically employ a hot coagulation technique, where soybean milk is boiled and kept at a high temperature (usually 80-90℃) before a coagulant (such as gypsum or brine) is added. The coagulant reacts rapidly with the soybean milk to form tofu curds, which are then pressed into shape to obtain tofu.
[0003] However, traditional tofu-making methods have the following technical problems: 1) The coagulant reacts too quickly during the hot curdling process, making it difficult to control the coagulation process and resulting in uneven tofu texture; 2) Traditional tofu has a monotonous taste and lacks elasticity and toughness; 3) When eggs are added to tofu, the egg liquid easily forms egg flowers at high temperatures, making it impossible to achieve a uniform mixture of eggs and tofu; 4) When granular materials (such as flying fish roe, meat granules, etc.) are added to tofu, the granules easily sink and cannot achieve uniform distribution.
[0004] In existing technologies, egg tofu typically uses a high proportion of eggs (over 50%) and is formed through egg thermal gelation. While this method produces egg tofu containing egg components, the tofu's gel primarily relies on eggs, lacking the bean flavor and delicate texture of traditional tofu, and is also more expensive. Furthermore, existing technologies cannot achieve the technical effect of uniformly suspending particulate materials within the tofu. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for preparing granular suspended soft tofu.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention adopt the following technical solutions: This invention provides a method for preparing granular suspension-filled soft tofu, comprising the following steps: A. Boil soybean milk with a soluble solids content of 12~14°Brix and then cool it to obtain cold soy milk; B. Take the cold batter from step A, add it to the egg liquid and mix well to obtain the cold batter-egg mixture; C. Take the cold slurry from step A and konjac flour, chop and cut it to form a viscous consistency, then mix it with the cold slurry and egg mixture from step B to obtain a thick suspension. D. Add edible particles to the thick suspension from step C, then add a coagulant and mix well. Finally, fill and sterilize to obtain granular suspension filled soft tofu.
[0007] In some embodiments, in step A, the temperature of the cold slurry is 5~10°C.
[0008] In some embodiments, in step A, the temperature of the boiling slurry is 103~108℃ and the time is 5~8min.
[0009] In some embodiments, in step B, the amount of egg liquid added is 10-20% of the weight of the cold paste.
[0010] In some embodiments, in step C, the amount of konjac flour added is 0.5 to 2% of the weight of the cold slurry.
[0011] In some embodiments, in step C, the mass ratio of the cold paste to the cold paste-egg mixture is (1~2):(8~9).
[0012] In some embodiments, in step C, the rotation speed of the chopping and shearing is 3000~5000 r / min, and the chopping time is 2~5 min.
[0013] In some embodiments, in step D, the amount of edible particles added is 3 to 8% of the weight of the thick suspension, and the edible particles include at least one of flying fish roe, beef, chicken and ham.
[0014] In some embodiments, in step D, the amount of coagulant added is 0.6 to 0.8% of the mass of the thick suspension.
[0015] In some embodiments, in step D, the coagulant is a mixture of magnesium chloride and gypsum, with a weight ratio of magnesium chloride to gypsum of 1:1 to 1:2, and the sterilization temperature is 85~95℃ for 50~60 min.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention proposes a cold coagulant (5~10℃) method, overcoming the technical limitations of traditional hot coagulant methods. Adding a coagulant under cold coagulant conditions prevents the coagulant from reacting rapidly with the soy milk to form curds, thus providing ample time for filling.
[0017] By adding liquid egg to the cold slurry, a method that avoids egg curd formation in traditional methods where adding egg at high temperatures results in uneven mixing, this invention avoids this problem. Furthermore, the subsequent pasteurization process, with its increased temperature, allows egg protein and soy protein to form a gel network, achieving a perfect combination of egg and tofu.
[0018] The process involves mixing konjac flour with a portion of cold soy milk using a chopping and shearing technique to create a viscous consistency. This viscous mixture is then combined with a cold soy milk and egg mixture to form a high-viscosity, thick suspension. Edible particles (such as ham, flying fish roe, beef, or chicken) are added to this suspension, ensuring even distribution and preventing settling. After pasteurization, the edible particles are fixed within the gel network, resulting in a tofu product with uniformly distributed particles.
[0019] In summary, the granular suspension filling of the present invention produces a tender tofu with an elastic, resilient, and delicate texture. When fried, it can develop a tiger-skin effect (a beautiful pattern of alternating golden and dark brown uneven textures on the surface). At the same time, the granular material is evenly distributed, forming a unique texture that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a granular chewy feel. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 A physical image of the product produced for Example 3; Figure 2 This is a picture of the product prepared in Example 3 after frying. Figure 3 A physical image of the product produced for Example 1; Figure 4 This is a picture of the product made in Example 1 after frying. Figure 5 A photograph of the actual product created for Comparative Example 2; Figure 6 A physical image of the product produced for Example 4; Figure 7 A photograph of the actual product created for Comparative Example 3; Figure 8 This is a physical image of the boiling tank of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0021] The technical solutions in some embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this disclosure are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
[0022] This invention provides a method for preparing granular suspension-filled soft tofu, comprising the following steps: A. Soy milk with a soluble solids content of 12-14°Brix is processed through a process such as... Figure 8 The boiling tank shown in the image cools the soy milk after boiling to obtain cold soy milk. Soy milk within this concentration range helps enhance the elasticity and firmness of tofu; increasing the soy milk concentration further enhances these properties. When the soy milk concentration is below 12°Brix, the tofu lacks sufficient elasticity and firmness; when the soy milk concentration is above 14°Brix, the cost increases but the improvement is not significant.
[0023] B. Take the cold batter from step A, add it to the egg liquid and mix well to obtain the cold batter-egg mixture; C. Take the cold slurry from step A and konjac flour, chop and cut it to form a viscous consistency, then mix it with the cold slurry and egg mixture from step B to obtain a thick suspension. D. Add edible particles to the thick suspension from step C, then add a coagulant and mix well. Finally, fill and sterilize to obtain granular suspension filled soft tofu.
[0024] In some embodiments, in step A, the temperature of the cold slurry is 5-10°C. Within this temperature range, the coagulant reacts slowly, providing sufficient time for subsequent processes. At temperatures above 10°C, the coagulant reaction accelerates, affecting subsequent processes; at temperatures below 5°C, energy consumption increases unnecessarily.
[0025] In some embodiments, in step A, the temperature of the boiling slurry is 103~108℃ and the time is 5~8min.
[0026] In some embodiments, in step B, the amount of egg liquid added is 10-20% of the weight of the cold soy milk. This ratio can provide the aroma and nutrition of eggs without affecting the main structure of tofu. When the amount added is less than 10%, the egg aroma is not obvious; when the amount added is more than 20%, the cost increases and may affect the structure of tofu.
[0027] In some embodiments, in step C, the amount of konjac flour added is 0.5-2% of the weight of the cold slurry. Konjac flour can significantly increase the viscosity of the mixture, achieving a particle suspension effect. When the amount added is less than 0.5%, the suspension effect is insufficient; when the amount added is more than 2%, the texture is too viscous.
[0028] In some embodiments, in step C, the mass ratio of the cold paste to the cold paste-egg mixture is (1~2):(8~9).
[0029] In some embodiments, in step C, the chopping and shearing speed is 3000~5000 r / min, and the chopping time is 2~5 min, which can ensure that the konjac flour is fully hydrated and forms a uniform viscous state. When the speed is lower than 3000 r / min, the chopping is not sufficient; when the speed is higher than 5000 r / min, the energy consumption increases and the effect is not significantly improved.
[0030] In some embodiments, in step D, the amount of edible particles added is 3-8% of the weight of the thick suspension. The edible particles include at least one of flying fish roe, beef, chicken, and ham, which can increase the texture and nutritional value of tofu. This amount of addition can provide a noticeable chewy texture without affecting the overall structure of the tofu. When the amount added is less than 3%, the texture is not obvious; when the amount added is more than 8%, it may affect the gel structure of the tofu.
[0031] In some embodiments, in step D, the amount of coagulant added is 0.6 to 0.8% of the mass of the thick suspension.
[0032] In some embodiments, in step D, the coagulant is a mixture of magnesium chloride and gypsum, with a weight ratio of magnesium chloride to gypsum of 1:1 to 1:2. The sterilization temperature is 85-95°C, and the time is 50-60 minutes. This mixed coagulant provides suitable coagulation speed and gel strength. Magnesium chloride provides rapid coagulation, while gypsum provides a delicate texture. The two work synergistically. Furthermore, the temperature and time ensure that the coagulant reacts fully to form a stable gel structure, while simultaneously achieving sterilization. After being heated in a pasteurization line, the coagulant reacts with the soy milk to form a gel, while the egg liquid and soy milk together form a gel structure, resulting in a granular suspension filled soft tofu. Below 85°C, coagulation is incomplete; above 95°C, the delicate texture of the tofu may be affected.
[0033] Example 1
[0034] (1) Boiling and cooling: Soy milk with a soluble solids content of 12°Brix was boiled at 103°C for 8 minutes and then cooled to 8°C using a plate heat exchanger to form cold soy milk; (2) Egg liquid addition: Add egg liquid to part of the cold paste (the amount added is 10% of the weight of the cold paste) and mix to form a cold paste egg mixture; (3) Particle material processing: Konjac flour (added at 1% of the weight of cold slurry) and another part of cold slurry are mixed and sheared at high speed (4000 r / min, 3 min) to form a viscous state, and then mixed with cold slurry and egg mixture (the mass ratio of cold slurry to cold slurry and egg mixture is 1:9) to form a thick suspension. (4) Material addition: Add flying fish roe to the thick suspension (the amount added is 3% of the weight of the thick suspension), and then add magnesium chloride and gypsum as coagulants (magnesium chloride: gypsum = 1:1, the amount of coagulant added is 0.6% of the mass of the thick suspension), mix evenly, and obtain the mixture. (5) Filling: Fill the mixture into boxes; (6) Pasteurization: After pasteurization at 90°C for 50 minutes, the product is as follows: Figure 3The particles shown are suspended and filled into soft tofu. Figure 4 This is the tiger-skin effect after frying.
[0035] Example 2
[0036] (1) Boiling and cooling: Soy milk with a soluble solids content of 13°Brix was boiled at 107°C for 7 minutes and then cooled to 8°C using a plate heat exchanger to form cold soy milk; (2) Egg liquid addition: Add egg liquid to part of the cold paste (the amount added is 15% of the weight of the cold paste) and mix to form a cold paste egg mixture; (3) Particle material processing: Konjac flour (added at 1.5% of the weight of cold slurry) and another part of cold slurry are mixed and sheared at high speed (4500 r / min, 4 min) to form a viscous state, and then mixed with cold slurry and egg mixture (the mass ratio of cold slurry to cold slurry and egg mixture is 1:4) to form a thick suspension. (4) Material addition: Add beef particles to the thick suspension (the amount added is 5% of the weight of the thick suspension), and then add magnesium chloride and gypsum as coagulants (magnesium chloride: gypsum = 1:1.5, the amount of coagulant added is 0.7% of the mass of the thick suspension), and mix evenly; (5) Filling: Fill the mixture into boxes; (6) Pasteurization: After pasteurization at 92°C for 55 minutes, granular suspension filled soft tofu is obtained.
[0037] Example 3
[0038] (1) Boiling and cooling: Soy milk with a soluble solids content of 14°Brix was boiled at 105°C for 6 minutes and then cooled to 5°C using a plate heat exchanger to form cold soy milk; (2) Egg liquid addition: Add egg liquid to part of the slurry (the amount added is 20% of the weight of the cold slurry) and mix to form a cold slurry-egg mixture; (3) Particle material processing: Konjac flour (added at 2% of the weight of cold slurry) and another part of cold slurry are mixed and sheared at high speed (5000 r / min, 5 min) to form a viscous state, and then mixed with cold slurry and egg mixture (the mass ratio of cold slurry to cold slurry and egg mixture is 2:9) to form a thick suspension. (4) Material addition: Add ham granules to the thick suspension (the amount added is 8% of the thick suspension), and then add magnesium chloride and gypsum as coagulants (magnesium chloride: gypsum = 1:2, the amount of coagulant added is 0.8% of the mass of the thick suspension), and mix evenly; (5) Filling: Fill the mixture into boxes; (6) Pasteurization: After pasteurization at 95°C for 60 minutes, the product is as follows: Figure 1 The particles shown are suspended and filled with soft tofu, which develops a tiger-skin effect after frying. Figure 2 As shown.
[0039] Example 4
[0040] (1) Boiling and cooling: Soy milk with a soluble solids content of 12.5°Brix was boiled at 108°C for 8 minutes and then cooled to 7°C using a plate heat exchanger to form cold soy milk; (2) Egg liquid addition: Add egg liquid to part of the cold paste (the amount added is 15% of the weight of the cold paste) and mix to form a cold paste egg mixture; (3) Particle material processing: Konjac flour (added at 1.2% of the weight of cold slurry) and another part of cold slurry are mixed and sheared at high speed (3500 r / min, 2.5 min) to form a viscous state, and then mixed with cold slurry and egg mixture to form a thick suspension; (4) Material addition: Add a mixture of flying fish roe and beef granules to the thick suspension (flying fish roe: beef granules = 1:1, the total addition amount is 6% of the weight of the thick suspension), and then add magnesium chloride and gypsum as coagulants (magnesium chloride: gypsum = 1:1.2, the amount of coagulant added is 0.65% of the mass of the thick suspension), and mix evenly; (5) Filling: Fill the mixture into boxes; (6) Pasteurization: After pasteurization at 88°C for 55 minutes, the product is as follows: Figure 6 The particles shown are suspended and filled with soft tofu.
[0041] Comparative Example 1 (Traditional hot grouting method) (1) Boiling the soy milk: Increase the concentration of the soy milk to 12°Brix and keep the temperature at 85°C after boiling; (2) Hot slurry coagulation: Add magnesium chloride and gypsum as coagulants to hot slurry, mix evenly, and the coagulant reacts quickly to form tofu pudding; (3) Egg liquid addition: Try adding egg liquid to the hot paste in step (1) (the amount added is 15% of the weight of the hot paste), but the egg liquid immediately forms egg flowers at high temperature and cannot be mixed evenly; (4) Subsequent granular material addition and filling processes cannot be carried out.
[0042] Comparative Example 2 (without konjac flour suspension treatment) Similar to Example 1, except that konjac flour was not added, and the product is as follows: Figure 5 The flying fish roe shown is unevenly distributed.
[0043] Comparative Example 3 (Soy milk concentration too low) Similar to Example 4, except that the soy milk with a soluble solids content of 8°Brix has the following product characteristics: Figure 7 As shown.
[0044] The following performance tests were performed on the products obtained in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-3: Test Analysis: 1. Texture test: 50 professional sensory evaluators will score the elasticity, toughness and tenderness of the tofu (1-10 points, the higher the better).
[0045] 2. Particle distribution uniformity: Randomly select slices of tofu samples, observe the distribution of granular materials, and evaluate the uniformity (1-10 points, the higher the better).
[0046] 3. Frying to achieve a tiger-skin effect: Fry slices of tofu and observe the formation of tiger skin on the surface (1-10 points, the higher the better).
[0047] 4. Particle suspension stability: After filling, let stand for 30 minutes and observe the particle settling (1-10 points, the higher the better).
[0048] The test results are shown in the table below:
[0049] Note: Comparative Example 1 could not produce the product, therefore no score was given.
[0050] As can be seen from the table: 1. Comparative Example 1 (traditional hot paste casting method) could not produce a finished product because adding egg liquid at high temperature would form egg curds, making it impossible to achieve uniform mixing, thus verifying the necessity of the cold paste casting technology of this invention.
[0051] 2. Although Comparative Example 2 (without konjac flour suspension treatment) can produce tofu, the particle uniformity and suspension stability are extremely poor (scoring only 3.5 and 2.0 respectively). A large amount of particulate material sinks and cannot achieve uniform distribution, which verifies the necessity of the particle suspension technology of the present invention.
[0052] 3. The tofu prepared in Comparative Example 3 (with too low soy milk concentration) had significantly insufficient elasticity and toughness (scores of only 6.0 and 5.8). Although the particle distribution was good, the overall taste was similar to traditional tofu, lacking the unique elasticity and toughness of the product of this invention, which verified the necessity of increasing the soy milk concentration.
[0053] 4. The granular suspension filled soft tofu prepared in Examples 1-4 showed excellent performance in all evaluation indicators, especially in granule uniformity and suspension stability, which verified the synergistic effect of the present invention in cold coagulation, egg liquid addition and granule suspension.
[0054] This invention provides a method for producing soft tofu with a granular suspension filling process. 1) Cold coagulation breaks through the limitations of traditional hot coagulation; 2) Egg liquid is added to the cold coagulation to prevent egg curd formation; 3) Konjac flour is high-speed chopped and mixed to form a thick suspension, achieving uniform granular suspension. Combined with increasing the soy milk concentration to 12-14°Brix, the resulting tofu has a multi-layered texture that is elastic, resilient, and delicate. When fried, it develops a tiger-skin effect, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with evenly distributed granular materials creating a unique chewy texture. This invention provides a new technological path for the innovation of tofu products. The product is nutritious, has a unique taste, and possesses broad market prospects.
[0055] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0056] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A method for preparing granular suspension-filled soft tofu, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A. Boil soybean milk with a soluble solids content of 12~14°Brix and then cool it to obtain cold soy milk; B. Take the cold batter from step A, add it to the egg liquid and mix well to obtain the cold batter-egg mixture; C. Take the cold slurry from step A and konjac flour, chop and cut it to form a viscous consistency, then mix it with the cold slurry and egg mixture from step B to obtain a thick suspension. D. Add edible particles to the thick suspension from step C, then add a coagulant and mix well. Finally, fill and sterilize to obtain granular suspension filled soft tofu.
2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step A, the temperature of the cold slurry is 5~10℃.
3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step A, the temperature of the boiling slurry is 103~108℃, and the time is 5~8 minutes.
4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step B, the amount of egg liquid added is 10-20% of the weight of the cold paste.
5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step C, the amount of konjac flour added is 0.5 to 2% of the weight of the cold slurry.
6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step C, the mass ratio of the cold paste to the cold paste-egg mixture is (1~2):(8~9).
7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step C, the rotation speed of the chopping and shearing is 3000~5000 r / min, and the chopping time is 2~5 min.
8. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step D, the amount of edible particles added is 3-8% of the weight of the thick suspension, and the edible particles include at least one of flying fish roe, beef, chicken and ham.
9. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step D, the amount of coagulant added is 0.6 to 0.8% of the mass of the thick suspension.
10. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step D, the coagulant is a mixture of magnesium chloride and gypsum, with a weight ratio of magnesium chloride to gypsum of 1:1 to 1:2, and the sterilization temperature is 85~95℃ for 50~60 min.