Production method of unripened cheese sauce

Abstract

To provide a production technology capable of efficiently producing an unripened cheese sauce that highly contains unripened cheese.SOLUTION: An unripened cheese sauce which is a producing object of a production method of the present invention includes a liquid part having fluidity when taken, the liquid part containing unripened cheese more than 10 mass%. The production method of the unripened cheese sauce includes: 1) a first temperature adjustment step of adjusting the temperature of unripened cheese to 0-15°C; 2) a second temperature adjustment step of preparing a base sauce including at least one kind other than the unripened cheese, or an intermediate product thereof, among materials of the liquid part and adjusting the temperature of the base sauce or the intermediate product thereof to 50-80°C; and 3) a mixing and stirring step of mixing the unripened cheese subjected to the first temperature adjustment step and the base sauce or the intermediate product thereof subjected to the second temperature adjustment step and stirring the mixture.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce using a non-ripened cheese as a sauce ingredient. [Background technology]

[0002] Cheese sauce is a sauce that has the flavor and richness of milk that cheese has, as well as the sourness of cheese, and can be enjoyed with a rich taste. Natural cheese and processed cheese are conventionally known as cheeses used in cheese sauces, and are appropriately selected according to the desired flavor. Natural cheese is roughly divided into matured cheese that has undergone a maturing process and non-mature cheese that has not undergone the maturing process. Matured cheese has a very complex flavor due to various components that exhibit aromas and flavors, such as amino acids, amines, and fatty acids, generated during the maturing process, and cheese sauces produced using this cheese can be highly palatable. On the other hand, non-mature cheeses lack the complex flavor of matured cheeses, but have the flavor and richness of raw milk and a refreshing sourness, and cheese sauces produced using this cheese can be easily combined with various foods and can be easy to use.

[0003] Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose methods for producing non-ripened cheese sauce using non-ripened cheese as a sauce ingredient. Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a cream-based sauce (non-aged cheese sauce) containing wheat flour and 0.5 to 10 mass% non-aged cheese, which includes a process for stirring and heating the wheat flour together with milk and fats and oils, thinning with water, and then adding the non-aged cheese while the heated mixture is at a product temperature of 50 to 98°C and heating for about 10 to 40 minutes (

[0020] of Patent Document 1). Patent Document 2 describes a production example of frozen carbonara sauce as an example of frozen sauce containing plant sterols. In this production example, 10 kg of cream cheese (non-aged cheese), 1 kg of Parmigiano Reggiano (aged cheese), and other ingredients are placed in a kettle and heated with stirring to adjust the product temperature of the mixture to 90°C, producing a total of 104 kg of carbonara sauce (non-aged cheese sauce) (

[0050] and

[0051] of Patent Document 2). Patent Document 3 gives an example of the production of a green sauce containing basil, in which butter and wheat flour are added to a pot and fried, and then 6.5 kg of cream cheese (unripened cheese) is added to the pot along with other ingredients and stirred and mixed. The temperature of the mixture is then adjusted to 85°C, after which fresh cream and basil paste are added and the mixture is heated and stirred at a temperature of 80°C for 30 minutes to produce a total of 100 kg of green cream sauce containing basil (unripened cheese sauce) (Patent Document 3,

[0023] ). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 143213 [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-259834 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2008-125394 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The content of unripened cheese in the unripened cheese sauces described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 is 10% by mass or less. There is a demand for unripened cheese sauces with a higher content of unripened cheese and with improved palatability, but no technology that can fully meet such demand has yet been provided.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a production technique capable of efficiently producing a non-ripened cheese sauce having a high content of non-ripened cheese, more specifically, an unripened cheese sauce having a content of more than 10 mass % of unripened cheese. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted various studies on the production technology of a non-aged cheese sauce suitable for use as a pasta sauce, and as a result, it has been confirmed that when the content of non-aged cheese in the liquid part (the part that has fluidity when eaten) of a non-aged cheese sauce exceeds 10% by mass, there is a high probability of foaming occurring during the stirring operation of the liquid part. This foaming problem during sauce production is a problem specific to non-aged cheese sauces that contain a high amount of non-aged cheese, and it is presumed that the cause is that non-aged cheese has relatively little microbial fermentation and contains relatively large amounts of high molecular weight proteins and lipids. If foaming occurs during sauce production, the foamy parts of the sauce may become overheated and eventually dry out, which may result in the flavor of the sauce being impaired. In addition, if foaming occurs during sauce production, the operability during sauce production may be greatly reduced, and the sauce may become difficult to see due to the foam, which may reduce production efficiency.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and is a method for producing a non-aged cheese sauce which contains a liquid portion that has fluidity when eaten, and in which the content of non-aged cheese in the liquid portion exceeds 10% by mass, the method comprising: a first temperature adjustment step of adjusting the product temperature of the non-aged cheese to a product temperature of 0 to 15°C; a second temperature adjustment step of preparing a base sauce or an intermediate product thereof which contains at least one kind of ingredient of the liquid portion other than non-aged cheese, and adjusting the product temperature of the base sauce or the intermediate product thereof to a product temperature of 50 to 80°C; and a mixing and stirring step of mixing and stirring the non-aged cheese that has been subjected to the first temperature adjustment step and the base sauce or the intermediate product thereof that has been subjected to the second temperature adjustment step. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently produce an unripened cheese sauce which contains a high amount of unripened cheese, has the flavor and richness of dairy ingredients, and has a refreshing acidity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The non-ripened cheese sauce (hereinafter also simply referred to as "non-ripened cheese sauce") which is the object of the manufacturing method of the present invention, contains a liquid portion that has fluidity when eaten, and the non-ripened cheese content in the liquid portion is more than 10% by mass. The liquid portion is a liquid food product containing unripened cheese in a dissolved or emulsified dispersed state, and typically contains unripened cheese and a base sauce. Since the ambient temperature when eating a non-ripened cheese sauce is usually 20 to 30° C., it is preferable that the liquid portion has fluidity when the ambient temperature is in this range.

[0011] The non-ripened cheese used in the present invention is natural cheese. Generally, natural cheese is made by removing whey from curds formed by adding rennet to raw milk and coagulating the curds, and is roughly classified into ripened cheeses produced by ripening the curds and non-ripened cheeses produced without or with little or no ripening process. In the present invention, various types of unripened cheese can be used regardless of the type. Examples of unripened cheese that can be preferably used in the present invention include cream cheese, mascarpone, mozzarella, fromage plain, cottage cheese, ricotta, feta, brinquen, banon, brocquer, and quark, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0012] The content of the non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion of the non-ripened cheese is more than 10% by mass based on the total mass (wet weight) of the liquid portion. If the content of the non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion is 10% by mass or less, the above-mentioned problem of foaming during sauce production is unlikely to occur, but the cheese flavor of the non-ripened cheese sauce may be insufficient. Although there is no particular upper limit for the content of non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion, if the content is too high, depending on the type of non-ripened cheese, the viscosity of the liquid portion may become too high, and as a result, depending on the production conditions, it may become difficult to suppress foaming. Considering this point, the content of non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion is preferably 30% by mass or less based on the total mass (wet weight) of the liquid portion. The content of the non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion is preferably more than 10% by mass and not more than 30% by mass, more preferably 11% by mass or more and not more than 30% by mass, and even more preferably 12% by mass or more and not more than 20% by mass. In particular, when a preferred non-ripened cheese such as the cream cheese is used, the content in the liquid portion is set within such a preferred range.

[0013] The base sauce contained in the liquid portion is not particularly limited as long as it can contain unripened cheese, and examples thereof include bechamel sauce, cream sauce, white sauce, carbonara sauce, tomato sauce, and curry sauce.

[0014] Examples of ingredients other than cheese in the liquid portion, i.e., ingredients of the base sauce, include aqueous liquids such as clear water; fats and oils such as liquid oils and solid fats; animal and vegetable ingredients such as powdered vegetables, vegetable puree, liver paste, etc.; flours such as wheat flour and rice flour; starches such as corn starch and tapioca starch and modified starches thereof; sugars; eggs; milk products; seasonings such as liquid seasonings and solid seasonings; flavorings; spices; thickeners; salts; and amino acids. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of ingredients other than cheese in the liquid portion, i.e., the content of the base sauce in the liquid portion, is less than 90% by mass, preferably 70 to 89% by mass, and more preferably 80 to 88% by mass, relative to the total mass (wet weight) of the liquid portion.

[0015] The non-aged cheese sauce may contain only the liquid portion, or may contain a solid portion in addition to the liquid portion. The solid portion is a solid food that does not have fluidity when eaten, such as a solid ingredient or a topping material that is smaller in size than the solid ingredient. When a non-ripened cheese sauce contains non-ripened cheese as the solid portion, the non-ripened cheese as the solid portion is not non-ripened cheese contained in the liquid portion at more than 10% by mass. In other words, even if a non-ripened cheese sauce contains non-ripened cheese as the solid portion at more than 10% by mass relative to the total mass of the sauce, this does not by itself satisfy the condition that "the content of non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion is more than 10% by mass."

[0016] Examples of the solid portion include meat such as beef, pork, and chicken; seafood such as Spanish mackerel, squid, and octopus; vegetables such as carrots and potatoes; and mushrooms such as shimeji mushrooms and mushrooms. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The mass ratio of the liquid portion to the solid portion in the non-aged cheese sauce may be appropriately adjusted depending on the type of base sauce, the circumstances under which the non-aged cheese sauce is provided, etc., and is not particularly limited, but is preferably 100:10 to 200 in terms of liquid portion:solid portion (solid ingredients).

[0017] The non-ripened cheese sauces provided by the present invention include "sauces" that are poured over other food ingredients, such as pasta sauces and dip sauces, and "soups" that are intended to be eaten by themselves. The non-ripened cheese sauce provided by the present invention can be applied to foods such as stew, hamburger steak, spaghetti, gratin, etc. The non-ripened cheese sauce provided by the present invention is particularly useful as a pasta sauce. The non-ripened cheese sauce provided by the present invention can be eaten as is after production, or can be sealed and sterilized after production, or refrigerated or frozen to a low temperature and then stored. The non-ripened cheese sauce provided by the present invention can be eaten in a flavorful state even if it is reheated in a heating cooker such as a microwave oven after freezing.

[0018] The method for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the "production method of the present invention") comprises at least the following steps 1 to 3. The production method of the present invention is characterized in that the product temperatures of the non-ripened cheese and base sauce are adjusted to the specific ranges described below before mixing and stirring the two by carrying out the following steps 1 and 2 before the following step 3. Step 1: Adjust the temperature of the non-ripened cheese to 0-15°C (first temperature adjustment step). Step 2: A base sauce or an intermediate product thereof containing at least one ingredient other than unripened cheese among the ingredients of the liquid portion is prepared, and the temperature of the base sauce or the intermediate product thereof is adjusted to 50 to 80°C (second temperature adjustment step). Step 3: The non-ripened cheese that has been subjected to the first temperature adjustment step and the base sauce or an intermediate product thereof that has been subjected to the second temperature adjustment step are mixed and stirred (mixing and stirring step).

[0019] If the product temperature of the non-ripened cheese adjusted in step 1 is below 0°C, the non-ripened cheese will freeze and the emulsion structure will be destroyed, which may cause solid-liquid separation in the non-ripened cheese sauce using the non-ripened cheese. If the product temperature of the non-ripened cheese adjusted in step 1 exceeds 15°C, the foaming described above in step 3 may be more likely to occur. The product temperature of the non-ripened cheese adjusted in step 1 is preferably 1 to 12°C, more preferably 2 to 9°C.

[0020] The base sauce prepared in the step 2 is as described above. The base sauce prepared in the step 2 can be produced according to a conventional method. In step 2, an intermediate product may be prepared instead of the base sauce. The term "intermediate product of base sauce" used here refers to a product that is produced in an intermediate process of the production of base sauce and becomes the final product, base sauce, by going through a subsequent production process. When an intermediate product of base sauce is prepared in step 2, for example, a raw material of the base sauce that is not included in the intermediate product may be mixed in the next step, step 3.

[0021] If the product temperature of the base sauce or an intermediate product thereof adjusted in the step 2 is lower than 50°C or higher than 80°C, the foaming described above may easily occur in the step 3. The product temperature of the base sauce or an intermediate product thereof adjusted in the step 2 is preferably 55 to 76°C, more preferably 58 to 72°C.

[0022] In step 3, the method for stirring the mixture of the non-ripened cheese and the base sauce or an intermediate thereof is not particularly limited, and any known stirring method available for food production can be used without particular limitation. However, from the viewpoint of further improving the dispersibility of the non-ripened cheese in the base sauce or an intermediate thereof while maintaining the product temperature of the non-ripened cheese adjusted in step 1, a stirring method using a blender, mixer, whipper or homogenizer is preferred.

[0023] The non-ripened cheese to be mixed with the base sauce or an intermediate thereof in step 3 preferably has a maximum diameter length of 0.3 to 20 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 12 mm. This makes it possible to further improve the dispersibility of the non-ripened cheese in the base sauce or an intermediate thereof while maintaining the product temperature of the non-ripened cheese adjusted in step 1. The "diameter" referred to here refers to the maximum diameter when the unripened cheese is observed from any direction. For example, if the shape of the unripened cheese sauce is a sphere, the maximum diameter is the diameter of the sphere. For example, if the shape of the unripened cheese sauce is a rectangular parallelepiped or cube, the maximum diameter is the length of the longest diagonal line connecting one corner and the other corner of a pair of opposing faces of the rectangular parallelepiped or cube. An example of a method for adjusting the maximum diameter length of the non-ripened cheese to be mixed with the base sauce or an intermediate product thereof in step 3 to fall within the above-mentioned preferred range is a method of cutting out small pieces of cheese having a maximum diameter length within the above-mentioned preferred range from non-ripened cheese in a low-temperature state where the product temperature is about 0° C. (preferably −5 to 5° C.) An example of a method for cutting out the small pieces of cheese is a method of grating the non-ripened cheese in a low-temperature state with a grater.

[0024] In addition, the smaller the maximum diameter of the non-ripened cheese is within the above-mentioned preferred range, the more the non-ripened cheese disperses in the base sauce or its intermediate product, and the shorter the time required for carrying out the above-mentioned step 3 can be achieved. However, such small-sized non-ripened cheeses tend to lose flavor in the air, so it is preferable to shorten the time that the non-ripened cheese is exposed to the air, especially when using small-sized non-ripened cheeses. For example, when non-ripened cheeses with a product temperature adjusted to 0 to 15°C are stored in an environment (e.g., a refrigerator or a freezer) where the product temperature can be maintained, it is preferable to shorten the time from when the non-ripened cheese is taken out of the environment to when it is mixed with the liquid base sauce or its intermediate product. Specifically, for example, in the above-mentioned "method of grating non-ripened cheese at a low temperature with a grater", it is preferable to quickly carry out a series of processes from grating the non-ripened cheese at a low temperature with a grater to mixing with the base sauce or its intermediate product, preferably within 60 minutes, more preferably within 30 minutes.

[0025] The production method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with a general sauce production method, provided that the above steps 1 to 3 are carried out. A specific example of the manufacturing method of the present invention is a method in which an intermediate product of a base sauce is prepared, mixed and stirred with unripened cheese, and then ingredients of the base sauce that are not contained in the intermediate product are added to the mixture and stirred (hereinafter also referred to as "manufacturing method A"). Production method A is carried out, for example, as follows: Wheat flour is gently stirred and heated together with milk and / or fats and oils so as not to form lumps, the mixture is diluted with water to obtain an intermediate product of a base sauce, the intermediate product is adjusted to a temperature of 50 to 80°C, and in that state, the intermediate product is mixed with non-ripened cheese whose temperature has been adjusted to 0 to 15°C in advance, and heated with stirring for about 10 to 40 minutes, after which the ingredients of the base sauce not contained in the intermediate product are added, and the entire mixture is heated and stirred. In production method A, when the non-ripened cheese sauce to be produced contains the solid portion in addition to the liquid portion, the raw materials for the solid portion (e.g., solid ingredients) may be added at the same time as the raw materials for the base sauce that are not contained in the intermediate product are added.

[0026] Another specific example of the production method of the present invention includes a method in which a finished base sauce is prepared, and this is mixed with unripened cheese and stirred (hereinafter, also referred to as "production method B"). Production method B is carried out, for example, as follows, when the base sauce is white sauce. That is, solid ingredients such as onion and beef are fried, bouillon is added and boiled, a specified amount of commercially available white sauce roux is added and dissolved while heating, and the taste is adjusted with seasonings to prepare a white sauce (base sauce). With the product temperature of the white sauce adjusted to 50 to 80°C, the white sauce is mixed with non-aged cheese whose product temperature has been adjusted to 0 to 15°C in advance, and heated for about 3 to 20 minutes with stirring. When a base sauce other than white sauce (e.g., tomato sauce, curry sauce) is used, the same process can be carried out as above. In production method B, when the non-ripened cheese sauce to be produced contains the solid portion in addition to the liquid portion, the raw materials for the solid portion (e.g., solid ingredients) may be further mixed at the same time that the base sauce and the non-ripened cheese are mixed. EXAMPLES

[0027] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0028] [Examples 1 to 26 and Comparative Examples 1 to 8: Production of Non-Matured Cheese Sauces] A non-ripened cheese sauce was produced by the above-mentioned production method B. Specifically, a finished tomato sauce was prepared as a base sauce, and this was mixed with non-ripened cheese and stirred to produce a non-ripened cheese sauce. The tomato sauce (base sauce) was prepared as follows. First, olive oil and grated garlic were placed in a pot and heated until they were fragrant. Fresh water and solid bouillon were added to the heated mixture, and when it was boiling, tomato puree and tomato paste were added. The mixture was heated for 40 minutes while adjusting the heat so as not to boil, and salt and pepper were added to taste to prepare the tomato sauce. The prepared tomato sauce was left at room temperature for a predetermined time immediately after preparation (immediately after heating), and was heated as necessary to adjust the product temperature to a predetermined temperature (see the column "Product temperature of base sauce before mixing (°C)" in Tables 1 to 4 below). Separately, mascarpone cheese was used as a non-ripened cheese and stored in a refrigerator or freezer to adjust the product temperature of the non-ripened cheese to a specified product temperature (see the column "Product temperature of non-ripened cheese before mixing (°C)" in Tables 1 to 4 below). Then, the non-ripened cheese was grated into powder using a grater while maintaining its product temperature, and the powdered non-ripened cheese was added to a tomato sauce whose product temperature had been adjusted to a predetermined range, and the tomato sauce was stirred for 3 minutes using a hand mixer while maintaining the product temperature of the tomato sauce, dispersing the non-ripened cheese throughout the tomato sauce (mixing and stirring process). The maximum diameter of the powdered non-ripened cheese was 0.5 mm on average. Thus, the desired non-ripened cheese sauce was produced.

[0029] [Test Example] During the production of the non-ripened cheese sauce in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the foaming state in the mixture of tomato sauce and non-ripened cheese in the mixing and stirring step was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. Specifically, 10 trained panelists each produced a non-ripened cheese sauce by the above method, visually observed the foaming state of the mixture, and evaluated it according to the following evaluation criteria. The average evaluation scores of the 10 panelists are shown in Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0030] <Evaluation criteria for foaming state> 5 points: No foaming at all, very good. 4 points: Foaming occurs, but it disappears within 1 minute, good condition. 3 points: Some foam remains on the surface of the sauce but is not at a problem level. 2 points: Foam that does not disappear remains on the entire surface of the sauce, and the thickness of the foam is less than 5 mm, poor quality. 1 point: Foam that does not disappear remains on the entire surface of the sauce, and the thickness of the foam is 5 mm or more, which is very poor.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] As shown in Table 1, in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the content of unripe cheese in the liquid portion of the unripe cheese sauce exceeds 10% by mass, which raises concerns about foaming during the stirring operation of the liquid portion. However, in each of the Examples, the product temperature of the unripe cheese before mixing was 0 to 15°C, which resulted in a superior foaming inhibition effect compared to each of the Comparative Examples which did not meet this requirement.

[0033] [Table 2]

[0034] As shown in Table 2, in each Example, the product temperature of the base sauce before mixing was 50 to 80° C., and therefore, compared with each Comparative Example which did not satisfy this condition, the foaming suppression effect was superior.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples in Table 3, the product temperature of the unripened cheese before mixing was higher than in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples in Table 2, and as a result, the foaming inhibition effect was inferior to that of each of the Examples and Comparative Examples in Table 2. This shows that when the product temperature of the unripened cheese before mixing is high, foaming is more likely to occur in the mixing and stirring process.

[0037] [Table 4]

[0038] In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples in Table 4, the content of unripened cheese in the liquid portion of the unripened cheese sauce, which is the product to be produced, is greater than in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples in Table 2, and therefore a greater amount of unripened cheese is used in the production of the unripened cheese sauce, resulting in an inferior foaming inhibition effect compared to each of the Examples and Comparative Examples in Table 2. This shows that when a greater amount of unripened cheese is used in the production of the unripened cheese sauce, foaming is more likely to occur in the mixing and stirring step.

Claims

1. A method for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce, comprising: a liquid portion having flowability when eaten; and a content of non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion being more than 10% by mass, A first temperature control step of controlling the product temperature of the non-ripened cheese to 0 to 15°C; A second temperature control step of preparing a base sauce or an intermediate product thereof containing at least one type of raw material other than non-ripened cheese among the raw materials of the liquid portion, and adjusting the product temperature of the base sauce or the intermediate product thereof to 50 to 80 ° C.; a mixing and stirring step of mixing and stirring the non-ripened cheese that has been subjected to the first temperature adjustment step and the base sauce or an intermediate product thereof that has been subjected to the second temperature adjustment step; The method for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce comprising the steps of:

2. The non-ripened cheese is one or more selected from cream cheese, mascarpone, mozzarella, fromage plan, cottage cheese, ricotta, feta, brussels malt, banon, brocquer and quark; The method for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce according to claim 1, wherein the content of the non-ripened cheese in the liquid portion is more than 10% by mass and not more than 30% by mass.

3. 3. The method for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the mixing and stirring step, the mixture of the non-ripened cheese and the base sauce or an intermediate product thereof is stirred using a blender, a mixer, a whipper or a homogenizer.

4. The method for producing a non-ripened cheese sauce according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-ripened cheese sauce is a pasta sauce.