Restoration method of dry food

Abstract

To efficiently restore dry food taking a long time to be restored such as Chinese bamboo shoot with a good yield without giving an affection to the texture.SOLUTION: A restoration method of dry food including restoring by soaking dry food in a solution a plurality of times is such that: the dry food is dry fermented food; and the pH of a solution in which the dry fermented food is soaked is kept to 6 or more at initial soaking. The restoration method is effective especially when the fermented food is Chinese bamboo shoot.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for reconstituting dried foods, and more particularly to a method for reconstituting dried foods with good yield. [Background technology]

[0002] Dried foods are not affected by temperature or humidity and can preserve food for long periods, so it is said that they have been around since the Jomon period. There are many different types of dried foods. Some examples include dried gourd, shiitake mushrooms, dried persimmons, frozen tofu, seafood such as bonito flakes and dried shrimp, meat such as jerky, and seaweed such as kelp. Some of these dried foods can be eaten as is, while others need to be rehydrated in water before eating.

[0003] Most of the bamboo shoots currently served in Japan are imported in a dried state from China and other countries. Here, bamboo shoots are a fermented food made from hemp bamboo and are used as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine. The bamboo shoots are first cut to an appropriate size and then boiled. The boiled hemp bamboo is then packed into a bamboo basket, sealed, and left to ferment naturally for about a month. Finally, the naturally fermented hemp bamboo is cut into bite-sized pieces to obtain the bamboo shoots. The naturally fermented bamboo is then cut to a specified length and dried in the sun, etc. to obtain dried bamboo shoots (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Dried menma is a food ingredient that is suitable for long-term storage. The first reason for this is that menma itself is a fermented food. The pH of menma drops during the fermentation process, eventually becoming highly acidic at pH 4 or less. As a result, it becomes almost germ-free at the end of fermentation. Secondly, dried menma has a low water content, making it even more difficult for bacteria to grow. As such, dried menma is suitable for long-term storage.

[0005] When using dried menma in cooking, it must be rehydrated. Specifically, dried menma does not rehydrate in a single soak, so it must be soaked in water for long periods of time multiple times. Sometimes a boiling process may also be used. In this way, by soaking it in water multiple times, it is gradually restored from its dried state. Furthermore, when it is used as a topping for ramen or the like, a final process of seasoning with condiments may be added after rehydration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] : JP 2022-042155 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When rehydrating dried menma, there is a problem that it takes a long time. It takes at least two days to rehydrate dried menma. Taking into account yield and seasoning, it takes at least three days. Therefore, an efficient method of rehydrating dried menma that is quick and has a good yield is desired.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to efficiently reconstitute dried foods that take a long time to reconstitute, such as dried bamboo shoots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into whether it is possible to improve the efficiency of reconstitution, focusing on the water used for reconstitution. They have discovered that by maintaining the pH of the aqueous solution in which the dried food is soaked at a near-neutral value during the first soaking, the yield is good even without subsequent pH adjustment, and reconstitution can be completed in a shorter time, leading to the completion of the present invention.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for restoring a dried food by immersing it in a solution multiple times, wherein the dried food is a dried fermented food, and the pH of the initial solution is maintained at pH 6 or higher while the dried fermented food is soaked in the solution.

[0011] According to this configuration, it is believed that the water absorption rate can be increased in the subsequent process by maintaining the pH of the initial solution in which the dried fermented food is soaked at 6 or more. This can improve the yield and increase efficiency. Here, the dried food described in the claims refers to a food that has been dried after removing moisture and needs to be reconstituted when eaten. Also, the soaking described in the claims is sufficient as long as the food is soaked in a solution, and is a concept that includes boiling, in which the food is heated while soaked in a solution.

[0012] In the above configuration, the fermented food is preferably menma.

[0013] According to this configuration, the reconstitution of bamboo shoots, which has a low yield, can be made more efficient. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the yield rate of the reconstitution of dried foods can be significantly improved. This can reduce the time required to achieve the same yield rate as in the past, making the reconstitution more efficient. Furthermore, when the reconstitution time is the same as in the past, the yield rate can be increased, improving productivity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A preferred embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described below. Note that the embodiment described below is an example of a typical embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted narrowly by this embodiment.

[0016] Examples of dried foods according to this embodiment include vegetables such as dried gourd, kiriboshi daikon, kikurage, dried shiitake mushroom, dried shimeji mushroom, mountain jellyfish, osmanthus, bamboo shoots, and beans (including dried natto), wild plants, mushrooms, marine products such as shark fin, dried abalone, dried sea cucumber, dried herring roe, dried shrimp, ray fin, seaweed, agar, hijiki, kelp, and wakame seaweed, wheat gluten, dried noodles, and dried rice. Among these, dried fermented foods are preferred.

[0017] Conventional drying methods can be used when producing dried foods. For example, hot air drying, freeze drying, spray drying, blowing drying, far-infrared heating drying, dehumidified air drying, sun drying, natural drying, vacuum reduced pressure drying, indirect heating drying, microwave heating drying, solar heat drying, frying drying, adsorption drying, swelling drying, heated steam drying, etc. can be used. These methods can be used alone or in combination.

[0018] (How to restore) The method for reconstituting dried food according to the present embodiment is characterized in that the step of soaking the dried food in a solution is carried out multiple times. The solution used for soaking may be low temperature or high temperature. In addition, it is not necessary to leave the food stationary during soaking, and it may be appropriately stirred. Furthermore, the steps other than the first soaking described below may be boiled with heating.

[0019] <First dip> This embodiment is characterized in that the pH of the solution in which the dried food is immersed during the initial immersion is at least 6. If the pH is less than 6, no effect will be observed.

[0020] The solution used for the first immersion can be adjusted by adding an alkaline agent. As the alkaline agent, at least one of sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, trisodium citrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, and sodium pyrophosphate, or a combination thereof can be used. Among these, it is preferable to use sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.

[0021] The amount of solution used for soaking is preferably at least 10 times the weight of the dried food. The temperature of the solution when reconstituting the food should be room temperature or low, and hot water or heating should not be used. If hot water or heating is used, the fiber in the food will be hydrolyzed more than necessary, and the final product will lose its chewiness.

[0022] The immersion time in the first solution is preferably 4 hours or more, more preferably 6 hours or more, and even more preferably 8 hours or more. On the other hand, since there is no difference in effect even if the sample is immersed for 24 hours or more, it is preferable to immerse the sample in a new solution rather than immersing the sample for 24 hours or more.

[0023] It is also preferable to stir the solution appropriately during soaking, as this can eliminate differences in pH concentration within the solution and reduce variation in the reconstitution of the dried food.

[0024] <Second and subsequent immersions> In this embodiment, the second and subsequent immersions are characterized in that the pH is not adjusted using an alkaline preparation as in the first immersion. The solution used in the second and subsequent immersions is preferably water. The amount of solution used in the second and subsequent immersions is preferably 10 times or more the weight of the initial dried food. The temperature of the solution used in the rehydration is not particularly limited, and hot water or heating may be used. In particular, the time required for rehydration can be shortened by heating the rehydration.

[0025] An example of the boiling conditions is heating at a temperature of 85° C. or higher for 120 to 180 minutes.

[0026] The immersion time in the solution from the second time onwards is preferably 2 hours or more, more preferably 4 hours or more, and even more preferably 6 hours or more. On the other hand, since there is no difference in effect even if the solution is immersed for 12 hours or more, it is preferable to immerse the sample in a new solution rather than immersing the sample for 12 hours or more. In addition, it is preferable to appropriately stir the sample during immersion.

[0027] In this embodiment, it is preferable to replace the solution several times. However, if the solution is poured over, it is not necessary to replace the solution. If the solution is poured over, it is preferable to immerse the substrate in the solution for 6 hours or more.

[0028] <Seasoning> To make seasoned menma, seasoning is added at the end. This can be done using existing methods. For example, a seasoning liquid made by mixing seasonings such as sugar, soy sauce, and sake is added to the rehydrated menma and then cooked. EXAMPLES

[0029] The present invention will be described in more detail below, but is not limited thereto. Here, the present invention will be described using dried bamboo shoots as an example.

[0030] (Test Example 1) 50g of dried menma (produced in China) was added with 10 times the amount of water. The water temperature was 25°C. Sodium bicarbonate was then added so that the concentration was 1.0%. After stirring to dissolve the sodium carbonate, the mixture was left to stand for 16 hours (first soaking). Next, the soaking water was discarded, and the mixture was boiled at 98°C for 2 hours (first boiling) using water 30 times the amount of the dried menma. The water after boiling was discarded, and the mixture was boiled again at 98°C for 2 hours (secondary boiling) using water 30 times the amount of the dried menma.

[0031] (Test Example 2) The procedure was the same as Test Example 1, except that 3.0% sodium pyrophosphate was added instead of sodium bicarbonate.

[0032] (Test Example 3) The procedure was the same as Test Example 1, except that 3.0% sodium tripolyphosphate was added instead of sodium bicarbonate.

[0033] (Test Example 4) The procedure was the same as Test Example 1, except that 1.0% sodium carbonate was added instead of sodium bicarbonate.

[0034] (Test Example 5) The same as Test Example 1, except that no alkaline agent was added.

[0035] (Test Example 6) The procedure was the same as Test Example 1, except that 1.0% sodium tripolyphosphate was added instead of sodium bicarbonate.

[0036] (pH Measurement) The pH of the solution was measured at three points: during the initial immersion, after the first boil, and after the second boil.

[0037] (Yield) In this embodiment, the yield refers to the ratio of the weight of the menma that is hydrated by water rehydration to the weight of the dried menma. In other words, it means how many times the weight has increased. In this example, the menma was drained after the first soaking, the first boiling, and the second boiling, and the weight was measured. After the weight measurement, the yield was calculated.

[0038] The pH results for each test example are shown in Table 1, and the yield results are shown in Table 2.

[0039] [Table 1]

[0040] [Table 2]

[0041] As is clear from Table 1, in Test Examples 1 to 4, in which the pH of the solution at the time of the first immersion was maintained at 6 or more, the pH was maintained approximately neutral thereafter. On the other hand, among the Test Examples in which the pH of the solution at the time of the first immersion was less than 6, Test Example 5 did not become neutral until the end. As for Test Example 6, it eventually became approximately neutral, but it was found to be acidic even after the first boiling.

[0042] Next, looking at Table 2, no change was observed in the yield after the first immersion in any of the test examples. However, in test examples 1 to 4, the yield increased after the first boiling, and the yield after the second boiling was more than 10 times higher. In contrast, in test examples 5 and 6, the yield after the first boiling was less than 5 times higher, and the yield after the second boiling did not reach 9 times higher. From these results, it became clear that maintaining the pH of the solution at 6 or higher during the first immersion has an effect on the yield after the second boiling.

[0043] (texture) Next, the texture of the reconstituted bamboo shoots according to this embodiment was examined. The texture was evaluated by comparing Test Examples 1 to 6 and Test Examples 7 and 8 described below with a commercially available product (the bamboo shoots included in "Frozen Commercial Char Siu Ramen (4 servings)" manufactured by Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd.). The evaluation criteria were as follows:

[0044] 〇: Same or better texture than commercial products △: It is possible to eat it, but it is harder than commercial products. ×: Less chewy than commercial products, or too hard, not suitable for use as a product

[0045] (Test Example 7) The procedure was the same as Test Example 1, except that in the first immersion step, the material was boiled for 2 hours using a 1% aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate instead of being left to stand for 16 hours.

[0046] (Test Example 8) Test Example 1 was the same as Test Example 1, except that the primary boiling was carried out using a 1% aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution.

[0047] The texture results are shown in Table 3.

[0048] [Table 3]

[0049] As shown in Table 3, the texture of Test Examples 1 to 4 was comparable to that of the conventional rehydration method. Test Examples 5 and 6 were rehydrated to a certain extent and were edible, but it seemed that more rehydration was necessary. In addition, when the rehydrated bamboo shoots of Test Examples 1 to 8 were pinched with fingers and crushed, they did not break with moderate resilience in Test Examples 1 to 6. On the other hand, in Test Examples 7 and 8, the rehydrated bamboo shoots were soft and had no chewiness at all. In addition, when the bamboo shoots of Test Examples 7 and 8 were pinched with fingers and crushed, they were easily crushed without resistance. These results suggest that the texture is significantly deteriorated when the bamboo shoots are rehydrated by boiling in an aqueous solution containing an alkaline agent.

[0050] As explained above, according to the present invention, by maintaining the pH of the solution in which the dried fermented food is soaked at 6 or more during the first soaking, it has become clear that the subsequent yield is greatly improved and the chewiness is comparable to that of the conventional product. This allows efficient restoration, thereby improving productivity.

Claims

1. A method for reconstituting a dried food by multiple immersion in a solution, comprising the steps of: The dried food is a dried fermented food, This method for reconstituting a dried food is characterized in that the pH of the solution in which the dried fermented food is soaked is maintained at 6 or higher during the initial soaking.

2. 2. The method for reconstituting a dried food according to claim 1, wherein the fermented food is bamboo shoots.

3. 3. Menma reconstituted by the reconstitution method according to claim 2.

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