Production method of frozen noodle

Abstract

To reduce a load on a freezer and improve productivity while retaining a flavor and texture quality of noodles after cooking with respect to a production method of frozen noodles by freezing boiled noodles immediately after boiling.SOLUTION: A production method of frozen noodles by freezing boiled noodles immediately after boiling includes: making boiled noodles with moisture less than moisture of noodles after cooking by boiling raw noodles or dry noodles produced by a conventional method; filling a freezing container with the boiled noodles together with water-containing ice mass; and starting freezing treatment within 120 seconds after the end of boiling. The production method can reduce a load on a freezer and improve productivity while retaining a flavor and texture quality of noodles after cooking. As the frozen noodles, Chinese noodles having a strong flavor peculiar to noodles such as alkaline smell are especially effective.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing frozen noodles. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for immediately freezing freshly boiled noodles have been disclosed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, while it would be preferable to be able to immediately freeze freshly boiled noodles, in the case of continuous mechanical production, a large amount of very hot noodles must be continuously fed into the freezer, which places a large load on the freezer. Furthermore, in mechanical production, it takes a considerable amount of time from boiling to the start of freezing, and there are issues such as the noodle strings not easily loosening over time due to the surface of the noodles drying out due to evaporation and elution from the surface of the noodle strings.

[0003] Therefore, in general, in the manufacturing method of frozen noodles that are continuously produced mechanically, water washing and cooling are performed to lower the temperature of the boiled noodles, thereby reducing the burden on the freezing machine. However, when water washing and cooling are performed, the components on the surface of the noodles are washed away, and therefore in frozen noodles such as Chinese noodles and pasta, not only does the rich flavor that is present immediately after boiling raw noodles decrease, but the noodles are cooled rapidly and become firm, resulting in a texture that is different from the texture of raw noodles or dried noodles immediately after boiling.

[0004] In order to solve these problems, the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a method for manufacturing frozen noodles in which freezing begins within 120 seconds after water is applied to the surface of boiled noodles, without cooling the boiled noodles with cold air or by rinsing. However, although the method in Patent Document 3 is an excellent method, compared to cold air cooling or water rinsing cooling, the boiled noodles enter the freezer at a higher temperature, which creates problems such as the need to slow down the production speed to ensure the capacity of the freezer, or to stop production to remove the frost that has formed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-66066 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-16295 A [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6357175 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention aims to reduce the burden on a freezing machine and improve productivity while maintaining the quality of flavor and texture of cooked noodles in a method for producing frozen noodles in which boiled noodles are quickly frozen after being boiled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventors attempted to produce frozen noodles using the invention described in Patent Document 3, but faced the above problems and conducted extensive research into methods for improving productivity. As a result, they discovered a method for reducing the burden on the freezing machine and improving productivity while maintaining the quality of the flavor and texture of the noodles after cooking, which led to the present invention.

[0008] That is, this method for producing frozen noodles includes the steps of: boiling fresh or dried noodles produced by a conventional method to produce boiled noodles with a lower water content than the noodles after cooking; adhering water to the surface of the boiled noodles by sprinkling or immersing them in water; filling a freezing container with the boiled noodles with the water adhering to their surfaces and ice blocks containing frozen water; and freezing the boiled noodles, wherein the method for producing frozen noodles is characterized in that the freezing process is started within 120 seconds after the end of the boiling process.

[0009] Furthermore, the temperature of the boiled noodles when packed into the freezing container according to the present invention is preferably 30 to 60°C.

[0010] Furthermore, the weight of the ice blocks according to the present invention is preferably 10 to 50% by weight based on the total weight of the frozen noodles including the ice blocks and the noodles.

[0011] Furthermore, the amount of water contained in the ice block according to the present invention is preferably 5 to 40% by weight relative to the weight of the cooked frozen noodles.

[0012] Furthermore, the frozen noodles according to the present invention are preferably Chinese noodles.

[0013] Furthermore, the frozen noodles according to the present invention are preferably for cooking in a microwave oven. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, in a method for producing frozen noodles in which boiled noodles are quickly frozen after boiling, it is possible to reduce the burden on the freezing machine and improve productivity while maintaining the quality of the flavor and texture of the cooked noodles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the process from the end of boiling to freezing according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for measuring the temperature of boiled noodles before freezing treatment in an experiment of an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The present invention will be described in detail below, although the present invention is not limited to the following description. The type of frozen noodles produced in the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be any type generally known in the art, such as Chinese noodles, udon, soba, and pasta.

[0017] 1. Raw material blend For the frozen noodles of the present invention, normal noodle raw materials can be used. That is, as the raw material flour, cereal flours such as wheat flour (including durum flour), buckwheat flour, barley flour, and rice flour, as well as various starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, and corn starch, can be used alone or in combination. As the starch, raw starch, pregelatinized starch, acetylated starch, etherified starch, crosslinked starch, and other processed starches can also be used. To these raw material flours, salts and alkali agents, various thickeners, noodle quality improvers, edible oils and fats, various pigments such as carotene pigments, and the like that are generally used in the production of noodles can be added. These may be added in powder form together with the raw material flour, or may be added dissolved or suspended in the kneading water.

[0018] 2. Noodle making process The above ingredients are kneaded to produce noodle dough. More specifically, auxiliary ingredient flours such as noodle quality improvers are added to a main ingredient flour such as wheat flour or starch and mixed together, and then kneading water in which auxiliary ingredients such as salt and an alkaline agent have been dissolved in water is added, and the dough is produced by kneading the ingredients thoroughly so that they are mixed uniformly using a mixer. At this time, mixing may be carried out under reduced pressure using a vacuum mixer or the like.

[0019] Next, noodle strands are produced from the dough produced in the kneading step. The production method may be a conventional method, and examples of the method include a method in which dough is extruded using an extruder or the like to produce noodle strands, and a method in which dough is formed into a noodle band by compounding or the like, and then rolled multiple times with a roll to a predetermined noodle band thickness, and the noodle band is then cut out with a cutting roll or knife cutter, which is called a cutting blade, to produce noodle strands. In this case, the noodle band may be produced using an extruder, and then rolled and cut out, or multiple noodle bands may be combined to produce a noodle band having a multi-layer structure, and then rolled and cut out. When an extruder or the like is used to produce an extruded noodle band or extruded noodle strands, it is preferable to carry out the process under reduced pressure. Next, the produced noodle strands are cut to an appropriate length to produce raw noodles.

[0020] In addition, in the present invention, not only fresh noodles but also commercially available dried noodles such as pasta, udon, soba, and Chinese noodles can be used.

[0021] 3. Boiling process The prepared raw or dried noodles are then packed into a bucket and boiled to produce boiled noodles. The preferred boiling temperature and time vary depending on the type and thickness of the noodles, so a preferred temperature may be set appropriately according to the desired texture. The boiling temperature is preferably around 90 to 100°C.

[0022] In the present invention, the boiled noodles are not boiled until the optimum moisture content for eating is reached, but rather the boiling time is shortened and the moisture content is reduced. By reducing the moisture content, the temperature of the noodles is more likely to drop in the water attachment step described below, lowering the temperature before the start of freezing and suppressing the generation of steam from the boiled noodles, as well as reducing the weight of the boiled noodles to be frozen and the load on the freezing machine. In addition, by transferring the reduced moisture to ice blocks described below, the moisture transfers from the ice blocks to the noodle strings during cooking in a microwave oven or the like, allowing the optimum moisture content to be achieved when eating.

[0023] The preferred moisture content of the boiled noodles after the boiling process varies depending on the type of noodles, but it is preferable that the moisture content (weight %) of the noodles after cooking is 5 to 25% lower. For example, in the case of Chinese noodles, the moisture content of the noodles at the time of eating is 60 to 70% by weight, while the moisture content of the noodles after the boiling process is preferably 45 to 65% by weight. If the moisture content is too low, gelatinization will be insufficient, and if the moisture content is too high, the effect of reducing the load on the freezing machine will be reduced.

[0024] 4.Water adhesion process Generally, boiled noodles are washed and cooled after draining the boiled noodles and before being packed into a freezing container. If the noodles are left as is after boiling, the moisture on the surface of the noodles evaporates and dries, causing the noodles to stick together, and the moisture inside the noodles becomes increasingly homogenized, resulting in an elongated texture. Therefore, by rapidly cooling and tightening the noodles by washing and cooling, it is possible to suppress the homogenization of the moisture and prevent the texture from deteriorating, as well as to remove the slime on the surface of the noodles and suppress the sticking of the noodle strings. However, by washing and cooling, the components on the surface of the noodles are lost, which not only deteriorates the flavor, but also hardens the surface texture by rapidly tightening the noodles. For udon and other foods, the texture of frozen noodles that have been washed and cooled is sometimes preferred, but for noodles such as Chinese noodles, which have a soft surface and a springy and hard core, frozen noodles that have been washed and cooled are not preferable in terms of the flavor and texture of the noodles.

[0025] In the present invention, water is applied to the surface of the boiled noodles by showering or spraying them, or by immersing them, as in Patent Document 3. The main purpose of applying water in the present invention is to prevent water from evaporating from the surface of the noodles, but it also has the purpose of lowering the temperature of the noodles to a certain extent without compromising the flavor of the noodles, in order to reduce the burden on the freezer, although not as rapidly as with water cooling.

[0026] However, if the amount of water sprayed is too large, the immersion time is too long, or the number of immersions is too many, the components on the surface of the noodles will be washed away, so when spraying with a shower or spray, the amount of water sprayed is preferably 30 to 500 mL per 100 g of boiled noodles, and when immersing, the number of immersions is one, and the immersion time is preferably about 1 to 5 seconds. More preferably, the amount of water sprayed is 50 to 300 mL per 100 g of boiled noodles, and the immersion time is preferably about 1 to 2 seconds. There are no particular restrictions on the temperature of the water used, but if it is too high, it is difficult to lower the temperature of the boiled noodles, so it is preferably room temperature (at most 25°C) or lower. In addition, the weight of water attached to the boiled noodles by spraying with a shower or spray or by immersion (the increase in the weight of the boiled noodles) is preferably in the range of 5 to 30 g per 100 g of boiled noodles after boiling.

[0027] The temperature of the boiled noodles after spraying or soaking is preferably around 30 to 60°C. If the temperature is too low, the noodles will be washed or cooled too much, resulting in a poor flavor and texture. If the temperature is too high, the temperature of the boiled noodles will not be lowered sufficiently even with the use of ice blocks (described below), and the noodles will generate steam, putting a strain on the freezer.

[0028] 5. Ice blocks In the present invention, ice blocks are filled into a freezing container together with boiled noodles to which water has been attached. The ice blocks according to the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are frozen, and may be water alone, a mixture of ingredients and water frozen, or sauce or soup frozen. In the case of Chinese noodles, using soup as ice blocks is not preferable because the color of the soup will transfer to the noodles during storage or cooking, so it is preferable to use ice blocks made of only frozen water, or ice blocks made of a mixture of ingredients such as roasted pork, green onions, and bamboo shoots and water frozen. The shape of the ice blocks is not particularly limited, and they may be made to match the shape of the freezing container so as to increase the area of ​​contact with the noodles as much as possible. For example, the ice blocks may be made into a plate shape as shown in FIG. 1, or into a cube shape.

[0029] There is no particular limit to the weight of the ice blocks, but if there are too many, the cooking time in a microwave oven or the like will be longer, and if there are too few, the effect of cooling the boiled noodles will be weaker. The weight of the ice blocks is preferably 10 to 50% by weight of the total weight of the frozen noodles including the noodles and ice blocks. If it is less than 10% by weight, it will be difficult to sufficiently cool the boiled noodles, and if it is more than 50% by weight, the cooking time in a microwave oven or the like will be longer. It is more preferably 20 to 40% by weight.

[0030] In addition, in the present invention, the boiling time is shortened and the water content of the boiled noodles is reduced, so water is added to the ice blocks so that the water content is optimal after cooking. Although the preferred conditions vary depending on the type and thickness of the noodles, it is preferable to have the ice blocks contain water of about 5 to 40% by weight of the weight of the noodles after cooking. By doing so, the water contained in the ice blocks boils during microwave cooking, and the noodles are heated while absorbing the water, resulting in a state similar to that of boiling, improving the flavor that was reduced by sprinkling or soaking, and providing the optimal water content for eating, as well as improving the texture. 6.Filling process

[0031] 1(a)-(c), freezing container 1 is filled with the above-mentioned ice blocks 2 and boiled noodles 3. If ice blocks 2 are filled on top of boiled noodles 3, not only will it hinder the transfer of cold air to boiled noodles 3 during the freezing process, but the weight of ice blocks 2 will also crush boiled noodles 3, so it is preferable to fill freezing container 1 with ice blocks 2 before filling it with boiled noodles 3.

[0032] By filling the freezing container 1 with both the ice blocks 2 and the boiled noodles 3 as described above, cold air is transferred from the ice blocks 2 to the boiled noodles 3 during the short time between filling and entering the freezer, lowering the temperature of the noodles, and compared to conventional methods such as Patent Document 3, the burden on the freezer can be reduced even when the time between boiling and freezing is short. Furthermore, in the present invention, since the rough heat is removed in the moisture adhesion step, the noodles do not suddenly harden even when the ice blocks 2 and the boiled noodles 3 come into contact, and there is almost no effect on the texture. Furthermore, compared to water washing and cooling, there is almost no elution of components from the noodle surface, so the product temperature of the boiled noodles can be lowered with almost no effect on the flavor, and the burden on the freezer can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present invention, because the boiling time is shortened, the weight of the boiled noodles is less than that of normal frozen noodles, and not only is the load of the freezing itself reduced, but also the temperature of the noodles can be lowered with a smaller amount of water than for noodles boiled as usual in the water attachment step, and further, because the weight of the boiled noodles is less than that of normal frozen noodles, the temperature of the noodles can be lowered by ice blocks, thereby further reducing the load on the freezing machine.In addition, in the present invention, in order to reduce the load on the freezing machine, the temperature of the noodles before entering the freezing machine is preferably 55°C or less, and more preferably 50°C or less.

[0034] 7. Time from the end of boiling to the start of freezing In the present invention, the freezing process is started within 120 seconds after the end of the boiling process. If it is longer than 120 seconds, the flavor deteriorates over time, which is not preferred. More preferably, it is 100 seconds or less. In machine production, the time inevitably required for processes such as the water application process and the filling process, and if the time between the end of the boiling process and the start of the freezing process is too short, the cooling effect of the ice blocks on the boiled noodles is reduced, so a period of 60 seconds or more is preferred.

[0035] 8.Freezing process Next, as the freezing treatment, the freezing container filled with the ice blocks and boiled noodles is placed in a freezer and frozen. The freezing treatment in the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to rapidly freeze at a temperature of about -30 to -60°C using an air blast type spiral freezer, tunnel freezer, rapid freezer, or the like. The temperature and weight of the noodles to be frozen of the boiled noodles before the freezing treatment in the present invention are lower than those of conventional techniques, so the burden on the freezer is reduced and the noodles can be produced without slowing down the production speed or operating intermittently.

[0036] The frozen noodle blocks frozen in the freezing process may be packaged in vinyl packaging as is if they are to be sold as is in the freezing container, or after being removed from the freezing container, they can be packaged in vinyl packaging and, if necessary, soup, oil, condiments, etc. can be added separately, and the outer packaging can be sold as a frozen food (frozen noodles).

[0037] The frozen noodles produced according to the present invention can be cooked in a pan with hot water and eaten, but it is preferable to cook them in a microwave oven for easy eating. In particular, because the boiling time is shortened to reduce the water content of the boiled noodles and the ice blocks are soaked in water, cooking in a microwave oven causes the water from the ice blocks to boil and the noodles are heated while absorbing the water, which has the same effect as boiling, improving the flavor and texture of the noodles.

[0038] As described above, in the method for producing frozen noodles in which boiled noodles with less water content than the noodles after cooking are produced by boiling raw noodles or dried noodles produced by a conventional method, these are packed into a freezing container together with ice blocks containing water, and the freezing process is started within 120 seconds after the end of the boiling process, thereby quickly freezing the boiled noodles after boiling, which reduces the burden on the freezing machine and improves productivity while maintaining the quality of the flavor and texture of the noodles after cooking. Note that Chinese noodles, which have a strong noodle-specific flavor such as an alkaline odor, are particularly effective as the frozen noodles according to the present invention.

[0039] The present embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. EXAMPLES

[0040] Example 1 To 1000g of semi-strong flour, 15g of salt, 15g of kansui preparation (sodium carbonate 50: potassium carbonate 45: polymeric phosphate 5), and 1g of gardenia pigment dissolved in 360g of water were added, and the mixture was kneaded in a vacuum mixer under normal pressure for 4 minutes, and then kneaded under reduced pressure for 8 minutes to prepare dough.

[0041] The dough thus prepared was combined to form a noodle band, which was then rolled to 1.7 mm using a roll. The noodle band was then cut using a No. 20 roll cutting blade to form noodle strands, which were then cut into noodle strands (moisture content 36% by weight) measuring approximately 35 cm long.

[0042] 100 g of cut noodles were placed in a bucket and boiled for 45 seconds in boiling water at 100°C. After boiling, the noodles were drained for 20 seconds, and room temperature water (20°C) was sprayed for 1 second using a shower set at 100 mL / sec, and then the noodles were drained for 10 seconds.

[0043] 30 seconds after boiling, the boiled noodles with water adhering to them were placed into a freezing container (upper diameter 145 mm, lower diameter 135 mm, height 50 mm) containing ice blocks that had been previously prepared by placing 14 g of pork slices, 10 g of chopped green onions, 7 g of bamboo shoots, and 10 g of water into a mold (85 x 85 mm) and freezing the mold. The noodles were then lightly blown with air to level them out, and 90 seconds after boiling, the noodles were placed in an air blast freezer at -35°C and frozen for 30 minutes to produce frozen Chinese noodle samples.

[0044] The moisture content of the noodles after boiling was also measured. The temperature of the noodles was also measured immediately before they were filled into the freezing container and immediately before they were placed in the freezer. The temperature of the noodles immediately before they were placed in the freezer was measured by fixing the needles of thermometers (51, 52, 53) to the surface, center and bottom of the noodles at positions 10 mm away from the ice block when ice block 2 was set in the center of freezing container 1, as shown in Figure 2, at the position where the distance between freezing container 1 and ice block 2 was maximum. Note that the needles were also fixed in the same way when no ice block was placed in the noodle.

[0045] Example 2 Frozen Chinese noodle samples were prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the boiling time was 30 seconds and the weight of the ice block water was 45 g.

[0046] Example 3 A frozen Chinese noodle sample was prepared according to the method of Example 2, except that the noodle was immersed in room temperature water (20°C) for 1 second instead of showering.

[0047] Example 4 A frozen Chinese noodle sample was prepared according to the method of Example 2, except that the shower time was 7 seconds.

[0048] Example 5 Frozen Chinese noodle samples were prepared in accordance with the method of Example 2, except that the time between the end of the boiling process and the start of the freezing process was 60 seconds.

[0049] Example 6 Frozen Chinese noodle samples were prepared according to the method of Example 2, except that the time between the end of boiling and the start of the freezing process was 120 seconds.

[0050] Comparative Example 1 The boiling process was carried out for 50 seconds, and after the boiling process was completed, the bucket was immersed in 15°C cold water for 30 seconds, drained for 10 seconds, and then immersed in 10°C cold water for 30 seconds to rinse and cool the noodle strings. After draining the water for 20 seconds, the noodle strings were filled into a freezing container that was not filled with ice blocks, and a frozen Chinese noodle sample was produced in accordance with the method of Example 1, except that the freezing process was started 150 seconds after the boiling process was completed.

[0051] Comparative Example 2 A frozen Chinese noodle sample was prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the boiling treatment was carried out for 50 seconds and no ice blocks were added.

[0052] Comparative Example 3 A frozen Chinese noodle sample was prepared according to the method of Comparative Example 2, except that the noodle was immersed in room temperature water (20° C.) for 1 second instead of showering.

[0053] Comparative Example 4 A frozen Chinese noodle sample was prepared according to the method of Comparative Example 2, except that the shower time was 7 seconds.

[0054] The frozen Chinese noodle samples were evaluated. The evaluation was conducted on the flavor and texture of the cooked noodles. The evaluation method was conducted by five veteran panelists on a 5-point scale. The samples were heated and cooked in a microwave oven for 6 minutes at 500W, then placed in a bowl containing 400ml of hot water and concentrated liquid soup with a soy sauce flavor, and eaten. The flavor and texture of the noodles were evaluated.

[0055] Regarding the flavor after cooking, a rating of 5 was given, indicating that the flavor of the Chinese noodles was very strong and freshly boiled was very good, a rating of 4 was given, indicating that the flavor of the Chinese noodles was very strong and freshly boiled was good, a rating of 3 was given, indicating that the flavor of the Chinese noodles was freshly boiled was generally acceptable, a rating of 2 was given, indicating that the flavor of the Chinese noodles was weak and unacceptable, and a rating of 1 was given, indicating that the flavor of the Chinese noodles was not freshly boiled and was unacceptable.

[0056] Regarding the texture after cooking, a rating of 5 was given, equivalent to freshly boiled Chinese noodles and very good; a rating of 4 was given, close to the texture of freshly boiled raw noodles and good; a rating of 3 was given, slightly inferior to freshly boiled raw noodles but generally acceptable in texture; a rating of 2 was given, inferior to freshly boiled raw noodles and unacceptable in texture; and a rating of 2 was given, significantly inferior to freshly boiled noodles and unacceptable in texture.

[0057] In addition, the weight and moisture content of the noodles after cooking were measured.

[0058] The moisture content and temperature change after boiling for each test group are shown in Table 1. The sensory evaluation results, weight of the noodles after cooking, and moisture content are shown in Table 2.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] [Table 2]

[0061] As shown in Comparative Example 1, the temperature of boiled noodles during packing and before freezing for conventional washed and cooled Chinese noodles is controlled, and the burden on the freezing machine is greatly reduced. However, the flavor of the noodles after cooking is extremely weak, and the texture and smoothness are weak, with a hard surface and a soft center, resulting in an unbalanced texture.

[0062] As shown in Comparative Examples 2 to 4, when the amount of water sprayed or the method of application in the water application step was changed from that of the method in Patent Document 3 in order to reduce the burden on the freezing machine, the flavor became weaker as the boiled noodle temperature was lowered, the texture became less smooth, and the overall texture became softer.

[0063] In contrast, as shown in Examples 1 to 4, by shortening the boiling time, adhering the noodles to water, and then filling a freezing container with ice blocks containing water and freezing the noodles in a freezing machine, it was possible to lower the temperature of the noodles before the freezing process more than in Comparative Examples 2 to 4.

[0064] In addition, by shortening the boiling time and adding moisture to the ice blocks to make up for the lack of water required for eating, the moisture from the ice blocks boils and is absorbed into the noodles as they are heated in the microwave, improving the flavor of boiled noodles and creating a texture that is closer to that of boiled noodles, with a soft surface and a chewy center.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in Examples 1 and 2, shortening the boiling time and increasing the amount of water in the ice blocks not only reduced the burden on the freezer, but also improved the flavor and texture after cooking. However, although not shown in the data, if the boiling time is too short, the gelatinization of the surface does not progress, so the surface of the noodles melts during the water adhesion process and the surface of the noodles similarly feels slimy when cooked in a microwave oven, so we believe that a certain degree of gelatinization by boiling is necessary.

[0066] As shown in Examples 2 to 4, the lower the temperature of the boiled noodles in the water adhesion step, the more the components on the surface of the noodles are washed away, and the more water adheres (absorbs) to the noodles, making it difficult to restore the flavor even when cooked in a microwave oven afterwards, and tending to make the texture softer. Therefore, it is considered that the temperature of the boiled noodles when packed into the freezing container should preferably be in the range of 30 to 60°C.

[0067] As shown in Examples 2, 5, and 6, it was observed that the longer the time between the end of boiling and the start of freezing, the more the flavor and texture of the noodles tended to deteriorate. Therefore, it is considered that the preferable time between the end of boiling and the start of freezing is 120 seconds or less. In addition, since the shorter the time, the higher the temperature of the boiled noodles before freezing, it is considered that the preferable time between the end of boiling and the start of freezing is 60 seconds or more in terms of lowering the temperature of the boiled noodles before freezing. However, if the temperature of the boiled noodles has dropped sufficiently (below 45°C) when they are filled into the freezing container, it is considered that it is preferable to start the freezing process as soon as possible, even if it is less than 60 seconds. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Freezing container 2 Ice Block 3. Boiled noodles 4. Frozen noodles 51 Thermometer (surface) 52 Thermometer (center) 53 Thermometer (bottom)

Claims

1. A process for producing boiled noodles having a water content less than that of the noodles after cooking by boiling raw noodles or dried noodles produced by a conventional method; applying water to the surface of the boiled noodles by spraying or immersing the noodles in water; a step of filling a freezing container with the boiled noodles with water on their surfaces and ice blocks containing frozen water; and a step of freezing the boiled noodles, This method for producing frozen noodles is characterized in that the freezing process is started within 120 seconds after the end of the boiling process.

2. 2. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the boiled noodles when packed into the freezing container is 30 to 60°C.

3. 3. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the ice blocks is 10 to 50% by weight of the total weight of the frozen noodles.

4. 4. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water contained in the ice blocks is 5 to 40% by weight of the noodles after cooking of the frozen noodles.

5. The method for producing frozen noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the frozen noodles are Chinese noodles.

6. The method for producing frozen noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the frozen noodles are for cooking in a microwave oven.

Images