Flat-drying correction method for undulated cap portion of wood ear mushroom

Abstract

To provide a flat-drying correction method for an undulated cap portion of wood ear mushroom, capable of correcting a twist of the cap portion into a flat shape as much as possible by considering characteristics of a tissue of the wood ear mushroom, performing drying processing while correcting the shape of the cap portion being an edible part of the wood ear mushroom, and accomplishing aims in particular of remarkably improving cooking functions and flavor-imparting functions.SOLUTION: A flat-drying correction method for an undulated cap portion of wood ear mushroom includes the steps of: inoculating a wood ear mushroom fruit body into a mushroom bed; forming a slit in a part of the mushroom bed; protruding a part of the fruit body grown from the slit outward a packaging bag; thinning out the wood ear mushroom; cutting and separating the cap portion of the wood ear mushroom from a stem; washing the cap portion of the wood ear mushroom; clamping the cap portion of the wood ear mushroom between two porous flattening forming tools, and drying a wood ear mushroom body part; and correcting a twist in an undulated shape of the cap portion of the wood ear mushroom by the vertical flattening forming tools under a drying condition and forming the cap portion into a flat shape as much as possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for flattening and drying the cap of wood ear mushroom, which flattens the wavy cap formed by the growth of wood ear mushroom fruiting bodies so that the cap is as flat as possible during drying. [Background technology]

[0002] Wood ear mushrooms are cultivated on sawtooth oak logs or sawdust as a fungal bed. The fungal bed is wrapped in a synthetic resin film and maintained at a specific cultivation temperature to promote the growth of the fruiting bodies. As the fruiting bodies grow, they form the edible caps, which are then cut from the fungal bed and sold in the market as dried cooking materials.

[0003] The wood ear mushrooms sold on the market for consumption include the wood ear fungus, the wood ear fungus, the wood ear mushroom, etc. These wood ear mushrooms differ from other mushrooms such as shiitake and mushrooms in that the surface and back layers of the cap are made up of tough epidermis, and the internal tissue within the epidermis is made up of a gelatinous layer that is rich in moisture.

[0004] The formation of such a tissue layer is a characteristic of wood ear mushrooms, which provide a satisfying chewiness in the mouth when eaten, with a good texture and chewiness. In particular, the densely packed tiny cilia on the underside allow flavors to be absorbed well during cooking, making them highly valued in cooking. On the other hand, the surface of wood ear mushrooms is a smooth, thick layer with few cilia, providing a texture that is pleasant to the tongue and chewy when eaten.

[0005] During cultivation, the cap of such wood ear mushrooms inevitably shrinks and becomes wavy, and currently, there are almost no wood ear mushrooms that will have a flat cap unless some kind of treatment is given during drying.

[0006] The optimum cultivation environment for wood ear mushrooms is said to be from spring to autumn at temperatures between 16°C and 28°C, due to the characteristics of the fungus. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-093740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] As described above, the drying method of the above cited document can preserve the fresh flavor and color of wood ear mushrooms, but has the following problems.

[0009] In other words, with conventional methods for drying wood ear mushrooms, the cap of the wood ear mushroom becomes wavy and twisted inward from the outer edge during the drying process, resulting in problems such as a poor appearance design, a deterioration in flavor when cooked, and a poor texture.

[0010] In particular, if dried wood ear mushrooms are soaked in water before cooking, they are less likely to absorb water, which can adversely affect the texture.

[0011] The present invention provides a method for flattening and drying the wavy cap portion of wood ear mushroom by correcting the shape of the cap portion, which is the edible part of the wood ear mushroom, while drying the wood ear mushroom, taking into account the characteristics of the wood ear mushroom's structure. This corrects the twist in the cap portion to make it as flat as possible, thereby significantly improving the above-mentioned goals, particularly its cooking function, flavor-presenting function, and design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention is characterized by comprising the following steps: 1) The process of cultivating wood ear fruiting bodies on a fungal bed that has been sterilized by high pressure. 2) A process of cutting open a part of the packaging bag that encases the fungal bed in which wood ear mycelium has been cultivated, to form a slit. 3) As the wood ear fruiting bodies grow, a portion of the grown fruiting bodies is protruded through a slit outside the packaging bag and exposed to the outside, and the protruding wood ear fruiting bodies grow to form a cap portion that becomes the edible part. 4) This is the process of thinning out the wood ear mushrooms that do not protrude from the slits, while inhibiting their growth. The wood ear mushrooms that protrude from the slits grow larger as they come into contact with the outside air and absorb nutrients. 5) A process in which the cap part exposed to the outside air is cut and separated from the base through a slit in the packaging bag. 6) The process of washing the cap of the wood ear mushroom that has been cut and separated from the stone base. 7) Then, the wood ear mushroom cap is sandwiched between two perforated flattening forming tools to dry the wood ear mushroom. 8) Under dry conditions, the upper and lower flattening tools are used to correct the twisted wavy shape of the wood ear mushroom cap and form it into as flat a shape as possible. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The invention of claim 1 has the following effects: When cultivating wood ear mushroom fruiting bodies on a fungal bed, the fungal bed is sterilized under high pressure to remove unwanted bacteria, thereby preventing growth inhibition due to the introduction of unwanted bacteria into the wood ear mushroom being cultivated, and ultimately facilitating the sanitary management of wood ear mushroom products.

[0014] Furthermore, by cutting open a portion of the synthetic resin film packaging bag that encases the mushroom bed and forming a slit, the growth of the wood ear can be controlled, resulting in a fully grown edible portion called the umbrella portion. Without growth control, the wood ear fruiting body would grow overall, resulting in the individual wood ear pieces becoming smaller and potentially reducing their commercial value. In this process, growth control, which is performed to increase commercial value, is performed using the simple method of forming a slit in the packaging bag, allowing for quick and easy growth control.

[0015] Furthermore, the wood ear mushrooms exposed to the outside through the slits can absorb sufficient nutrients by coming into contact with the outside air. In particular, increased respiration increases the amount of nutrients absorbed from the fungal bed, and the caps grow further, further expanding the area of contact with oxygen. On the other hand, the wood ear mushrooms remaining inside the packaging bag are unable to grow sufficiently due to the lack of sufficient oxygen, which inhibits respiration and nutrient absorption. For these reasons, the wood ear mushrooms exposed outside the slits can grow with their caps widely spread without coming into contact with other wood ear mushrooms (those inside the packaging bag), which minimizes cap twisting and facilitates the cultivation of flat shapes.

[0016] In addition, when the wood ear mushroom body is washed with running water and dried in the sun, etc., the umbrella portion that shrinks is subjected to artificial clamping treatment from above and below, which has the effect of making the umbrella portion of the wood ear mushroom as flat as possible.

[0017] Furthermore, wood ear mushrooms with caps that are as flat as possible have a smooth surface, which gives them a pleasant texture and a chewy feel when eaten, contributing to an improved eating texture.

[0018] In addition, the middle layer between the flat surface layer and the back layer of the cap of the edible part of wood ear mushroom is gelatinous, so when biting into the flattened cap, the texture and crunchiness can be fully felt in combination with the front and back layers, which has the effect of greatly enhancing the presence of wood ear mushroom in cooking. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional method for drying wood ear mushrooms. [Figure 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a flattening and dry straightening method according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing dried wood ear mushrooms that have been subjected to the flattening, drying and straightening method according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing dried wood ear mushrooms that have been dried using a conventional drying method. [Figure 5] 1 is an explanatory view showing how a wood ear mushroom is clamped between two perforated flattening tools in the flattening, drying and straightening method according to the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention provides 1) The process of cultivating wood ear fruiting bodies on a fungal bed that has been sterilized by high pressure. 2) A process of cutting open a part of the packaging bag that encases the fungal bed in which wood ear mycelium has been cultivated, to form a slit. 3) As the wood ear fruiting bodies grow, a portion of the grown fruiting bodies is protruded through a slit outside the packaging bag and exposed to the outside, and the protruding wood ear fruiting bodies grow to form a cap portion that becomes the edible part. 4) This is the process of thinning out the wood ear mushrooms that do not protrude from the slits, while inhibiting their growth. The wood ear mushrooms that protrude from the slits grow larger as they come into contact with the outside air and absorb nutrients. 5) A process in which the cap part exposed to the outside air is cut and separated from the base through a slit in the packaging bag. 6) The process of washing the cap of the wood ear mushroom that has been cut and separated from the stone base. 7) Then, the wood ear mushroom cap is sandwiched between two perforated flattening forming tools to dry the wood ear mushroom. 8) Under dry conditions, the upper and lower flattening tools are used to correct the twisted wavy shape of the wood ear mushroom cap and form it into as flat a shape as possible. The main part is that it consists of:

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional wood ear mushroom drying method m. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a flattening, drying, and straightening method M according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows dried wood ear mushroom K3 subjected to the flattening, drying, and straightening method M according to the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 3(a) shows a plan view of the dried wood ear mushroom K3, and FIG. 3(b) shows a side view of the dried wood ear mushroom K3. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing dried wood ear mushroom K1 subjected to a conventional wood ear mushroom drying method m. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing how wood ear mushroom K2 is clamped between two perforated flattening tools 30 in the flattening, drying, and straightening method M according to the present invention.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the conventional wood ear mushroom drying method m comprises a wood ear mushroom cultivation process (symbol m1), which includes a growth adjustment process (symbol m1-3) in which a mushroom bed is subjected to high-pressure sterilization (symbol m1-1), wood ear mushroom seed culture is sown on the high-pressure sterilized mushroom bed (symbol m1-2), and a cutting and separation process (symbol m2) in which the grown wood ear mushroom is separated from the mushroom bed, and a drying process (symbol m3) in which the mushroom bed is dried by natural or artificial drying.

[0023] In such a conventional wood ear mushroom drying method m, as shown in Figure 4, the umbrella portion 10 of the dried wood ear mushroom K1 tends to have a wavy shape, twisting inward from the outer edge, which results in problems such as poor appearance design, reduced flavor absorption, and a poor texture.

[0024] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the flattening, drying, and straightening method M of the present invention includes a wood ear mushroom cultivation process M1, which includes a sterilization process M1-1 for sterilizing and disinfecting the mushroom bed that serves as the base for wood ear mushroom cultivation by high-pressure sterilization; a seed sowing process M1-2 for sowing wood ear mushroom seed culture in the mushroom bed; and a growth adjustment process M1-3, which includes a slit formation process M1-3a for forming slits in the packaging bag that encases the mushroom bed, and a fruiting body protrusion process M1-3b for protruding the wood ear mushroom fruiting bodies from the slits.

[0025] In addition, the wood ear mushrooms that have grown to a predetermined size in the wood ear mushroom cultivation process M1 go through a cutting and separation process M2 in which they are separated from the mushroom bed, and then are flattened in a flattening process M3, which consists of a washing process M3-1 in which they are washed with water, a flattening natural drying process M3-2a in which the wood ear mushrooms are flattened while being dried, and an artificial drying process M3-2b in which the wood ear mushrooms are flattened in a stepwise manner.

[0026] The flattening, drying and straightening method M having the above-described configuration can solve the problems of the conventional wood ear mushroom drying method m. That is, as shown in Figure 3, it is possible to provide dried wood ear mushroom K3 that has been straightened to a shape as flat as possible.

[0027] The fungal bed may be made from any known fungal bed material, such as sawdust from broad-leaved trees such as oak, to which rice bran or wheat bran has been added.

[0028] The molded mushroom bed is then autoclaved to remove any unwanted bacteria, allowing only the wood ear mushroom spawn to grow in the next step (Mushroom Bed Sterilization Step M1-1 in Figure 2). A commonly available autoclave for mushroom cultivation can be used for autoclaving. By removing unwanted bacteria from the mushroom bed in this way, growth inhibition due to contamination by unwanted bacteria can be prevented, ultimately facilitating the sanitation of the wood ear mushroom products.

[0029] After high-pressure sterilization, the mushroom bed is seeded with wood ear mushroom spawn, and the entire mushroom bed is then wrapped in a packaging bag made of synthetic resin film (seeding step M1-2 in Figure 2).Then, the mushroom bed is left in a temperature- and humidity-controlled cultivation shed until the wood ear mushroom mycelium has fully grown, and sufficient cultivation of the mycelium is confirmed.

[0030] In the next step, a growth adjustment step M1-3, slits are made at predetermined locations in the packaging bag that encased the fungal bed in the seed sowing step M1-2 (slit making step M1-3a in Fig. 2). Specifically, by making slits with a cutter at positions where particularly large and well-shaped wood ear fruiting bodies K that have emerged from the fungal bed will protrude outward from the packaging bag, wood ear fruiting bodies with an even better shape, flavor, and texture can be obtained.

[0031] The slits are preferably formed at positions that allow the wood ear fruiting bodies K protruding outside the packaging bag to maintain a distance that prevents them from coming into contact with each other during the growth process. If adjacent wood ear fruit come into contact with each other during the growth process, the caps of the adjacent wood ear fruit will press against each other, causing the contacting caps to form a wavy shape. Therefore, by taking measures to position the slits in this way, wood ear fruit that are as flat as possible can be cultivated.

[0032] The growth regulation of the wood ear mushrooms is completed by forming slits and allowing some of the wood ear mushroom fruiting bodies to protrude outward (fruiting body protrusion step M1-3b in Figure 2). In other words, as the wood ear mushrooms grow, they take in oxygen through respiration and decompose the nutrients they obtain from the mushroom bed to use for their own growth. The wood ear mushroom fruiting bodies that protrude outward are exposed to an oxygen-rich environment, allowing them to fully utilize oxygen and nutrients and grow even larger. On the other hand, the wood ear mushrooms that remain inside the packaging bag are unable to adequately absorb oxygen, preventing them from utilizing oxygen and nutrients and preventing them from growing sufficiently.

[0033] Therefore, by forming slits at predetermined locations in the packaging bag that encases the mushroom bed and allowing some of the wood ear mushroom fruiting bodies to protrude outward, the wood ear mushroom caps can be grown large and flat, allowing wood ear mushrooms with excellent commercial value to be cultivated.

[0034] Of the wood ear mushrooms that protrude from the slits to the outside of the packaging bag, when they have grown to a predetermined size (not particularly limited, but the width of the cap is approximately 10 cm), the base is cut off and separated from the mushroom bed (cutting and separation process M2 in Figure 2).

[0035] Next, the wood ear mushrooms separated from the mushroom bed are dried and flattened (flattening process M3 in FIG. 2). In this flattening process M3, the wood ear mushrooms separated from the mushroom bed are first washed with running water (water washing process M3-1 in FIG. 2).

[0036] The washed wood ear mushrooms are processed and corrected into a flat shape using a flattening tool 30, as shown in FIG.

[0037] The flattening tool 30 uses, for example, a mesh-like anti-slip sheet 35 made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figure 5, the mesh-like anti-slip sheet 35 has a rectangular frame 32 in plan view and a grid 33 made of flat plates stretched between opposing frames 32. The frame 32 and grid 33 are integrally formed and are made of stainless steel.

[0038] The washed rolled wood ear mushroom is spread out in an unfolded state and sandwiched between two upper and lower ebira 31, 31'. At this time, non-slip sheets 35, 35' are provided between the ebira 31, 31', and the unfolded rolled wood ear mushroom is sandwiched between the upper and lower non-slip sheets 35, 35', and the upper and lower non-slip sheets 35, 35' are further sandwiched between the two upper and lower ebira 31, 31' and dried in the sun to form the unfolded wood ear mushroom K2.

[0039] Moreover, the non-slip sheet 35 is made of a resilient synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride and holds the expanded wood ear mushroom K2 from above and below, thereby preventing damage and breakage of the wood ear mushroom K2 during the drying process. Also, the non-slip sheet 35 made of a resilient material gently wraps the wood ear mushroom K2 while transmitting the holding force of the bell 31 to the wood ear mushroom K2, preventing damage and breakage of the wood ear mushroom K2 during drying and correcting the twist of the wavy shape of the cap, thereby producing dried wood ear mushroom K3 that is as flat as possible.

[0040] In the flat processing and forming tool 30 made of stainless steel, which aligns and dries the wood ear mushrooms in this way, non-slip sheets 35, 35' are attached to the top surface 34 of the elm 31 and the bottom surface 34' of the elm 31', so that the top and bottom surfaces of the wood ear mushrooms facing the top surface 34 and bottom surface 34' can be dried.

[0041] The wood ear mushrooms K2 thus flattened by the flattening tool 30 are then subjected to a drying process M3-2, which involves natural drying and artificial drying in stages. In the drying process M3-2, the wood ear mushrooms are first slowly dried by natural drying (reference symbol M3-2a in FIG. 2). Natural drying can be freely selected from sun drying and shade drying, for example. The time for natural drying is not particularly limited, and the wood ear mushrooms can be dried for several hours to several days as long as they reach the desired moisture content.

[0042] Natural or artificial drying is a process that mainly straightens out curling of wood ear mushrooms. By drying the wood ear mushrooms in a straightened state, the surface of the wood ear mushrooms hardens, preventing curling. Sun-dried wood ear mushrooms are also able to produce more vitamin D.

[0043] Next, the moisture content of the wood ear mushroom is further reduced by artificial drying (reference symbol M3-2b in Figure 2). The artificial drying method can be freely selected from hot air drying using a food dryer, cold air drying, vacuum freeze drying, far-infrared drying, near-infrared drying, etc.

[0044] By further reducing the moisture content of the wood ear mushrooms through artificial drying, the flattened shape of the corrected wood ear mushrooms can be firmly maintained, and deterioration of quality due to discoloration, mold growth, etc. can be reliably prevented.

[0045] By reducing the moisture content of the wood ear mushrooms that have been clamped and flattened by the flattening tool 30 in this manner by natural drying and then artificial drying, the following effects are achieved.

[0046] That is, by straightening the wood ear mushroom into the desired shape and then sequentially drying it slowly over time (natural drying) and then drying it further in a short time (artificial drying), the moisture content can be gradually reduced. This prevents the surface from bending or curving due to a sudden drop in moisture content. It also reliably prevents deterioration of quality due to mold growth and discoloration.

[0047] The above-described method M for flattening and drying wood ear mushroom caps can provide dried wood ear mushrooms with a flattened shape. Furthermore, since the dried wood ear mushrooms retain their flat shape even after being immersed in water and then restored to their original shape during cooking, they can be easily cut into equal intervals and can be used as an ingredient that contributes to the aesthetic appeal of dishes.

[0048] The inventors have demonstrated that the dried wood ear mushrooms K3 processed by the flattening, drying, and straightening method M of the present invention have better taste and texture when cooked than the conventional dried wood ear mushrooms K1. Although the reason for this is unclear, the inventors believe that the good taste and texture are due to the presence of many cilia 20 remaining on the posterior layer of the dried wood ear mushrooms K3 processed by the flattening, drying, and straightening method M of the present invention, as shown in Figure 3(b). In other words, in the conventional wood ear mushroom drying method m, the cilia 20 peel off from the posterior layer of the wood ear mushrooms when they slide over the shrimp during the drying process or are exposed to strong winds during artificial drying. However, in the flattening, drying, and straightening method M of the present invention, the wood ear mushrooms are sandwiched between two flattening tools 30 from above and below, which minimizes the effects of sliding and exposure to strong winds and prevents the cilia 20 from peeling off.

[0049] In addition, the influence of the method M for flattening and drying the wavy cap of wood ear mushrooms on the taste-providing function of wood ear mushrooms will be described in detail with reference to examples. [Example]

[0050] The sensory test of the wood ear mushrooms dried by the method M for flattening and drying the wavy cap portion of the wood ear mushroom according to the present invention will be described in detail below. The sensory test was carried out on the following two types of samples. (1) Sample A: A sample of wood ear mushrooms dried by the flattening, drying and straightening method M (see FIG. 2) according to the present invention and then rehydrated in saline. (2) Sample B: A sample of wood ear mushroom dried using the conventional wood ear drying method (see Figure 1) and then rehydrated in salt water. Furthermore, salted raw wood ear mushrooms (hereinafter simply referred to as the "comparison group") were prepared as a comparison.

[0051] (1-1. Preparation of Sample A) The wood ear mushrooms were harvested when the fungal caps had grown to a diameter of about 10 cm, and the edible parts (pile) were separated from the inedible parts (spikes, etc.). 100 g of the edible parts were washed in a washing tub with tap water and drained.

[0052] The umbrella portion of the wood ear mushroom was clamped from above and below with the flattening tool 30 and dried in the sun for 48 hours. The weight of the wood ear mushroom after sun drying was 30 g.

[0053] Next, the wood ear mushrooms that had been clamped and corrected with the flattening tool 30 were placed in a hot air dryer and subjected to an artificial drying process. In the artificial drying process, hot air at 60°C was blown onto the wood ear mushrooms for 6 hours. The weight of the wood ear mushrooms that had undergone the artificial drying process was 15 g.

[0054] Next, 10 g of salt was added to 990 mL of tap water (25°C) to prepare a 1% saline solution. The wood ear mushrooms were immersed in the saline solution, removed after 1 hour, and thoroughly wiped to remove any moisture.

[0055] (1-2. Preparation of Sample B) 100g of edible wood ear mushrooms were prepared under the same conditions as sample A, washed with water without soaking, and drained thoroughly. The wood ear mushrooms were placed on a shrimp rack 31, placed in a hot air dryer, and hot air at 60°C was blown onto the wood ear mushrooms for 24 hours. The wood ear mushrooms weighed 15g after drying.

[0056] Next, 10 g of salt was added to 990 mL of tap water (25°C) to prepare a 1% saline solution. The wood ear mushrooms were immersed in the saline solution, removed after 1 hour, and thoroughly wiped to remove any moisture.

[0057] (1-3. Preparation of comparison group) 100g of wood ear mushrooms were prepared under the same conditions as sample A, washed with water without soaking, and drained thoroughly. 1g of salt was sprinkled on the wood ear mushrooms and rubbed in, and then left for 1 hour.

[0058] (2. Sensory Test) For the sensory test, five panelists who have been involved in product prototyping and sensory evaluation for many years at a food OEM manufacturing facility were selected to evaluate the texture and taste of the samples prepared using the above method.

[0059] The details of the test samples were disclosed to the panelists only for the comparison group, and the details of the other samples were not disclosed. The panelists evaluated whether the texture and taste of Sample A and Sample B they ingested were different from those of the comparison group. If it was necessary to confirm the texture and taste standards, each panelist was allowed to ingest the comparison group as appropriate.

[0060] The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 shows the results for texture, and Table 2 shows the results for taste. Each test was evaluated on a five-point scale compared to the comparison group: "very poor," "poor," "same," "good," and "very good," and the numbers in the tables indicate the number of people who made that evaluation.

[0061] [Table 1]

[0062] [Table 2]

[0063] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the texture and taste of Sample A were both superior to those of Sample B. In particular, many panelists judged Sample A to be superior to the comparison group in terms of taste.

[0064] The reason for this result is unclear, but the inventor believes that correcting the shape of the wood ear mushroom with the flattening tool 30 contributes to improving the texture by preventing excessive twisting of the surface layer, back layer, and internal space between them. In other words, the excessive breakdown of wood ear mushroom tissue during drying is the cause of the loss of texture in Sample B, and Sample A is believed to have improved this point.

[0065] As for the taste, we believe that this is because the natural drying process allows the proteolytic enzymes in the wood ear mushrooms to act on the proteins to produce amino acids that become umami components, and that the flattening forming tool 30 suppresses excessive deformation of the wood ear mushrooms (collapse of the outer and inner layers and internal structure), thereby preventing excessive absorption of the soaking water when the wood ear mushrooms are immersed in water and then returned to their original shape, and preventing the umami components, aroma components, etc. from leaking into the soaking water.

[0066] Therefore, the method for flattening and drying the wavy cap portion of wood ear mushrooms according to the present invention can provide dried wood ear mushrooms that are excellent in design, texture, and taste.

[0067] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but also includes configurations in which the components disclosed in the above-described embodiments are mutually substituted or the combinations are changed, known inventions, and configurations in which the components disclosed in the above-described embodiments are mutually substituted, etc. Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but extends to the matters set forth in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] M Flat dry straightening method m Traditional drying method of wood ear mushrooms K1 Wood ear mushrooms dried using traditional drying methods K2 Wood ear mushrooms soaked in water K3 Wood ear mushrooms dried by the drying method according to the present invention 10 Umbrella section 20 Cilia 30 Flat processing forming tool 31 Ebirah 32 Frame 33 Lattice 34 Ceiling surface 34' bottom 35 Anti-slip sheet

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for flattening, drying and straightening the wavy cap portion of wood ear mushrooms, comprising the following steps: 1) A process of culturing wood ear fruiting bodies on a fungal bed that has been sterilized by high pressure. 2) A step of cutting open a part of the packaging bag that encases the fungal bed in which wood ear mycelium has been cultivated, to form a slit. 3) As the wood ear fruiting bodies grow, a portion of the grown fruiting bodies is protruded through a slit outside the packaging bag and exposed to the outside, and the protruding wood ear fruiting bodies grow to form a cap portion that becomes the edible part. 4) A process of thinning out wood ear mushrooms that do not protrude from the slits by suppressing their growth, and wood ear mushrooms that protrude from the slits by coming into contact with the outside air and absorbing nutrients to grow larger. 5) A process of cutting and separating the cap portion exposed to the outside air from the base through a slit in the packaging bag. 6) The cap of the wood ear mushroom that has been cut and separated from the base is washed with water. 7) Thereafter, the wood ear mushroom cap is sandwiched between two perforated flattening forming tools to dry the wood ear mushroom. 8) Under dry conditions, the upper and lower flattening tools are used to correct the twist of the corrugated shape of the wood ear mushroom cap, forming it into as flat a shape as possible.

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