How to make quick-cooking rice

Abstract

To provide a method for producing quickly cookable rice which has good taste and enables distribution at an ordinary temperature.SOLUTION: A method for producing quickly cookable rice includes: a rice washing step (S2) of washing milled rice; an immersion step (S3) of immersing the washed milled rice in immersion water; a take-out step (S4) of taking out the immersed milled rice from the immersion water; a draining step (S5) of draining the milled rice; a heating step (S6) of heating the milled rice, and pregelatinizing at least a part of rice starch in the milled rice; a cooling step (S7) of cooling the milled rice; an aging step (S8) of maturing and aging the cooled milled rice; a loosening step (S9) of loosening the aged milled rice, and making the milled rice to single grains; a drying step (S10) of drying the milled rice, and setting a value of moisture activity of the milled rice at less than 0.94; and a sealing step (S11) of measuring the milled rice and filling the inside of a container with the milled rice, and sealing the milled rice together with a deoxidant. The drying step may be omitted, and a moisture absorbent may be sealed in the container in the sealing step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing quick-cooking rice that does not require washing or soaking and can be cooked in a short time. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional products known as dried pre-gelatinized rice are made by first cooking rice and then treating it with hot air, microwaves, superheated steam, etc., either alone or in combination, to reduce the water activity to 0.50 or less and the moisture content to 10% or less. This allows the rice to be quickly reconstituted by simply adding water or hot water, and it is a product that can be distributed at room temperature. This product is manufactured using a variety of technologies.

[0003] In addition, processed rice known as quick-cooking rice, which has more moisture than dried pre-gelatinized rice, is made by washing and soaking polished rice, then applying hot air, microwaves, superheated steam, etc. to pre-gelatinize it. After the heated ingredients are cooled, they are packed into a barrier pouch together with an oxygen absorber and sealed. Unlike dried pre-gelatinized rice, the same amount of water by weight can be added and the rice is reheated in a rice cooker or microwave, etc., making it a product that does not require washing or soaking and can be cooked faster than regular polished rice.

[0004] The applicant has also filed an application for a method for producing quick-cooking stored rice, as shown in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-291181 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, although conventional dried pre-gelatinized rice can be distributed at room temperature and can be restored in a short time by simply adding water or hot water, because it is very dry, there are many cracks all over the rice, which results in a significant deterioration in taste compared to rice made from cooked raw rice.

[0007] In addition, quick-cooking rice, which has more moisture than dried pregelatinized rice, is obtained by heating soaked polished rice ingredients and then cooling them, so there is no drying process. In the case of non-glutinous rice, the same amount of water by weight is added and it is heated (cooked) in a rice cooker or similar appliance, so it can be cooked in a shorter time than cooking regular raw rice, and the taste is comparable to that of cooked regular raw rice. However, because the moisture content is approximately 33±3% and the water activity value is 0.96 or higher, if an oxygen scavenger is used to create a low-oxygen state inside the product, there is a risk of food poisoning due to Clostridium botulinum, and it is not possible to distribute it at room temperature.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing quick-cooking rice that has a good taste and can be distributed at room temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention has been created to solve the above problems. First, a method for producing quick-cooking rice includes a washing step of washing polished rice, a soaking step of soaking the washed polished rice in soaking water, a removing step of removing the soaked polished rice from the soaking water, a draining step of draining the water from the removed polished rice, and a method for producing quick-cooking rice comprising the steps of: By steam or microwave The method includes a heating step of gelatinizing at least a portion of the rice starch in the polished rice by heating, a cooling step of cooling the heated polished rice, a maturing step of maturing and aging the cooled polished rice, a loosening step of loosening the aged polished rice to form single grains, and a drying step of drying the single grain polished rice to determine the water activity value of the polished rice. 0.90 or higher The method is characterized by having a drying process to reduce the molecular weight to less than 0.94, and a sealing process in which the dried polished rice is weighed, filled into a container, and sealed together with an oxygen scavenger.

[0010] In the first method for producing quick-cooking rice, the water activity is set to less than 0.94, which allows distribution at room temperature. In addition, the polished rice is aged in the maturing process and then single-grained in the loosening process, so that almost every grain can be single-grained, improving drying efficiency.

[0011] In other words, the inventors of the present invention conducted intensive research in light of the above problems and developed a manufacturing process for quick-cooking rice which does not require washing or soaking, can be cooked in a short time, and can restore the same taste as conventional quick-cooking rice, yet has a water activity of less than 0.94, allowing it to be distributed at room temperature, and furthermore, can improve drying efficiency by breaking the rice into single grains after maturation, resulting in the present invention. Furthermore, by making the water activity value 0.90 or more, the taste can be improved.

[0012] In the sealing step of the first configuration, the polished rice may be sealed in an oxygen-impermeable container.

[0013] Secondly, in the first configuration, the cooling step is characterized in that the polished rice is cooled to a temperature of 1 to 10° C. Therefore, since the polished rice is cooled to a temperature of 1 to 10° C. in the cooling step, the time until aging in the maturing step can be shortened.

[0014] Thirdly, in the first or second configuration, the maturing step is characterized in that the rice is stored for 12 to 48 hours in an environment of 1 to 10° C. Thus, by storing the rice for 12 to 48 hours in an environment of 1 to 10° C. in the maturing step, the rice grains can be separated into individual grains without being damaged, and the rice grains can be dried almost evenly, further improving the drying efficiency.

[0016] Also, 4 The present invention relates to a method for producing quick-cooking rice, the method including a rice washing step of washing polished rice, a soaking step of soaking the washed polished rice in soaking water, a removal step of removing the soaked polished rice from the soaking water, a draining step of draining the water from the removed polished rice, and By steam or microwaveThe method includes a heating step of gelatinizing at least a portion of the rice starch in the polished rice by heating, a cooling step of cooling the heated polished rice, a maturation step of maturing and aging the cooled polished rice, a loosening step of loosening the aged polished rice into single grains, and a step of filling a container with the single grain polished rice and sealing it together with a moisture absorbent and an oxygen absorber to determine the water activity value of the polished rice. 0.90 or higher Less than 0.94 Dense and a sealing step.

[0017] No. 4 In the manufacturing method of quick-cooking rice configured as above, by making the water activity value less than 0.94, it is possible to distribute the rice at room temperature. In addition, since the polished rice is aged in the maturing process and then single-grained in the loosening process, it is possible to single-grain almost every grain, which improves the drying efficiency.

[0018] In other words, the inventors of the present invention conducted intensive research in light of the above problems and developed a manufacturing process for quick-cooking rice which does not require washing or soaking, can be cooked in a short time, and can restore the same taste as conventional quick-cooking rice, yet has a water activity of less than 0.94, allowing it to be distributed at room temperature, and furthermore, can improve drying efficiency by breaking the rice into single grains after maturation, resulting in the present invention. Furthermore, by making the water activity value 0.90 or more, the taste can be improved.

[0019] In addition, 4 In the sealing step of the above configuration, the polished rice may be sealed in an oxygen-impermeable container.

[0020] Also, 5 The above 4 In the configuration, the polished rice is cooled to a temperature of 1 to 10° C. in the cooling step. Since the polished rice is cooled to a temperature of 1 to 10° C. in the cooling step, the time until aging in the maturation step can be shortened.

[0021] Also, 6 The above 4 Or 5In the above configuration, the maturation step is characterized in that the rice is stored for 12 to 48 hours in an environment of 1 to 10° C. Therefore, by storing the rice for 12 to 48 hours in an environment of 1 to 10° C. in the maturation step, the rice grains can be separated into individual grains without being damaged, and the rice grains can be dried almost evenly, further improving the drying efficiency. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the manufacturing method of quick-cooking rice of the present invention, by making the water activity value less than 0.94, it is possible to distribute the quick-cooking rice at room temperature. In addition, since the polished rice is aged in the maturation process and then single-grained in the loosening process, almost every grain can be single-grained, and drying efficiency can be improved. In other words, although the rice can be cooked in a short time without washing or soaking and can be restored to the same taste as conventional quick-cooking rice, by making the water activity less than 0.94, it can be distributed at room temperature, and furthermore, by single-graining after maturation, drying efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, by making the water activity value 0.90 or more, the taste can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of producing quick-cooking rice in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] In the present invention, the object of providing a method for producing quick-cooking rice that has no problems with taste and can be distributed at room temperature is realized in the following manner.

[0026] The method for producing quick-cooking rice of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. Brown rice is polished to obtain polished rice (S1), and the polished rice obtained is washed (S2 (rice washing step)).

[0027] The type of polished rice can be non-glutinous rice, glutinous rice, brown rice, germinated brown rice, indica rice, etc., and there are no particular restrictions on the variety or place of origin. It is also possible to use pre-washed rice.

[0028] Next, the washed polished rice is soaked in water (soaking water) (S3 (soaking process)). In this soaking process, there are no particular restrictions, such as adding seasonings or antibacterial agents, other than allowing the polished rice raw material to absorb sufficient water.

[0029] Next, the soaked polished rice is removed from the soaking water (S4 (removal step)), and the water from the removed polished rice is drained (S5 (water draining step)). In other words, the water adhering to the surface of the polished rice is removed, but there are no particular restrictions other than removing the free water adhering to the surface of the soaked raw material (i.e., the polished rice) after removal by its own weight or by forced suction. The moisture content of the polished rice after draining may be 25% or more, but it is preferable that it is 30% or more.

[0030] Next, the drained polished rice is heated to gelatinize part or all (i.e., at least a part) of the rice starch in the polished rice (S6 (heating step)). There are no particular restrictions on this heating step other than the use of steam, superheated steam, saturated steam, microwaves, or the like to gelatinize part or all of the rice starch, and the above heat sources may be used in combination. It is preferable to use ordinary steam obtained from a normal steam generator (boiler), which prevents the rice from drying out and has low running costs, and to heat the soaked polished rice raw material for about 1 to 30 minutes, and more preferably for about 5 to 10 minutes. There are no particular restrictions on the heating method itself, as long as it can heat uniformly, such as a net conveyor, spiral, or batch type (seiro).

[0031] Next, the heated polished rice is cooled (S7 (cooling step)). The cooling method can be cold air, vacuum cooling, or the like, but there are no particular limitations. It is preferable to cool the polished rice to a temperature of 1 to 10°C in order to suppress bacterial growth during storage for a certain period of time in the subsequent maturation step, and to shorten the time until stabilization (i.e., aging) in the maturation step. Next, the cooled polished rice is aged (S8 (aging process)). In this aging process, the polished rice raw material that has been heated and cooled has rice grains that are stuck together, and by leaving it for a certain period of time in the aging process, the polished rice raw material that has been heated and cooled stabilizes (i.e., ages), and in the next loosening process, it becomes possible to separate the rice grains almost one by one (i.e., nearly one by one). As a result, in the drying process, the rice grains can be dried almost evenly, further improving the drying efficiency. By aging the polished rice in this aging process, the polished rice becomes a clump of multiple rice grains.

[0032] In order to age the heated and cooled polished rice raw material to the point where it can be broken down into individual grains without breaking them in the loosening process, it is preferable to store it in an environment of 1 to 10°C for 12 to 48 hours (preferably 20 to 30 hours, more preferably about 24 hours). Here, the reason for storing it for 48 hours or less is to prevent spoilage. If storing it at a temperature above 10°C, the temperature should be kept at 40°C or less to prevent bacterial growth, and it should be stored in an oxygen-free state for 24 to 72 hours (preferably 36 to 48 hours).

[0033] Next, the polished rice is separated into single grains (S9 (loosening process)). In other words, by applying external pressure to the stuck rice grains, the rice grains are almost individually separated. There are no particular restrictions on the method, but for example, polished rice in a clump state caused by aging is put into the gap between the belts of a pair of belt conveyors arranged at a distance from each other, and the polished rice is roughly loosened by moving the belts to transport the polished rice. After that, the polished rice is placed on a mesh net (for example, a 5 mm mesh net with 5 mm openings) and pressed against the net to allow the polished rice to pass through the net. This makes the grains nearly single grains.

[0034] In this loosening process, the rice grains are broken down into almost single grains, which makes it possible to improve the drying efficiency in the subsequent drying process. Furthermore, by breaking the rice grains into almost single grains without damaging them, the rice grains can be dried almost evenly, which makes it possible to further improve the drying efficiency, and by drying the rice grains almost evenly, the taste can be further improved.

[0035] As another method for the loosening process, a pair of conveyor belts are arranged so that the gap between the belts gradually becomes smaller, and polished rice that has been aged and is in a clump state is placed in the gap between the belts. By moving the belts to transport the polished rice, the gap between the two belts gradually narrows, and the polished rice is loosened into single grains.

[0036] Alternatively, a plurality of screens with different mesh opening sizes may be prepared, and the aged polished rice may be passed through each of the screens. By gradually decreasing the mesh opening size of the screen through which the polished rice is passed, the polished rice may be gradually loosened into single grains.

[0037] Next, the polished rice loosened in the loosening process is dried so that the water activity value of the polished rice is less than 0.94 (S10 (drying process)). There are no particular restrictions on the temperature, time, air volume, or method of drying as long as the water activity value is less than 0.94. However, if the water activity value is too low, the taste will deteriorate, so it is preferable to set the water activity value to 0.90 or more and closer to 0.94. In other words, if the water activity value is less than 0.90, the taste will not be good, but will be slightly poor or poor. In addition, if the water activity value is 0.94 or more, it will have to be refrigerated and cannot be distributed at room temperature. In other words, it is preferable to set the water activity value to 0.90 or more and less than 0.94, and more preferably closer to 0.94. Note that if the water activity value is 0.85 or more, a slightly poor taste can be obtained (see Example 3 (described later)), so the water activity value may be 0.85 or more and less than 0.94.

[0038] Next, the dried polished rice is weighed out in predetermined amounts, and the weighed polished rice is filled into a container (e.g., a plastic bag) and sealed (S11 (sealing step)). At this time, an oxygen-impermeable container (e.g., a bag) is used as the container, and an oxygen absorber is placed in the container and sealed, but there are no particular restrictions other than placing the oxygen absorber in an oxygen-impermeable container (i.e., an oxygen-impermeable container) and sealing it. In other words, since the water activity value is less than 0.94, the growth of Clostridium botulinum can be suppressed even in a low-oxygen state, but the growth of general viable bacteria cannot be suppressed, so the oxygen absorber is placed in an oxygen-impermeable container and sealed. Note that if the oxygen absorber has a high oxygen-scavenging ability, the container does not need to be oxygen-impermeable. Also, if the water activity is less than 0.50, there is no risk of bacterial growth, so the configuration of the oxygen absorber and the oxygen-impermeable container may be omitted.

[0039] As described above, the rice is heated after the water adhering to the surface of the polished rice is removed in the draining process, so quick-cooking rice with a moisture content of approximately 25 to 36% (preferably 33±3%) can be obtained.

[0040] In addition, since the water activity value is less than 0.94, it can be distributed at room temperature. In other words, it can be distributed as a product sealed in a sealing process. In addition, since the oxygen absorber is placed in an oxygen-impermeable container and sealed, the growth of general viable bacteria can be suppressed even if the water activity value is less than 0.94 and is 0.50 or more.

[0041] In addition, since the polished rice is aged in the maturing process and then separated into single grains in the loosening process, almost every grain can be separated into single grains, which improves the drying efficiency in the drying process.

[0042] Furthermore, quick-cooking rice such as that of the present invention can be cooked in a short time by adding water and heating. For example, in the case of a rice cooker, it is possible to cook the rice simply by adding the quick-cooking rice and water and turning the cooker on. This shortens the cooking time, and there is no need to wash or soak the rice as is the case with cooking regular raw rice.

[0043] Furthermore, in order to omit the drying step after single granulation, the single granulated polished rice may be sealed in a sealed container with a moisture absorbent such as calcium oxide, calcium chloride, or tetraphosphorus decaoxide together with an oxygen scavenger, without drying the polished rice, thereby absorbing moisture from the polished rice in the sealed container, and as a result, the polished rice may be dried to reduce the water activity to less than 0.94.

[0044] That is, the polished rice loosened in the loosening process is filled into a container (specifically, a plastic container (e.g., a bag) that is not permeable to oxygen) together with an oxygen scavenger and a moisture absorbent, and then sealed (sealing process). When a sealing process (hereinafter referred to as a "new sealing process") is performed in which the polished rice is sealed in a container together with an oxygen scavenger and a moisture absorbent, the processes prior to the drying process (S10), i.e., the processes from the polishing rice (S1) to the loosening process (S9), are the same as those described above, and the new sealing process is performed following the loosening process, and the drying process is omitted. Furthermore, when filling a container with the polished rice loosened in the loosening process, the polished rice may be sealed together with an oxygen scavenger and a moisture absorbent without being weighed out in predetermined amounts to set the water activity value to less than 0.94, and then the polished rice may be weighed out in predetermined amounts and sealed together with an oxygen scavenger in another container (specifically, an oxygen-impermeable plastic container (e.g., a bag)) to produce the product, or alternatively, the polished rice may be weighed out in predetermined amounts, the weighed polished rice may be filled into a container, and the polished rice sealed in the container together with the oxygen scavenger and moisture absorbent may be used as the product as is. When the polished rice sealed in a container together with the oxygen scavenger and moisture absorbent is used as the product as is, the drying process is omitted, and therefore there is no need for equipment or time for the drying process.

[0045] Furthermore, even when this new sealing process is performed, by maturing the polished rice in the maturation process, it is possible to separate the rice grains almost one by one in the loosening process. As a result, the rice grains can be dried almost evenly in the new sealing process, further improving the drying efficiency. Also, by separating the rice grains almost one by one in the loosening process, the drying efficiency in the new sealing process can be improved. Furthermore, by separating the rice grains almost one by one without damaging them, the rice grains can be dried almost evenly, further improving the drying efficiency, and drying the rice grains almost evenly can be improved.

[0046] Reducing the water activity value to less than 0.94 depends on the capacity and volume of the moisture absorbent, so apart from the need to seal the volume of single-granulated polished rice that can reduce the water activity value to less than 0.94, there are no particular restrictions on the form, such as granules or sheets, but since the moisture absorbent comes into contact with food, it should be wrapped in a packaging material such as nonwoven fabric so that it does not come into direct contact with food, and the strength of the packaging material should be such that it will not break when placed in a container together with the polished rice and oxygen absorber.

[0047] The capacity and capacity of the moisture absorbent is preferably set so that the water activity is 0.90 or more, which improves the taste. In other words, the capacity and capacity of the moisture absorbent are preferably set so that the water activity of the polished rice is 0.90 or more and less than 0.94 when the moisture absorbent is sealed in a container together with polished rice and left to stand (for example, for 12 hours or more). EXAMPLES

[0048] Example 1 will be described below. For the polished rice, 800 g of Akitakomachi rice produced in Akita Prefecture was prepared and washed in the usual way (rice washing process), and the washed polished rice raw material was soaked in 2000 g of clean water and left for 90 minutes to allow the polished rice raw material to absorb the water (soaking process). The soaked polished rice raw material was removed from the soaking water (removal process), transferred to a colander and left for 10 minutes, and the water remaining in the lower part of the colander was forcibly sucked up with a suction machine that can suck up water (draining process), and 1040 g of soaked polished rice raw material was obtained. Next, the soaked and drained polished rice raw material was placed in a colander with a diameter of 30 cm and a height of 30 mm so that the thickness was uniformly about 3 cm, and heated in a steam chamber at 100°C for 5 minutes (heating process) to gelatinize the polished rice raw material. The steamer used here was a sealed container with an opening only at the top, where steam generated by a general boiler (steam generator) was released into the sealed container from the bottom, and the sieve containing the above-mentioned polished rice raw material was placed inside the sealed container for heating. Next, the heated polished rice raw material was exposed to wind at 10°C or less for 10 minutes, and the heated polished rice raw material was cooled to 10°C or less (cooling process), filled into a pouch, sealed, and left in a refrigerator at 8°C for 24 hours to stabilize (aging process). The stabilized polished rice raw material was broken into single grains by applying pressure from the outside of the pouch, and after opening and removing the pouch, it was rubbed on a 5mm mesh screen to further break into single grains until it was uniformly broken into single grains close to individual rice grains (loosening process). The single-grained polished rice raw material was spread evenly on a mesh that rice grains could not pass through to a thickness of about 1 cm, and then exposed to 25°C wind for 30 minutes to dry (drying process), yielding low water activity quick-cooking rice. After drying, the weight was 900g, the moisture content was 26.0%, and the water activity was 0.938. In addition, 450g of the low water activity quick-cooking rice obtained by this process was placed in a rice cooker (Panasonic SR-FD107) together with 600g of water, and cooked in the quick-cooking mode (cooking time: 25 minutes), and the weight and taste after cooking were confirmed. The taste was good (see Table 1). EXAMPLES

[0049] Next, in Example 2, the same process as in Example 1 was used except that the temperature of the drying conditions was changed to 25°C and the drying time was changed to 1 hour, and dried quick-cooked rice with a post-drying weight of 860g, a post-drying moisture value of 23.0%, and a water activity value of 0.905 was obtained. The rice was cooked under the same conditions as in Example 1 except that the cooking conditions were changed to 430g of dried quick-cooked rice and 5630g of water (cooking time was 25 minutes), and the post-cooking weight and taste were confirmed. The taste was good (see Table 1). EXAMPLES

[0050] Next, in Example 3, the same process as in Example 1 was used, except that the drying conditions were changed to an air temperature of 25°C and a drying time of 3 hours, and dried quick-cooking rice with a post-drying weight of 830g, a post-drying moisture value of 21.0%, and a water activity value of 0.858 was obtained. The rice was cooked under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that the cooking conditions were changed to 415g of dried quick-cooking rice and 650g of water (cooking time was 25 minutes), and the post-cooking weight and taste were confirmed. The taste was somewhat poor (see Table 1). EXAMPLES

[0051] Next, in Example 4, the same process as in Example 1 was used, except that the drying conditions were changed to an air temperature of 90°C and a drying time of 30 minutes, and dried quick-cooked rice with a post-drying weight of 760g, a post-drying moisture value of 15.0%, and a water activity value of 0.750 was obtained. The rice was cooked under the same conditions as in Example 1, except that the cooking conditions were changed to 380g of dried quick-cooked rice and 670g of water (cooking time was 30 minutes), and the post-cooking weight and taste were confirmed. The taste was poor (see Table 1).

[0052] In addition, as a comparative example 1, 300 g of Akita Komachi rice produced in Akita Prefecture was prepared for polishing and washed in the usual way. After that, we put it in a rice cooker (Panasonic SR-FD107) with 500g of water and cooked it in eco cooking mode (cooking time: 50 minutes). After cooking, we checked the weight and taste. The taste was good (see Table 1).

[0053] In addition, as Comparative Example 2, 300 g of Akitakomachi rice produced in Akita Prefecture was prepared for polishing, washed in the usual way, and then placed in a rice cooker (Panasonic SR-FD107) with 500 g of water and cooked in the quick cooking mode (cooking time: 30 minutes). The weight after cooking (680 g) was checked, and the taste was also checked. The taste was somewhat poor (see Table 1).

[0054] [Table 1] EXAMPLES

[0055] In Example 5, 800g of polished rice from Hokkaido, Hakucho Mochi, was used and processed under the same conditions as in Example 1, to obtain dried quick-cooking rice with a weight of 950g after drying, a moisture content of 33.1%, and a water activity of 0.938. 400g of the dried quick-cooking rice obtained as the raw material for polished glutinous rice and 250g of water were placed in a rice cooker (Panasonic SR-FD107) and cooked in the quick-cooking mode (cooking time: 25 minutes), and the weight and taste after cooking were confirmed. The taste was good (see Table 2).

[0056] In addition, as Comparative Example 3, 300g of Hokkaido-produced Hakucho Mochi rice was prepared for polishing, washed in the usual way, and then placed in a rice cooker (Panasonic SR-FD107) with 400g of water and cooked in the cooked rice mode (cooking time: 55 minutes). The weight after cooking (600g) was checked, and the taste was also checked. The taste was good (see Table 2).

[0057] [Table 2]

[0058] It can be said that the above Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are cases where non-glutinous rice is used, and Example 5 and Comparative Example 3 are cases where glutinous rice is used. Also, Examples 1 to 5 are cases where quick-cooking rice is cooked, whereas the above Comparative Examples 1 to 3 are cases where raw rice is cooked, and it can be said that the cooking times are different in Comparative Examples 1 to 3.

[0059] As described above, in Examples 1 to 5, by setting the water activity value to 0.90 or more, the taste was improved, and even when compared with the case of cooking raw rice, the taste was comparable to that when the cooking time was sufficiently long (Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 3). EXAMPLES

[0060] In Example 6, the same process as in Example 1 was carried out until the rice was granulated, and 1000 g of the granulated milled rice raw material was sealed in a sealed container together with an oxygen scavenger and 350 g of calcium oxide wrapped in nonwoven fabric or the like, and stored at room temperature of 25°C for 24 hours. After opening, 910 g of milled rice raw material was taken out, with a moisture content of 26.2% and a water activity value of 0.938. In addition, 450 g of the low water activity quick-cooking rice obtained by the process was placed in a rice cooker (Panasonic SR-FD107) together with 600 g of water, and cooked in the quick-cooking mode (cooking time: 25 minutes), and the weight and taste after cooking were confirmed. The taste was good (see Table 1).

Claims

1. A method for producing quick-cooking rice, comprising: A rice washing process to wash the polished rice; A soaking process in which the washed polished rice is soaked in soaking water; A removing step of removing the soaked polished rice from the soaking water; A draining process to drain the water from the removed polished rice; a heating step of heating the drained polished rice with steam or microwaves to gelatinize at least a portion of the rice starch in the polished rice; A cooling step of cooling the heated polished rice; The cooled rice is aged in a maturation process. The loosening process involves loosening the aged polished rice into single grains, a drying step of drying the single-granulated polished rice to make the water activity value of the polished rice 0.90 or more and less than 0.94; a sealing step of weighing the dried polished rice, filling it into a container, and sealing it together with an oxygen absorber; A method for producing quick-cooking rice, comprising the steps of:

2. The method for producing quick-cooking rice according to claim 1, characterized in that in the cooling step, the polished rice is cooled to a temperature of 1 to 10°C.

3. 3. The method for producing quick-cooking rice according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the maturation step, the rice is stored in an environment of 1 to 10° C. for 12 to 48 hours.

4. A method for producing quick-cooking rice, comprising: A rice washing process to wash the polished rice; A soaking process in which the washed polished rice is soaked in soaking water; A removing step of removing the soaked polished rice from the soaking water; A draining process to drain the water from the removed polished rice; a heating step of heating the drained polished rice with steam or microwaves to gelatinize at least a portion of the rice starch in the polished rice; A cooling step of cooling the heated polished rice; The cooled rice is aged in a maturation process. The loosening process involves loosening the aged polished rice into single grains, a sealing step of filling a container with the single-granulated polished rice and sealing the container together with a moisture absorbent and an oxygen scavenger to adjust the water activity of the polished rice to 0.90 or more and less than 0.94; A method for producing quick-cooking rice, comprising the steps of:

5. The method for producing quick-cooking rice according to claim 4, characterized in that in the cooling step, the polished rice is cooled to a temperature of 1 to 10°C.

6. 6. The method for producing quick-cooking rice according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that in the maturation step, the rice is stored in an environment of 1 to 10° C. for 12 hours to 48 hours.

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