Manufacturing method and manufacturing equipment for natural vanilla extract

Abstract

To provide a method for producing a natural vanilla extract which promotes hydrolysis of glucovanillin to vanillin and improves the quality of vanilla beans. [Solution] A method for producing natural vanilla extract includes a preparation step of preparing an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent, and a fermentation step of irradiating at least vanilla beans B1 with electromagnetic waves while vanilla beans B1 are immersed in the aqueous solution 11, and stirring the aqueous solution 11 to ferment it.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a natural vanilla extract that promotes hydrolysis of glucovanillin to vanillin and improves the quality of vanilla beans. [Background technology]

[0002] The fine aroma of vanilla ice cream and cream puffs comes from a compound called vanillin, which is obtained from the Vanilla genus plant, which belongs to the orchid family. This vanillin is produced by curing harvested vanilla beans through a process that involves fermenting, drying, and aging them. Before fermentation, the vanilla beans are soaked in boiling water for a short period of time, a process known as blue killing, which promotes the activity of β-glucosidase, an enzyme that breaks down glucovanillin, a precursor of vanillin. This activated enzyme breaks down (hydrolyzes) the glycosidic bond of glucovanillin, yielding vanillin.

[0003] The amount of vanillin that can be extracted from a plant is limited, and it is said that 500 kg of vanilla beans are needed to produce 1 kg of vanillin. In addition, the yield of vanilla beans is also affected by the weather, and since vanilla beans can only be grown in tropical regions such as Madagascar and Indonesia, the price of vanilla beans has risen sharply in recent years.

[0004] As a technique for extracting such vanilla extract containing vanillin, for example, the techniques shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are disclosed.

[0005] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves irradiating vanilla beans with ultrasonic waves when extracting the beans with water and / or a water-soluble organic solvent to produce vanilla extract.

[0006] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 comprises a first step of sterilizing the fruit of a vanilla plant or a hybrid thereof under conditions that do not inactivate at least the enzymes contained in the fruit that have the effect of decomposing precursors of aroma components in the fruit and generating aroma components, and a second step of placing the fruit sterilized in the first step in a breathable container that can be opened and closed at least in part, and curing the fruit in a sterile environment where temperature and light irradiation conditions are controlled. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-168355 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5504497 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 claims to irradiate the active ingredient with ultrasonic waves to move the active ingredient into a solvent and extract the active ingredient efficiently in a short time. However, since the amount of β-glucosidase present in vanilla beans varies, there is a problem that hydrolysis of glucovanillin is not sufficiently carried out, resulting in different aromas for each vanilla bean and unstable quality.

[0009] In addition, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 is to suppress the introduction and proliferation of unwanted bacteria and prevent the loss of aromatic components by controlling the temperature and light irradiation conditions after sterilizing the fruit, but as with Patent Document 1, hydrolysis of glucovanillin is not sufficiently carried out, and the quality of the vanilla beans is not stable.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a method and an apparatus for producing a natural vanilla extract that promotes hydrolysis of glucovanillin to vanillin and improves the quality of vanilla beans. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to the present invention includes the steps of: preparing an aqueous solution containing an acid or an oxidizing agent; and fermenting the vanilla beans by irradiating at least the vanilla beans with electromagnetic waves while the vanilla beans are immersed in the aqueous solution and stirring the aqueous solution to ferment the vanilla beans.

[0012] As described above, in the present invention, vanilla beans are fermented while being immersed in an aqueous solution containing an acid or an oxidizing agent, so that the glucovanillin contained in the vanilla beans can be hydrolyzed not only by a decomposing enzyme but also by an acid or an oxidizing agent, and a large amount of glucovanillin is hydrolyzed to vanillin, resulting in high-quality vanilla beans. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a production apparatus for natural vanilla extract according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of a method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of a method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a production apparatus for natural vanilla extract according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a production apparatus for natural vanilla extract according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a production apparatus for natural vanilla extract according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] (First embodiment of the present invention) A method and an apparatus for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment involves putting pre-fermented vanilla beans into an aqueous solution containing an acid or an oxidizing agent, and irradiating and stirring the vanilla beans in this state with electromagnetic waves, thereby hydrolyzing most of the glucovanillin contained in the vanilla beans into vanillin and producing high-quality vanilla beans.

[0015] First, a manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing a natural vanilla extract will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing apparatus for a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the natural vanilla extract manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with a water tank 10 in which an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is stored, an irradiation unit 20 that irradiates electromagnetic waves to at least vanilla beans B1 before fermentation, which consist of pods and the seeds contained in the pods, while the vanilla beans B1 are immersed in the aqueous solution 11, a stirring unit 30 that stirs the aqueous solution 11 into which the vanilla beans B1 have been added, and a control unit 40 that controls the operation of the irradiation unit 20 and the stirring unit 30. In FIG. 1, a microwave irradiation device is used as the irradiation unit 20, and an ultrasonic vibration device is used as the stirring unit 30.

[0016] Examples of the acid contained in the aqueous solution 11 include acetic acid, hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid), and sulfuric acid. Moreover, the oxidizing agent contained in the aqueous solution 11 may be, for example, ozone. When ozone is used as the oxidizing agent, ozone gas may be injected from a cylinder or the like into the water (distilled water, ion-exchanged water, etc.) stored in the water tank 10, or ozone may be generated directly in the water by irradiating the water with ultraviolet rays. If ozone is used as the oxidizing agent, bacteria and viruses can be inactivated, so that deterioration in the quality and spoilage of vanilla beans can be suppressed.

[0017] The acid or oxidizing agent contained in the water in the water tank 10 may be used alone or in combination. The concentration of the aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent cannot be generalized because the oxidizing power differs depending on the acid or oxidizing agent used, but for example, in the case of an aqueous solution of acetic acid, it can be set in the range of 0.1 to 1 mol / L. By setting the acetic acid concentration within this range, the hydrolysis of glucovanillin progresses effectively and excessive oxidation and corrosion can be prevented.

[0018] The hydrolysis of glucovanillin using the above-mentioned acid or oxidizing agent proceeds according to the following reaction formula (1).

[0019] [ka]

[0020] In the hydrolysis of glucovanillin shown in reaction (1), hydrogen ions (H + Glucovanillin is decomposed into glucose and vanillin by the action of oxidants such as hydroxyl radicals (·OH), which are produced by the reaction of ozone with water.

[0021] The irradiation unit 20 irradiates at least the vanilla beans B1 with electromagnetic waves to heat them, activating β-glucosidase, an enzyme that decomposes glucovanillin, and promoting hydrolysis into vanillin. Examples of electromagnetic waves irradiated to the vanilla beans B1 include light rays such as infrared rays and radio waves such as microwaves, and microwaves are preferred. When microwaves are used as electromagnetic waves, the seeds in the pods can be pinpoint-heated, reducing damage to the pods. Moreover, irradiating the aqueous solution 11 with microwaves can activate the movement of hydrogen ions in the aqueous solution 11, further promoting hydrolysis. Furthermore, microwaves can cleave the glycosidic bond of glucovanillin, thereby increasing the production of vanillin. The frequency of the electromagnetic waves is not particularly limited as long as it can promote the hydrolysis of glucovanillin, but for example, when microwaves are used as the electromagnetic waves, the frequency is preferably in the range of 300 to 3000 MHz, and more preferably in the range of 915 to 2450 MHz. By setting the frequency of the microwaves in this range, it is possible to effectively promote the rotation of water molecules and the destruction of hydrogen bonds formed between glucovanillin and water molecules, thereby promoting the hydrolysis reaction. In addition, within this frequency range, the energy transmission efficiency of the microwaves is high and they can act on the glycosidic bonds with pinpoint accuracy, so that the hydrolysis reaction can be promoted while minimizing damage to the pods of vanilla beans B1.

[0022] The stirring unit 30 homogenizes the temperature rise of the aqueous solution 11 caused by the electromagnetic wave irradiation from the irradiation unit 20 by stirring the aqueous solution 11 . Examples of the stirring means include ultrasonic dispersion, aeration, stirring using a magnetic stirrer, etc. Among them, when ultrasonic waves are used as the stirring means, it is possible to prevent violent contact between the vanilla beans B1 and large movement (displacement) in the aqueous solution 11, so that the pods are not damaged, the quality is stabilized, and the commercial value can be improved. In addition, the minute vibrations caused by ultrasonic waves make it easier for the aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent to permeate into the vanilla beans B1, and the hydrolysis of glucovanillin can be promoted. When ultrasonic dispersion is used as the stirring means, the ultrasonic oscillation frequency can be set, for example, in the range of 20 to 40 MHz. By setting the ultrasonic oscillation frequency in this range, it is possible to apply appropriate vibrations and uniformly stir the aqueous solution 11 without damaging the pods of the vanilla beans B1, and it is also easy for the aqueous solution 11 to permeate into the inside of the vanilla beans. Furthermore, it is also effective in accelerating the hydrolysis reaction because it activates the vibration of water molecules.

[0023] The control unit 40 controls the operations of the irradiation unit 20 and the stirring unit 30. The control unit 40 may control the irradiation unit 20 and the stirring unit 30 to operate continuously, or may control them to operate intermittently by stopping at least one of the irradiation unit 20 and the stirring unit 30 regularly or irregularly depending on the temperature of the aqueous solution 11, etc. For example, when the temperature of the aqueous solution 11 exceeds a preset upper limit temperature, the irradiation of the electromagnetic waves from the irradiation unit 20 may be temporarily stopped and only stirring by the stirring unit 30 may be performed, and when the temperature of the aqueous solution 11 falls below a preset lower limit temperature, the irradiation of the electromagnetic waves may be resumed again. Furthermore, the direction of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the irradiation unit 20 may be controlled according to the position and distribution of the vanilla beans B1 in the aqueous solution 11 recognized by image recognition or the like. For example, the electromagnetic waves may be irradiated only to a portion where the vanilla beans B1 are distributed in large amounts, or the amount and intensity of the electromagnetic waves may be changed for each distribution region according to the distribution amount of the vanilla beans B1.

[0024] Next, a description will be given of a method for producing a natural vanilla extract using the production apparatus 1. Fig. 2 is a flow chart showing the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment.

[0025] First, as a preliminary preparation, an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is prepared (step S1) and stored in a water tank 10. Next, pre-fermented vanilla beans B1 are placed in the water tank 10 in which the aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is stored (step S2). In steps S1 and S2, as shown in processes A and B of Fig. 3, a predetermined amount of harvested vanilla beans B1 that have been appropriately washed or the like is prepared according to the size of the water tank 10, and the vanilla beans B1 are gently immersed in the water tank 10 so that the aqueous solution 11 containing the acid or the like does not splash outside the water tank 10. The water tank 10 is made of a material that is resistant to corrosion by the acid or oxidizing agent contained in the aqueous solution 11. In steps S1 and S2, vanilla beans B1 may be added to water, and then an acid or an oxidizing agent may be dissolved in the water.

[0026] Next, the vanilla beans B1 are irradiated with electromagnetic waves from the irradiation unit 20, and the aqueous solution 11 is stirred by the stirring unit 30 to ferment the vanilla beans B1 (step S3, corresponding to process C in FIG. 3). The irradiation of the vanilla beans B1 with electromagnetic waves and stirring may be started simultaneously, or stirring may be performed after the electromagnetic wave irradiation. In step S3, the temperature of the aqueous solution 11 during the fermentation of the vanilla beans B1 may be monitored by a temperature control unit (not shown). In this step S3, the green vanilla beans B1 are fermented and discolored to become black, fermented vanilla beans B2 that contain a large amount of vanillin.

[0027] Finally, the vanilla beans B2 containing natural vanilla extract can be produced by recovering the vanilla beans B2 from the water tank 10 (step S4). The recovered vanilla beans B2 are sorted according to grade, such as size, and shipped. In this step S4, as shown in steps D and E of Fig. 3, the fermented vanilla beans B2 in the aqueous solution 11 are taken out of the water tank 10 so that the acid in the aqueous solution 11 does not come into contact with hands. The taken-out vanilla beans B2 may be subjected to separate treatments such as washing and drying. In particular, if the acid contained in the aqueous solution 11 is not volatile, the concentration of the acid increases as the vanilla beans B2 dry (evaporation of water), which may damage the pods of the vanilla beans B2, so washing is preferable.

[0028] In this way, vanilla beans B1 are fermented while immersed in aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent, so that the glucovanillin contained in the vanilla beans B1 can be hydrolyzed not only by a decomposing enzyme but also by an acid or an oxidizing agent, and a large amount of glucovanillin is hydrolyzed to vanillin, thereby producing high-quality vanilla beans B2.

[0029] (Second embodiment of the present invention) A method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment includes an aging step of heating the fermented vanilla beans after fermenting the vanilla beans. In this embodiment, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment. In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, first, as a preliminary step, an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is prepared (step S11), and this aqueous solution 11 is stored in a water tank 10. Next, pre-fermented vanilla beans B1 are placed in the water tank 10 in which the aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is stored (step S12). In steps S11 and S12, as shown in processes A and B of Figure 5, a predetermined amount of harvested vanilla beans B1 that have been appropriately washed, etc., are prepared according to the size of the water tank 10, and the vanilla beans B1 are gently immersed in the water tank 10 so that the aqueous solution 11 containing the acid, etc. does not splash outside the water tank 10.

[0031] Subsequently, the vanilla beans B1 are irradiated with electromagnetic waves from the irradiation unit 20, and the aqueous solution 11 is stirred by the stirring unit 30, thereby fermenting the vanilla beans B1 (step S13, corresponding to step C in FIG. 5). In this step S13, the green vanilla beans B1 are fermented and discolored to become black, fermented vanilla beans B2 that contain a large amount of vanillin.

[0032] In step S13, the fermented vanilla beans B2 are removed from the water tank 10, washed and dried as appropriate, and then placed in a heating unit 50 such as a thermostatic bath. In this state, the vanilla beans B2 are heated for a predetermined time to mature (step S14). The term "maturation" used here refers to further decomposing the glucose that has been separated from the vanillin by cleaving the glycosidic bond of glucovanillin in the fermentation process in step S13. In addition, during the aging process and the fermentation process described above, an intermediate product of the hydrolysis of glucovanillin is generated, which is a negatively charged oxygen atom attached to the carbon atom at position 1 of glucose. Various compounds contained in vanilla beans B1 and B2 can bind to the oxygen atom of this intermediate product, producing a complex flavor. In this step S14, as shown in steps D and E of Fig. 5, the fermented vanilla beans B2 in the aqueous solution 11 are taken out of the water tank 10 so as not to come into contact with the acid in the aqueous solution 11, and then the vanilla beans B2 are placed in the heating section 50 so as not to overlap each other. The temperature in the heating section 50 is set to, for example, 30 to 50°C. The vanilla beans B2 taken out of the heating section 50 may be subjected to additional treatments such as washing and drying.

[0033] Finally, vanilla beans B2 containing natural vanilla extract can be produced by recovering vanilla beans B2 from heating section 50 (step S15, corresponding to process F in FIG. 5).

[0034] In this way, since the maturation process in which vanilla beans B2 are heated and maturated is provided after the fermentation process, the glucose separated from the vanillin by fermentation is further decomposed, and vanilla beans B2 having a complex and deep aroma can be obtained.

[0035] (Third embodiment of the present invention) A method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment involves irradiating at least vanilla beans with electromagnetic waves under reduced pressure. In this embodiment, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0036] First, a manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing a natural vanilla extract will be described. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing apparatus for a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the natural vanilla extract manufacturing apparatus 1 is configured to include a sealable water tank 10 in which an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is stored, an irradiation unit 20 that is installed in the water tank 10 and irradiates pre-fermented vanilla beans B1 with electromagnetic waves, a stirring unit 30 that stirs the aqueous solution 11 into which the vanilla beans B1 have been added, a pressure adjustment unit 60 that adjusts the pressure within the sealed water tank 10, and a control unit 40 that controls the operation of the irradiation unit 20, the stirring unit 30, and the pressure adjustment unit 60.

[0037] The pressure adjusting unit 60 adjusts the pressure inside the sealable water tank 10. As the pressure adjusting unit 60, a conventionally known unit can be used, and is composed of, for example, a suction pump, piping, a valve, and the like.

[0038] In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, in step S3 of fermenting vanilla beans B1, the water tank 10 is sealed and the pressure is reduced by sucking air from the water tank 10 using the pressure adjustment unit 60 at the same time as or before or after the irradiation of electromagnetic waves and stirring of the aqueous solution 11. Since step S3 is performed under reduced pressure by the pressure adjustment unit 60, the temperature of the aqueous solution 11 does not increase excessively due to the irradiation of electromagnetic waves. Therefore, the fermentation process under reduced pressure can be carried out by irradiating electromagnetic waves alone without stirring the aqueous solution 11, or can be carried out by irradiating electromagnetic waves in a state where the degree of stirring of the aqueous solution 11 is suppressed (a state where the movement of the aqueous solution 11 is small).

[0039] In this way, since the fermentation process is carried out under reduced pressure, the temperature of the aqueous solution 11 does not rise excessively due to the irradiation of electromagnetic waves, and the pods of the vanilla beans B1 are not easily heated and boiled down, so that high-quality vanilla beans B2 can be obtained. In addition, since the vanilla beans B1 can be heated for a long period of time, the production of vanillin can be further increased.

[0040] (Fourth embodiment of the present invention) A method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, a water tank is stirred with a gas containing an acid or an oxidizing agent in the fermentation process of vanilla beans. In this embodiment, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0041] First, a manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing a natural vanilla extract will be described. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing apparatus for a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the natural vanilla extract production apparatus 1 includes a water tank 10, an irradiation unit 20, an agitation unit 30, and a control unit 40. The stirring unit 30 includes a supply unit 31 capable of supplying a gaseous acid or oxidizing agent, and a mixing unit 32 that mixes the gas supplied from the supply unit 31 with a gas that does not react with the acid or oxidizing agent, such as air or nitrogen gas. The mixing ratio of the acid or oxidizing agent to the air or other gas can be appropriately adjusted and is adjusted within a range of 0:10 to 10:0 depending on the degree of progress of fermentation of the vanilla beans B1, the concentration of the aqueous solution 11, etc.

[0042] In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, in step S3 of fermenting vanilla beans B1, while irradiating vanilla beans with electromagnetic waves from irradiation unit 20, a gas containing an acid or an oxidizing agent mixed in mixer 32 is sent to the bottom of water tank 10 via piping 70 and supplied to aqueous solution 11 from vent hole 71 provided at the tip side of piping 70 for aeration. The vanilla beans B1 are agitated by aeration of the gas containing the acid or oxidizing agent.

[0043] In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to the first embodiment described above, an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is prepared, pre-fermented vanilla beans B1 are added to this aqueous solution 11, and then electromagnetic waves are irradiated from the irradiation unit 20 and the aqueous solution 11 is stirred by the stirring unit 30. However, in this embodiment, a gas containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is supplied from the stirring unit 30 and aeration and stirring are performed with the gas. Therefore, after the vanilla beans B1 are added to water that does not contain an acid or oxidizing agent, electromagnetic waves are irradiated from the irradiation unit 20, and an acid or oxidizing agent is supplied from the stirring unit 30 to be dissolved in the water, while stirring is performed with the airflow, thereby fermenting the vanilla beans B1.

[0044] As described above, in the fermentation process, aqueous solution 11 is aerated and stirred with a gas containing an acid or an oxidizing agent, so that an appropriate amount of acid or oxidizing agent can be supplied to aqueous solution 11 to replenish the acid or oxidizing agent used in the hydrolysis and reduced therein, thereby accelerating the hydrolysis of glucovanillin and shortening the fermentation time.

[0045] (Fifth embodiment of the present invention) A method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, an aqueous solution containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is sprayed onto vanilla beans during the fermentation process of the vanilla beans, and the vanilla beans are irradiated with electromagnetic waves. In this embodiment, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0046] First, a manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing a natural vanilla extract will be described. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing apparatus for a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the natural vanilla extract manufacturing apparatus 1 is configured to include a spraying unit 80 that sprays an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent, an irradiation unit 20 that irradiates unfermented vanilla beans B1 with electromagnetic waves, and a control unit 40 that controls the operation of the irradiation unit 20 and the stirring unit 30.

[0047] The spray unit 80 sprays the aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent in a liquid or gaseous state toward the vanilla beans B1. When the aqueous solution 11 is sprayed in a gaseous state from the spray unit 80, the vanilla beans B1 can be placed in a heated sealed space in order to maintain the gaseous state of the aqueous solution 11. When the fermentation of the vanilla beans B1 is carried out in a heated sealed space, the electromagnetic wave irradiation from the irradiation unit 20 may be suppressed.

[0048] In the method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to this embodiment, in steps S2 and S3 of fermenting vanilla beans B1, instead of stirring the aqueous solution 11 using a stirring unit 30, an aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is sprayed from a spray unit 80 onto the vanilla beans B1 placed on a workbench T, and electromagnetic waves are irradiated from an irradiation unit 20 to ferment the vanilla beans B1. In the example shown in Figure 8, vanilla beans B1 are placed on a workbench T, but in order to increase the spraying efficiency of the aqueous solution 11, the aqueous solution 11 may be sprayed while the vanilla beans B1 are suspended. The vanilla beans B2 thus fermented are washed, dried, etc. as appropriate, and then recovered.

[0049] In this way, aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is sprayed in a liquid or gas state onto vanilla beans B1, and at least the vanilla beans B1 are irradiated with electromagnetic waves to cause fermentation. This makes it possible to hydrolyze the glucovanillin contained in the vanilla beans B1 not only with a decomposing enzyme but also with an acid or an oxidizing agent, and a large amount of glucovanillin is hydrolyzed to vanillin, thereby obtaining high-quality vanilla beans B2. In particular, when the aqueous solution 11 containing an acid or an oxidizing agent is sprayed in a gaseous state onto the vanilla beans B1, the acid or oxidizing agent can be sprayed in the form of smaller particles, allowing the acid or oxidizing agent to act effectively on the glucovanillin.

[0050] The above-described embodiments can be used in appropriate combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Manufacturing equipment 10. Aquarium 11 Aqueous solution 20 Irradiation unit 30 Mixing section 31 Supply section 32 Mixing section 40 Control section 50 Heating section 60 Pressure adjustment section 70 Piping 71 Ventilation hole 80 Spray section B1, B2 vanilla beans T Workbench

Claims

1. A preparation step of preparing an aqueous solution containing an acid or an oxidizing agent; and a fermentation step of irradiating at least the vanilla beans immersed in the aqueous solution with electromagnetic waves while irradiating ultrasonic waves to the vanilla beans, thereby stirring the aqueous solution and fermenting the vanilla beans.

2. 2. The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to claim 1, A method for producing a natural vanilla extract, comprising the step of heating and maturing the fermented vanilla beans for a predetermined period of time after the fermentation step.

3. 2. The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to claim 1, A method for producing a natural vanilla extract, wherein the fermentation step comprises irradiating at least the vanilla beans with electromagnetic waves under reduced pressure.

4. 2. The method for producing a natural vanilla extract according to claim 1, The fermentation step is characterized in that the aqueous solution containing the vanilla beans is aerated and stirred with a gas containing the acid or the oxidizing agent.

5. an irradiation unit that irradiates at least the vanilla beans with electromagnetic waves while the vanilla beans are immersed in an aqueous solution containing an acid or an oxidizing agent; a stirring unit that irradiates ultrasonic waves to stir the aqueous solution; A control unit that controls the operation of the irradiation unit and the stirring unit, The apparatus for producing natural vanilla extract, wherein the control unit controls the irradiation unit to irradiate electromagnetic waves while irradiating the stirring unit with ultrasonic waves.

6. The apparatus for producing natural vanilla extract according to claim 5, The apparatus for producing natural vanilla extract further comprises a heating unit which heats and matures the fermented vanilla beans by irradiating them with electromagnetic waves from the irradiation unit and stirring the aqueous solution with the stirring unit.

7. The apparatus for producing natural vanilla extract according to claim 5, A natural vanilla extract manufacturing apparatus comprising a pressure adjusting unit capable of adjusting the pressure in the water tank in which the aqueous solution is stored.

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