Method for producing slow-thawing frozen cooked noodles

Abstract

To provide frozen cooked noodles which have little deterioration in texture and appearance when the frozen cooked noodles are subjected to slow thawing.SOLUTION: A production method of frozen cooked noodles for slow thawing comprises kneading a raw material powder containing one or more kinds of cereal flour selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour and a processed tapioca starch, with an organic acid and / or an organic acid salt to prepare noodle dough of pH 4.5 to 5.5. A mass ratio of the one or more kinds of cereal flour selected from the group consisting of the wheat flour and the buckwheat flour and the processed tapioca starch in the raw material powder is 20:80 to 75:25.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] While cooked noodles are a convenient food that can be eaten as is or after simple preparation such as heating in a microwave oven, they have poor shelf life and are not suitable for wide distribution. By storing cooked noodles frozen and slowly thawing them at the appropriate time before selling them, not only can the shelf life problem be resolved, but wide distribution becomes possible, enabling cost reduction through mass production. However, cooked noodles that have been conventionally frozen and then slowly thawed suffer from quality degradation, such as a decrease in viscoelasticity, an increased sense of staleness, and a decrease in transparency.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing cooked and frozen noodles, which involves pregelatinizing noodles produced from a raw material flour containing 5 to 80% by mass of processed tapioca starch, adhering a composition containing collagen peptide to the noodles, and freezing them, and describes how the produced noodles have a good texture after thawing. Patent Document 2 describes how adding an organic acid and / or organic acid salt with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 in a 1% by mass aqueous solution to the water used to prepare the noodle dough and the water used to boil the resulting noodles produces boiled noodles that are free of sourness or acidic odor, have a good firmness, are easy to disintegrate, and have excellent storage stability. Patent Document 3 describes how adding an aqueous solution with a pH of 5.6 to 6.0 containing a small amount of an organic acid and organic acid salt to a raw material flour containing 50% or more by mass of wheat flour and mixing them to produce noodle dough produces noodles or noodle skins with a good viscoelastic texture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 115366 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-027930 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6523541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention provides cooked frozen noodles that show little deterioration in texture and appearance when slowly thawed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present inventors have discovered that cooked and frozen noodles produced from a noodle dough of a specified pH, which is prepared by kneading a raw material flour containing specified amounts of wheat flour or buckwheat flour and modified tapioca starch together with an organic acid and / or an organic acid salt, have a good texture and appearance after slow thawing.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for producing slow-thawing frozen cooked noodles, comprising the steps of: The method comprises kneading a raw material flour containing one or more types of cereal flour selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour, and modified tapioca starch, together with an organic acid and / or an organic acid salt to prepare a noodle dough having a pH of 4.5 to 5.5; the mass ratio of the one or more cereal flours selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour to the processed tapioca starch in the raw material flour is 20:80 to 75:25; A method is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, cooked frozen noodles can be provided that have excellent viscoelasticity, little dry texture due to aging, and a transparent appearance, even after slow thawing, and have a good texture and appearance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In the present invention, the type and shape of noodles are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, noodle strands or noodle skins. Examples of noodles include udon, hiyamugi, kishimen, somen, soba, hiyamen, and pasta, of which udon and soba are preferred. The noodles may be Chinese noodles, but Chinese noodles containing alkaline water such as alkaline salts as ingredients are not suitable for the noodles provided by the present invention.

[0010] The raw material flour for the cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention contains one or more cereal flours (A) selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour, and modified tapioca starch (B). The wheat flour used for the raw material flour may be any flour commonly used in the production of noodles, such as hard flour, semi-hard flour, all-purpose flour, soft flour, durum flour, and whole wheat flour. These wheat flours may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Preferably, all-purpose flour is used as the main component. The buckwheat flour used for the raw material flour may also be any flour commonly used in the production of noodles.

[0011] The processed tapioca starch used in the raw material flour is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of etherified tapioca starch and acetylated tapioca starch. Examples of etherified starch include hydroxypropylated starch and carboxymethylated starch. Examples of acetylated starch include starch acetate. The etherified starch and acetylated starch may be cross-linked, and may include, for example, hydroxypropylated phosphorus-cross-linked starch, acetylated adipate-cross-linked starch, acetylated phosphate-cross-linked starch, etc.

[0012] Preferably, the raw material flour contains a total of 80 mass% or more of one or more cereal flours (A) selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour, and the processed tapioca starch (B). The mass ratio of (A) to (B) in the raw material flour is (A):(B) = 20:80 to 75:25, and preferably 30:70 to 70:30. If the (B) content is too low, the texture and appearance of the noodles after slow thawing will be impaired. On the other hand, if the (A) content is too low, it may have a negative impact on workability during noodle production and the texture of the noodles, or may result in noodles that lack the characteristic flour-like flavor.

[0013] The mass ratio of wheat flour to buckwheat flour in the raw material flour may be adjusted appropriately within the range of (wheat flour):(buckwheat flour) = 100:0 to 0:100, and preferably 25:75 to 100:0. Preferably, the raw material flour contains wheat flour in an amount of 15 mass% or more based on the total amount.

[0014] In addition to the aforementioned (A) and (B), the raw material flour may further contain other ingredients conventionally used in the production of noodles. Examples of such other ingredients include, but are not limited to, cereal flours other than wheat flour; starches, including unmodified starches other than modified tapioca starch and modified starches; proteins such as gluten, soy protein, milk protein, egg yolk powder, egg white powder, whole egg powder, and skim milk powder; oils and fats, such as animal and vegetable oils, emulsified oils and fats, and shortening; salt; alkaline water; sugars; sweeteners; calcined calcium; dietary fiber; spices; seasonings; vitamins, minerals, nutritional fortifiers; colorants; flavorings; dextrin (including resistant dextrins); leavening agents; emulsifiers; thickeners; water-retaining agents; preservatives; enzymes; pH adjusters; and oxidation-reducing agents. These other ingredients can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The total content of such other ingredients in the raw material flour used in the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less. The amount of each of the other ingredients in the raw material flour can be determined appropriately depending on the type of noodles desired.

[0015] Preferably, the raw material flour contains gluten. The gluten content in the raw material flour is preferably 3 to 15 mass%, more preferably 5 to 15 mass%, of the total amount. Furthermore, the mass ratio of the processed tapioca starch (A) to the gluten (C) in the raw material flour is preferably (A):(C) = 10:1 to 3:1.

[0016] In the present invention, a noodle dough with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5 is prepared from the raw material flour described above. Preferably, the pH of the noodle dough produced in the present invention is 4.5 to 5.25. If the pH of the noodle dough is too high, the effect of improving the texture and appearance of the noodles after slow thawing will be insufficient. On the other hand, if the pH of the noodle dough is too low, the workability of the noodle dough will decrease and the viscoelasticity of the noodles after slow thawing will decrease. In this specification, the pH of the noodle dough refers to the pH (25°C) of a suspension obtained by suspending 10 g of noodle dough (prepared without being cooked or dried) in 90 mL of water. Furthermore, in this specification, the pH of boiled noodles refers to the pH (25°C) of a suspension obtained by suspending 10 g of boiled noodles as they are, or boiled noodles after soaking in acid, in 90 mL of water.

[0017] The noodle dough can be prepared by kneading the raw material flour with kneading water using standard methods, except that in the present invention, the raw material flour is kneaded together with an organic acid and / or organic acid salt. This produces a noodle dough with a pH within the above-mentioned range. For example, in the method of the present invention, the organic acid and / or organic acid salt may be blended with the raw material flour in advance, and then kneading water (e.g., water, salt water, etc.) is added to the raw material flour, or the organic acid and / or organic acid salt and kneading water may be added separately to the raw material flour and then kneaded. Alternatively, a weakly acidic aqueous solution containing an organic acid and / or organic acid salt may be added as kneading water to the raw material flour before kneading. Preferably, the noodle dough is prepared using a weakly acidic aqueous solution containing an organic acid and / or organic acid salt as the kneading water. The amount of kneading water used to prepare the noodle dough, in terms of the water content of the kneading water, is preferably 25 to 65 parts by mass, and more preferably 35 to 50 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour.

[0018] Examples of organic acids used in preparing the noodle dough include monovalent to trivalent organic acids, such as at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, phytic acid, and tartaric acid. Preferably, at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid is used, and more preferably, lactic acid. Examples of salts of organic acids include at least one selected from the group consisting of citrate, malate, fumarate, gluconate, succinate, adipate, lactate, acetate, itaconate, phytate, and tartrate, and preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of citrate, malate, fumarate, lactate, and acetate, and more preferably, lactate. Examples of salts include sodium salts, potassium salts, magnesium salts, and calcium salts, with sodium salts and potassium salts being preferred. Preferably, organic acids and organic salts are used in preparing the noodle dough. For example, the weakly acidic aqueous solution used in preparing the noodle dough is preferably an aqueous solution of an organic acid and an organic acid salt. In this case, the mass ratio of the organic acid to the organic acid salt used will vary depending on their types, but is usually organic acid:organic acid salt = 1:0.5 to 20, preferably 1:0.5 to 5, and more preferably 1:1 to 4. Furthermore, the organic acid in the organic acid salt may be of the same type as or a different type from the organic acid used in combination, but is preferably of the same type.

[0019] The amount of organic acid and / or organic acid salt used in preparing the noodle dough can be adjusted appropriately depending on the amount of raw material flour and kneading water, the desired pH of the noodle dough, etc. Preferably, the total amount of organic acid and / or organic acid salt used is 0.03 to 3 parts by mass, and preferably 0.1 to 1.0 part by mass, per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour.

[0020] The cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention are produced from the resulting noodle dough. More specifically, noodles are produced from the noodle dough, the produced noodles are cooked, and the cooked noodles are frozen. Conventional methods can be used to produce noodles from the noodle dough. Examples include a method in which the noodle dough is rolled using a noodle roller to obtain a noodle band, and then this noodle band is cut using a cutting blade or the like to obtain noodle strands, and a method in which the noodle dough is extruded to obtain noodle strands.

[0021] Methods for cooking noodles include boiling and steaming. Preferably, the noodles are gelatinized by cooking so that they can be eaten. The water used for boiling or steaming can be water, saline water, acidic water, etc. The cooked noodles are then drained, cooled in water, air-cooled, or the like as needed, and then frozen. The freezing process can be either quick freezing or slow freezing, with quick freezing being preferred. When freezing, the noodles are preferably divided into portions, for example, for individual meals, and then frozen. For example, the cooked noodles can be water-cooled and drained, and then divided into portions for one meal to form a noodle block, which can be packaged as needed and then quick-frozen. The frozen noodles can be stored under normal frozen storage conditions.

[0022] The cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention can be produced by the above procedure. The cooked and frozen noodles produced according to the method of the present invention are eaten after slow thawing. When slow thawing the cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention, the noodles in a frozen state may be thawed at room temperature, in running water, or under refrigeration. Preferably, the cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention are thawed under refrigeration (preferably at 0 to 10°C). From the viewpoints of the texture, appearance, and storage stability of the noodles, it is preferable that the pH of the noodles be 4.5 to 5.75 from the time they are cooked with heat, through frozen storage, and until they are thawed and eaten as described below.

[0023] The cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention may be distributed or sold in a frozen state, or may be distributed or sold after being slowly thawed. Preferably, the cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention are sold and eaten after being slowly thawed. For example, the cooked and frozen noodles of the present invention are slowly thawed under refrigeration between distribution and sale, and sold as chilled noodles. When eaten, the thawed noodles may be eaten cold, or may be reheated and eaten.

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0025] [Test 1. Udon production] (material) Wheat flour: All-purpose flour; Houun (Nissin Flour) Etherified tapioca starch: Yuri 8 (Matsutani Chemical) Acetylated tapioca starch: Ajisai (Matsutani Chemical) Gluten: A Glu GB (Glico Nutrition Foods)

[0026] Kneading water containing salt and an organic acid and / or its salt was added to the raw material flour according to the formulations shown in Tables 1 to 4, and the mixture was kneaded under reduced pressure (-0.093 MPa) to prepare dough. A portion of the prepared dough was taken and the pH was measured. The resulting dough was rolled and combined using a noodle-making roll to produce a noodle band, which was then cut using a cutting blade (#10 square) to produce udon noodle strands (noodle thickness: 3.0 mm). The weight of the produced noodle strands relative to the weight of the dough used for noodle making (noodle yield) was measured, and the workability during noodle making was evaluated according to the following criteria.

[0027] The resulting noodle strings were boiled for 13 minutes. In Comparative Examples 1-5 to 1-8, the boiled noodles were further immersed in an aqueous solution containing lactic acid for 30 seconds. 200g of the resulting boiled noodles were packed into containers and flash-frozen in a shock freezer (-30°C). After storing frozen at -18°C for 7 days, the noodles were refrigerated and thawed in a 4°C refrigerator for 24 hours. A portion of the thawed noodles was sampled and the pH was measured. In addition, the texture (viscoelasticity, aging sensation) and appearance (transparency) of the thawed noodles were evaluated by 10 trained panelists using the following evaluation criteria, and average scores were calculated. The results are shown in Tables 1 to 4.

[0028] <Evaluation criteria> (Workability) 〇: Noodles can be made without any problems (noodle yield of 95% or more) △: There are some problems, but noodles can be made (noodle yield of 70% or more) ×: Problematic noodle production difficulty (noodle production yield less than 70%) (viscoelasticity) 5 points: Much more viscoelastic than the control 4 points: Better viscoelasticity than the control 3 points: Slightly more viscoelastic than the control 2 points: Viscoelasticity is equivalent to that of the control 1 point: Less viscoelastic than the control (feeling of aging) 5 points: Much less dryness than the control 4 points: Less dryness than the control 3 points: Slightly less dryness than the control 2 points: Slurred speech equivalent to that of the control group 1 point: Feels duller than the control (Transparency) 5 points: Much clearer than the control 4 points: More transparent than the control 3 points: Slightly more transparent than the control 2 points: Equal transparency to the control 1 point: Less transparent than the control

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] [Table 2]

[0031] [Table 3]

[0032] [Table 4]

[0033] [Test 2. Soba production] (material) Buckwheat flour: Kameju (Nikkoku Flour Mill) Wheat flour: Strong flour; Otion (Nissin Flour) Etherified tapioca starch: Yuri 8 (Matsutani Chemical) Gluten: A Glu GB (Glico Nutrition Foods) Dried egg white: Sankirara RS (Taiyo Chemical)

[0034] To the raw material flour was added kneading water containing salt and an organic acid and / or its salt, according to the formulation shown in Table 5, and the mixture was kneaded under reduced pressure (-0.093 MPa) to prepare dough. A portion of the prepared dough was taken and the pH was measured. The resulting dough was rolled and combined using a noodle-making roll to produce a noodle sheet, which was then cut using a cutting blade (#20 square) to produce soba noodle strands (noodle thickness 1.5 mm).

[0035] The resulting noodle strands were boiled for 1 minute and 50 seconds. 200g of the resulting boiled noodles were packed into containers and flash-frozen in a shock freezer (-30°C). After storing frozen at -18°C for 7 days, they were refrigerated and thawed in a 4°C refrigerator for 24 hours. A portion of the thawed noodles was taken and the pH was measured. The texture and appearance of the thawed noodles were also evaluated using the same procedures as in Test 1. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0036] [Table 5]

Claims

1. A method for producing slow-thawing frozen cooked noodles, comprising: The method comprises kneading a raw material flour containing one or more types of cereal flour selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour and modified tapioca starch, together with an organic acid and / or an organic acid salt, to prepare a noodle dough having a pH of 4.5 to 5.5; The processed tapioca starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of etherified tapioca starch and acetylated tapioca starch, the mass ratio of the one or more cereal flours selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour to the processed tapioca starch in the raw material flour is 20:80 to 75:25; The organic acid and / or organic acid salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and salts thereof. method.

2. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the total content of the one or more cereal flours selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and buckwheat flour and the processed tapioca starch in the raw material flour is 80% by mass or more.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the raw material flour contains gluten, and the mass ratio of the processed tapioca starch to the gluten in the raw material flour is 10:1 to 3:

1.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total amount of the organic acid and / or organic acid salt used in preparing the noodle dough is 0.03 to 3 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mass ratio of wheat flour to buckwheat flour in the raw material flour is 25:75 to 100:

0.

6. producing noodles from the noodle dough; cooking the noodles with heat; Freezing the cooked noodles; The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the slow thawing is thawing under refrigeration.

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