Frozen noodles manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide frozen noodles which prevent freezer burn.SOLUTION: A method for producing frozen noodles includes: a heat cooking step of heat cooking noodle ribbons; a surface drying step of drying the surface of the noodle ribbons through the heat cooking step; a first freezing step of freezing the noodle ribbons through the surface drying step; a liquid imparting step of imparting an aqueous liquid to the noodle ribbons through the first freezing step; and a second freezing step of freezing the noodle ribbons through the liquid imparting step. The surface drying step can dry the surface of the noodle ribbons by an air flow. The liquid imparting step can spray an aqueous liquid to the surface of the noodle ribbons.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to frozen noodles obtained by freezing noodles that have been cooked with heat. [Background technology]

[0002] Noodles are a relatively popular food, but they require a lot of effort to prepare, as cooking requires a large amount of hot water. Therefore, frozen noodles, which are noodles that have been cooked and then frozen, have become widespread. Frozen noodles are popular because they can be easily prepared for consumption by simply heating them in a microwave or other heating appliance. However, frozen noodles can suffer from a phenomenon known as "freezer burn," in which moisture evaporates from the surface of the noodles during frozen storage, causing the noodles to lose their original color and turn whitish. Freezer-burned frozen noodles not only have a poor appearance due to discoloration, but also have a poor taste and texture because the freezer-burned parts become hard even when heated in a microwave, resulting in a significant decrease in commercial value.

[0003] As a technique for preventing freezer burn in frozen noodles, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which a composition containing water, oil, and a thickening polysaccharide and having a viscosity within a specific range is applied to cooked noodles, and then the cooked noodles are frozen.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing frozen pasta, a type of frozen noodles, that can solve the problem of frozen pasta having a sticky, soft, and poor texture when thawed and eaten, by partially drying pasta preheated by heating in boiling water or the like to a moisture content of 40 to 60%, mixing with sauce and water or water, and then freezing. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology aimed at improving the texture of frozen pasta, and does not mention freezer burn. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2013 / 172118 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 05-211849 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide frozen noodles that are less susceptible to freezer burn. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a method for producing frozen noodles, which comprises a heat-cooking step of cooking noodle strings with heat, a surface-drying step of drying the surfaces of the noodle strings that have undergone the heat-cooking step, a first freezing step of freezing the noodle strings that have undergone the surface-drying step, a liquid-applying step of applying an aqueous liquid to the noodle strings that have undergone the first freezing step, and a second freezing step of freezing the noodle strings that have undergone the liquid-applying step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, frozen noodles can be provided that are less susceptible to freezer burn and have a texture equivalent to that of cooked, unfrozen noodles.

[0009] As used herein, "freezer burn" refers to the phenomenon in which frozen noodles dry out partially during frozen storage. Freezer burn occurs when the moisture contained in the noodles evaporates or moves within the noodles, and can result in the noodles' surface turning whitish, the noodles hardening, and the thickness of the linear noodles becoming thinner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention relates to frozen noodles, and the term "noodles" as used herein encompasses all foods commonly referred to as noodles, such as pasta, udon, soba, somen, hiyamugi, Chinese noodles, pho, and rice vermicelli.

[0011] Examples of noodles for which the present invention is particularly suitable include pasta. Generally, pasta is characterized by a unique glossy yellow surface and tends to be susceptible to freezer burn, but frozen pasta produced by the frozen noodle production method of the present invention is less susceptible to freezer burn and can have an excellent texture. The "pasta" includes long pasta in a linear noodle shape.

[0012] In the method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention, noodle strands are used as a raw material. In the present invention, "noodle strands" refers to noodles that are long and thin in shape. There are no particular restrictions on the thickness of the noodle strands (the length in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the noodle strands), and the thickness can be set appropriately depending on the type of frozen noodles to be produced. The noodle strands used in the present invention may be fresh noodles, or dried noodles that have been dried from fresh noodles. Generally, the moisture content of fresh noodles measured by the bone dry method is about 10 to 40% by mass, and the moisture content of dried noodles measured by the bone dry method is about 15% by mass or less.

[0013] In the present invention, the method for producing noodle strands is not particularly limited, and conventionally known methods can be used. Methods for producing noodle strands typically include the steps of preparing dough by mixing powder ingredients including cereal flour with liquid ingredients such as water, and then shaping the dough into noodle strands using standard methods. The noodle strands obtained through these steps are fresh noodles that have not been subjected to a drying process. When producing dried noodle strands, the fresh noodle strands are subjected to a drying process such as a heat treatment. Furthermore, the method for shaping the dough is not particularly limited, and can include, for example, an extrusion molding method in which dough is extruded at high pressure from an extrusion nozzle of a predetermined shape, or a method in which dough is extruded at high pressure into a noodle band to obtain a noodle band, which is then rolled using a roller or the like and then cut using a cutting blade.

[0014] The cereal flours contained in the powdered raw materials include cereal flour and starch, and in the present invention, these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of cereal flour include wheat flour, rice flour, barley flour, rye flour, etc., and examples of such wheat flour include strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, whole wheat flour, and durum flour (including durum semolina and durum wheat flour). Examples of starch include unprocessed starches such as potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, rice starch, and wheat starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting unprocessed starch to one or more of the following processing steps: cross-linking, phosphorylation, acetylation, etherification, oxidation, and gelatinization. In addition to cereal flours, the powdered raw materials may contain various ingredients usable for producing noodles, such as sugars, oils and fats, colorings, and seasonings, as needed.

[0015] The method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention includes a cooking step of cooking the noodle strands with heat. By cooking the noodle strands with heat, the starch contained in the noodle strands is gelatinized, and the noodle strands are ready to eat. Cooking the noodle strands with heat can also be considered a gelatinization treatment of the noodle strands. In the cooking step, the method for cooking the noodle strings is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known method can be used, including cooking methods in the presence of moisture such as boiling in water at 80 to 100°C or steaming using saturated steam. When cooking noodles in the presence of moisture, cooking conditions (such as cooking time) include, for example, conditions such that the mass of the noodle strings after cooking is 180 to 300 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the dry mass of the noodle strings before cooking.

[0016] The method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention includes a surface drying step of drying the surface of the noodle strands that have been subjected to the heat cooking step (cooked noodle strands). In the surface drying step, only the surface of the noodle strands or the surface and its vicinity (hereinafter these areas are collectively referred to as the "surface layer") are dried, and the inner layer located closer to the center of the noodle strands than the surface layer is not dried. In other words, the drying treatment of the noodle strands performed in the surface drying step is a partial drying treatment that dries only the surface layer of the noodle strands.

[0017] The method for drying the noodle strings in the surface drying step may be any method that allows for the partial drying treatment, and examples include a method of drying the surface of the noodle strings using an air current. The drying method using the air stream can be carried out using, for example, a known air blowing drying method or hot air drying method. Examples of the air stream include room temperature air, high temperature air (hot air), water vapor, and superheated steam, and two or more of these can be used in combination. The speed of the air stream is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, within the range of 5 to 30 m / sec. When carrying out the drying method using an air stream, the ambient temperature of the environment in which the noodle strands to be dried are placed may be room temperature or may be higher than room temperature. An example of a preferred drying condition is one in which the ambient temperature is preferably 20 to 200°C, and more preferably 50 to 150°C, and the drying time (for example, the time the air stream is blown onto the noodle strands) is preferably 10 seconds to 30 minutes, and more preferably 40 seconds to 10 minutes. The surface drying step is typically carried out using a drying device. The drying device can be any device that can be used to dry noodle strings without any particular limitation, and examples include shelf-type, fluidized bed-type, and belt conveyor-type drying devices.

[0018] If the noodle strings are not dried sufficiently in the surface drying step, there is a risk that the freezer burn prevention effect of the final frozen noodles will be insufficient. Furthermore, if the noodle strings are dried excessively, not only the surface of the noodle strings but the entire noodle strings will dry out, causing the noodle strings to become hard and less palatable. Taking these points into consideration, for example, if the moisture content of the noodle strings (cooked noodle strings) immediately before being subjected to the surface drying step is 50 to 70% by mass, then the surface drying step is preferably carried out so as to reduce the weight of the noodle strings by 1 to 25% by mass, and more preferably 2 to 8% by mass, relative to the weight of the noodle strings before drying. This makes it possible to prevent the above-mentioned problems while further improving the effectiveness of preventing freezer burn in frozen noodles. The moisture content of the noodle strings can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the drying temperature (ambient temperature, temperature of the airflow blown onto the noodle strings), drying time, speed of the airflow blown onto the noodle strings, etc.

[0019] The method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention includes a first freezing step in which the noodle strings that have been subjected to the surface drying step (cooked noodle strings that have been surface-dried) are frozen. There are no particular restrictions on the freezing method for the noodle strings in the first freezing step, and any freezing method that is typically used when freezing noodles can be used, such as quick freezing or slow freezing.

[0020] The method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention includes a liquid-applying step in which an aqueous liquid is applied to the noodle strings (cooked frozen noodle strings) that have been subjected to the first freezing step. Water (specifically, for example, clean water, purified water, or tap water) is typically used as the aqueous liquid, but water containing additives can also be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The aqueous liquid may be an aqueous solution, a suspension, an oil liquid, a liquid containing water and fats or oils, an emulsion, or the like. Examples of the additives include salt, seasonings such as soup stock or broth, thickeners, emulsifiers, fats and oils, and colorings, and these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] The method of applying the aqueous liquid to the noodle strands in the liquid application step may be any method that can apply the aqueous liquid to the surface of the noodle strands, and examples include a method of spraying the aqueous liquid onto the surface of the noodle strands, or a method of immersing the noodle strands in the aqueous liquid. From the perspective of more reliably achieving the desired effects of the present invention, it is preferable that the aqueous liquid be applied evenly to the entire surface of the noodle strands, and from the perspective of more reliably achieving this preferred embodiment, a method of spraying the aqueous liquid is particularly preferred as a method of applying the aqueous liquid to the noodle strands. The aqueous liquid can be sprayed using a known spray device, shower device, or the like.

[0022] In the liquid application step, the amount of aqueous liquid adhered to the noodle strands can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of noodle strands, the type of aqueous liquid, etc., and is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of more reliably achieving the desired effects of the present invention, it is preferably the weight of water removed from the cooked noodle strands in the surface drying step, or a weight greater than that. For example, if water equivalent to 8% by mass of the noodle strands immediately before being subjected to the surface drying step is removed from the noodle strands in the surface drying step, it is preferable to apply at least that 8% by mass of aqueous liquid in the liquid application step.

[0023] The method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention includes a second freezing step in which the noodle strings that have been subjected to the liquid application step (cooked frozen noodle strings with an aqueous liquid applied to their surfaces) are frozen. There are no particular restrictions on the freezing method for the noodle strings in the second freezing step, and any freezing method typically used when freezing noodles can be used, such as quick freezing or slow freezing. The freezing method for the noodle strings in the second freezing step may be the same as or different from the freezing method for the noodle strings in the first freezing method.

[0024] The method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention comprises the multiple steps described above (cooking step, surface drying step, first freezing step, liquid application step, and second freezing step), which makes it possible to provide frozen noodles that are less susceptible to freezer burn and have a texture equivalent to that of cooked, unfrozen noodles. The mechanism of action is not clear, but is presumed to be as follows.

[0025] The typical mechanism by which freezer burn occurs in frozen noodles is as follows: Frozen noodles (a block of frozen noodle strands) are generally placed in a packaging container such as a packaging bag and stored as a noodle package in an environment within the freezing temperature range. If the outside air temperature around the noodle package temporarily rises, for example, by temporarily removing the noodle package from the freezing temperature range environment during frozen storage, the air temperature inside the noodle package and the product temperature of the frozen noodles inside the noodle package also rise. If the outside air temperature around the noodle package suddenly drops, for example, by returning the noodle package to an environment within the freezing temperature range, the air temperature inside the noodle package also drops suddenly. However, the product temperature of the frozen noodles inside the noodle package does not drop as suddenly as the air temperature. Therefore, during frozen storage of the noodle package, the relationship "vapor pressure inside the noodle package < vapor pressure on the surface of the frozen noodle strands inside the noodle package" occurs, causing the water in an icy state present inside the frozen noodle strands (surface and inner layers) to sublimate. This sublimation of ice from frozen noodles due to temperature changes is thought to be one of the main causes of freezer burn. In contrast, in the method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention, the surface drying step dries only the surface layer portion of the noodle strands (cooked noodle strands), thereby shrinking the structure of the surface layer portion, and the noodle strands are then frozen in the first freezing step to harden the surface layer portion. The presence of this shrunken surface layer portion effectively prevents ice sublimation due to temperature changes from the inner layer portion, which makes up the majority of the noodle strands. In addition, in the method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention, an aqueous liquid is applied to the shrunken surface layer portion of the noodle strands in the liquid application step, and then the noodle strands are frozen in the second freezing step, forming an ice film made of the frozen aqueous liquid on the surface of the shrunken surface layer portion, thereby improving the effectiveness of preventing ice sublimation due to temperature changes from the inner layer portion. In other words, the frozen noodle strands produced by the method for producing frozen noodles of the present invention have, from the outside in, an ice film, a shrunken surface layer portion, and an inner layer portion, and the first two function to prevent ice sublimation from the inner layer portion, making them less susceptible to freezer burn. Furthermore, if the surface layer of the noodle strings contracts as described above, there is a concern that the texture of the noodles when eaten will be hard and undesirable; however, by thawing frozen noodles before eating, the ice film on the surface of the noodle strings melts and penetrates into the interior of the noodle strings, eliminating such concerns.

[0026] Frozen noodles produced by the production method of the present invention can be made edible by thawing. There are no particular restrictions on the method for thawing frozen noodles, and they may be thawed naturally, slowly, or by thawing with heating (rapid thawing). Rapid thawing methods include heating in a microwave oven, boiling, heating with steam, and oven heating. [Example]

[0027] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0028] Example 1 100 g of commercially available dried spaghetti (1.8 mm, manufactured by Nisshin Seifun Welna Co., Ltd.) was boiled to a boiling yield of 240 to 242% by mass, then cooled in cold water and placed in a colander to thoroughly drain the water, yielding cooked spaghetti (cooked noodle strands) (heat cooking process). Next, the surface of the cooked spaghetti was dried using an airflow drying method (surface drying step). Specifically, a dryer (manufactured by Espec Corporation, "LU-114") was used, the temperature of the drying chamber of the dryer was set to 80°C, and the cooked spaghetti was placed in the drying chamber for 10 minutes (drying time: 10 minutes) (surface drying step). Next, the cooked spaghetti was taken out of the dryer and placed in a freezer with an internal temperature of -40°C for 30 minutes to be quick-frozen, thereby obtaining frozen spaghetti (first freezing step). Next, the frozen spaghetti was taken out of the freezer, and water was sprayed onto the entire surface of the frozen spaghetti (liquid application step). The frozen spaghetti with water attached was then placed in the freezer again for 30 minutes to be flash-frozen, thereby obtaining the desired cooked frozen spaghetti (frozen noodles) (second freezing step).

[0029] In this specification, "boiling yield" refers to the ratio (percentage) of the mass of the noodle strands after boiling (cooked noodle strands) to the mass of the raw materials for the noodle strands before boiling (including the water (kneading water) used in preparing the dough). For example, if 100 g of noodle strands are boiled to obtain 200 g of cooked noodle strands, the boiling yield will be 200 mass %, regardless of the amount of water added to the raw materials before boiling.

[0030] Comparative Example 1 The cooked spaghetti obtained by the same cooking process as in Example 1 was placed in a freezer at an internal temperature of -40°C for 30 minutes to be flash-frozen, thereby obtaining the desired cooked frozen spaghetti (frozen noodles).

[0031] Comparative Example 2 The desired cooked frozen spaghetti (frozen noodles) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the first freezing step and the liquid application step were not performed and the drying time in the surface drying step was set to 5 minutes.

[0032] Comparative Example 3 The desired cooked frozen spaghetti (frozen noodles) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the surface drying step in Example 1 was not carried out and the cooked spaghetti obtained in the heat cooking step was directly subjected to the first freezing step.

[0033] Comparative Example 4 The desired cooked frozen spaghetti (frozen noodles) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the first freezing step was not carried out and the cooked spaghetti that had been subjected to the surface drying step was directly subjected to the liquid application step.

[0034] [Evaluation test] The cooked frozen spaghetti obtained in each example and comparative example was placed in a plastic packaging bag, sealed, and frozen for one month in an incubator whose internal temperature fluctuated between -20°C and -3°C. After one month had passed, the frozen spaghetti was removed from the packaging bag, and the degree of freezer burn was evaluated using the following method. After the evaluation of freezer burn, the frozen spaghetti was placed on a heat-resistant plate, lightly covered with plastic wrap, and heated in a 500W microwave oven for 1 minute until it was ready to eat. The texture of the spaghetti was then evaluated by a trained panel. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0035] (Freezer burn evaluation criteria) 5 points: No color change at all. 4 points: A slight change in color due to freezer burn is observed, but is within the acceptable range. 3 points: Slight discoloration due to freezer burn is observed, but is within the acceptable range. 2 points: Color change due to freezer burn is observed. 1 point: Significant color change due to freezer burn.

[0036] (Texture evaluation criteria) 5 points: Sufficient and moderate hardness, very good texture. 4 points: Moderate hardness and good texture. 3 points: The texture may be perceived as being excessively hard or soft, but is not bad. 2 points: Too hard or too soft, poor texture. 1 point: Very hard or very soft, very poor texture.

[0037] [Table 1]

[0038] As shown in Table 1, the method for producing frozen noodles in Example 1 involves sequentially carrying out a surface drying process, a freezing process (first freezing process), and an aqueous liquid application process between the heat cooking of the noodle strings (heat cooking process) and the final freezing process (second freezing process). Therefore, compared to the comparative example, which does not meet these requirements, the frozen noodles were less likely to suffer from freezer burn and had an excellent texture.

Claims

1. a cooking step of cooking the noodle strings; a surface drying step of drying the surfaces of the noodle strings that have been subjected to the heat-cooking step; a first freezing step of freezing the noodle strings that have been subjected to the surface drying step; a liquid applying step of applying an aqueous liquid to the noodle strings that have been subjected to the first freezing step; a second freezing step of freezing the noodle strings that have been subjected to the liquid application step; A method for producing frozen noodles comprising the steps of:

2. the moisture content of the noodle strings immediately before being subjected to the surface drying step is 50 to 70% by mass, 2. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1, wherein the surface drying step is carried out so as to reduce the weight of the noodle strings by 1 to 25% by mass compared to the weight of the noodle strings before drying.

3. The method for producing frozen noodles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface drying step involves drying the surface of the noodle strings with an air current.

4. The method for producing frozen noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the liquid application step involves spraying an aqueous liquid onto the surfaces of the noodle strings.

5. The method for producing frozen noodles according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the noodles are pasta.

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