Pickle container

Abstract

To provide a container for pickles not applying a load to a food material picked substantially but capable of holding the food material easily in pickle juice, when producing pickles of various food materials, or when preserving the pickles thereafter.SOLUTION: A container for pickles has a bucket part for storing a material to be pickled, and a lid part installable on an upper part of the bucket part. In the container for pickles, the bucket part is provided inside with a capacity body having a variable volume, which is a capacity body having a communication path capable of allowing an inner part of the capacity body in communication with an outer part of the capacity body, and the capacity body can change the volume by allowing communication of the communication path by opening shielding means provided in the communication path, and can block communication by closing the shielding means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container suitable for pickling various food ingredients by keeping them in the presence of various pickling materials such as salt and sugar, and for storing the pickled food ingredients. [Background technology]

[0002] A wide variety of food ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, are mixed with pickling ingredients such as salt, vinegar, sake lees, and sugar and kept in contact for a predetermined period of time to improve their flavor and increase their shelf life. Foods that have undergone this process are commonly called "pickles," and the process of producing such pickles is often referred to as "pickling pickles." During the pickling process, the osmotic pressure is generally high on the side of the pickling material (pickling liquid) that comes into contact with the food, and because the water contained in the food moves toward the pickling material due to the action of this osmotic pressure, the moisture content of the food is reduced by pickling, generally resulting in a "withered state."To achieve this wilted state efficiently and uniformly, a heavy object known as a "pickle stone" is generally placed above the food being pickled, thereby generating pressure inside the food.

[0003] Furthermore, in order to solve the various problems that arise from the use of the above-mentioned heavy pickling stone, particularly when pickling (lightly pickled) a small amount of vegetables at home in a relatively short time, pickling containers that apply pressure to ingredients using a means instead of a pickling stone are known, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example. These pickling containers are easy to handle and can apply pressure to ingredients, and are widely used as a means for pickling in refrigerators, etc.

[0004] Meanwhile, unlike the method of making pickles by applying pressure to ingredients as described above, various methods are known for making pickles by mixing and contacting ingredients with pickling materials in an unpressurized state, without applying a load such as a pickling stone to the ingredients. One example of a pickle made without applying a load is a pickle made in the Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture under the name "thin-skinned round eggplant pickles." This pickle is made by lightly pickling small eggplants, a local specialty, in a storage jar or the like, together with the pickling materials, and has traditionally been widely produced and consumed in ordinary households (see Non-Patent Document 1). Furthermore, the above-mentioned pickled eggplants are preserved in jars and sent from households to acquaintances as a local specialty, and in recent years, they have been sent to various places by mail order, and consumption is expanding.

[0005] As described in Non-Patent Document 1, when producing this pickled eggplant, a storage jar or the like is used, and whole eggplants are packed so that they cannot move around inside it, and the storage jar is filled with a specified pickling liquid, so that when the lid is put on, the amount of air remaining in the jar is minimized and the jar is sealed, and the eggplants are kept in the pickling liquid in an unpressurized state for about a day, and this process allows for the pickling of delicious whole eggplants with good color. Unlike typical wilted pickles, eggplant pickles made by the above method retain the same size and shape as before pickling, and can be made to have tension, especially in the skin. When pickled eggplants in this state are eaten, the skin bursts open, letting the pickling juices flood the mouth, and at the same time, a unique refreshing sensation is felt, which is thought to be the appeal of these pickled eggplants.

[0006] The reason why eggplant pickles, known as "thin-skinned round eggplant pickles" and the like, do not become "shriveled" despite being pickled in a relatively high salt concentration, but rather maintain the shape of the eggplant as the raw material and even create tension in the skin, is not entirely clear. On the other hand, if the whole eggplants used for the above-mentioned pickled eggplants are pickled under pressure using a pickling stone or the like, they will become wilted like regular pickled eggplants and will not have the above-mentioned texture. Therefore, in order to produce the shape and texture of the above-mentioned pickled eggplants, it is desirable that they be pickled in a substantially pressure-free state.

[0007] Furthermore, it has been observed that the portions of eggplant exposed above the surface of the pickling solution during pickling or storage have a significantly poorer texture. On the other hand, eggplants, like other vegetables, exhibit a relatively large buoyancy before and after pickling, and simply placing them in the pickling solution will expose their upper portions above the surface. Therefore, some means must be used to prevent the eggplant from floating up and to keep it submerged in the pickling solution. In other words, the above-mentioned eggplant pickling requires a unique operation not seen in the production of general pickles, in which the eggplant that tries to float up is pressed down and held in the pickling liquid within a range that does not generate substantial pressure on the eggplant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-245038 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-357657 [Non-patent literature]

[0009] [Non-Patent Document 1] Miracle (2010.8, No.196, P.2) http: / / www.okitama-yt-ja.or.jp / publicity / pdf / mir2208.pdf Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] A commonly used method for successfully producing the above-mentioned pickled eggplants is to use a sealable container such as a storage jar, pack the eggplants in it to the extent that they cannot move, and then fill the jar with a specified pickling liquid and close the lid to eliminate the air layer. This method prevents the eggplants from being exposed above the surface of the pickling liquid without applying substantial pressure to the eggplants. Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional method for pickling eggplants using a storage jar, etc. As shown in Figure 9(a), by filling a jar 20 with pickling liquid 11 and attaching a lid 2 to remove the air layer, eggplants 21 in the pickling liquid are substantially not exposed to the liquid, and good pickled eggplants can be produced.

[0011] However, when pickles are made using the above method, the pickling liquid 11 inside violently erupts like carbonated water when the lid 2 is opened to eat them, and if this is done in a household sink, the surrounding floor or other surfaces will become dirty. This is thought to be because the container is filled with pickling liquid 11, and the pressure of carbon dioxide gas and other gases generated during the pickling process pushes the pickling liquid out of the opening.

[0012] Furthermore, even when pickles are pickled so as not to come into contact with air as described above, as shown in Figure 9(b), an air layer forms inside the jar 20 or the like after opening and eating some of the pickles. Therefore, in the case of buoyant pickled eggplant 21 or the like, the pickles float and become exposed to the pickling liquid 11, causing a problem of deterioration in texture before being eaten again. To solve this problem, conventional methods for preventing eggplants or the like from floating up and becoming exposed to the pickling liquid include stuffing rolled-up food wrap into the air layer above the jar or placing marbles (glass beads) in a net on the eggplants to keep them in the pickling liquid. However, effectively preventing eggplants from floating up using these methods requires time and effort, such as preparing the appropriate means each time, and also poses hygiene issues.

[0013] To provide a container for pickles that can solve the above-mentioned problems and can easily hold food in a pickling liquid while not substantially applying a load to the food to be pickled when making pickles of various food ingredients including eggplant and when storing the pickles thereafter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a pickle container having a tub portion for storing pickled food and a lid portion that can be attached to the top of the tub portion, wherein a variable volume body is provided within the tub portion and has a communication passage that allows communication between the inside and outside of the body, and the volume of the body can be changed by opening a blocking means provided in the communication passage to connect the communication passage, and the communication can be blocked by closing the blocking means. A pickle container having the above-described characteristics can prevent food ingredients in various pickling liquids from being exposed to the air layer from the surface of the pickling liquid, making it possible to easily keep the food ingredients in the pickling liquid.

[0015] The present invention is also characterized in that the volume body can increase in volume by sucking in gas when the shielding means is opened to connect the communication passage within the tub portion, and when the volume of the volume body increases, at least a portion of the volume body can penetrate into the marinade. This feature makes it possible to adjust the amount of gas sucked in by the volume body, thereby keeping the foodstuffs in the marinade.

[0016] The present invention is also characterized in that a communication passage provided in the volume body connects the interior of the volume body with the exterior of the pickle container. The present invention is also characterized in that the volume body is a bag-like body formed in a bellows shape. The present invention is also characterized in that the space in which the pickled food is stored can be sealed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] To provide a container for pickles that can hold various ingredients in a predetermined pickling liquid by a simple operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a volume body used in a container for pickles according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation when using a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a container for pickles according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the conventional pickling method for "thin-skinned round eggplant pickles." DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] In typical pickle manufacturing methods using pickling stones, pickles are made by continuously applying a predetermined weight to the ingredients. The operation using such pickling stones produces the desired pickles by "load control," which controls the amount of load applied to the ingredients being pickled. This method is also effective in that the load reliably holds the ingredients in the pickling liquid. On the other hand, when trying to produce pickled eggplants, which are sensitive to the load, using this load control operation, it becomes necessary to adjust the amount of load required to hold the ingredients in the pickling liquid each time, depending on the amount of ingredients in the container, and doing this on a daily basis is cumbersome.

[0020] In response to this, the inventor discovered that the above problem can be successfully solved by using a pickling container that can "control the displacement" of the ingredients in order to prevent the ingredients from being exposed above the surface of the pickling liquid, and thus arrived at the present invention. In other words, the present invention is a container for pickles that is characterized by the fact that the position of the means for contacting the food material and preventing it from floating up can be easily adjusted, and it makes it possible to pickle and preserve food material such as eggplant as described above by holding the food material in the pickling liquid in a substantially unpressurized state against the buoyancy of the food material.

[0021] The pickle container of the present invention is characterized in that, as a means for adjusting the position of the means for restraining the ingredients, a volume body is used whose volume can be varied within a predetermined range by adjusting the amount of gas inside, and which can be sealed by blocking communication with the outside.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a pickling container according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the pickling container according to the present invention has a lid 2 attached to a tub 1 for storing foodstuffs 10 to be pickled, pickling liquid 11, etc., and by placing a volume body 3 with an appropriate volume under the lid, the position of suppression means 4 for suppressing foodstuffs 10 can be set, making it suitable for use when foodstuffs 10 are continuously held in pickling liquid 11 in a substantially unpressurized state.

[0023] The volume body 3 may be, for example, a bag-like body made of a flexible and stretchable elastomer or synthetic resin, and by providing a communication passage 5 for introducing air into the bag-like body and a "plug" or the like as a shielding means 6, the volume can be appropriately set and used as the volume body 3. In addition, using a cylindrical body such as a "bellows" as the bag-like body, which changes in volume mainly by expanding and contracting in the length direction, is preferable in that it improves the storage capacity within the tub section and allows a wide range of adjustment for the volume of the volume body 3. In the present invention, when describing a substantially unpressurized state, it means that the food is restrained in a state in which the food is not substantially deformed, and for example, it means a state in which the food is maintained in the marinade without coming into contact with the bottom of the container.

[0024] As an example of how to use the pickling container according to the present invention, when pickling food, as shown in Figure 1(a), food ingredients 10 to be pickled and a sufficient amount of pickling liquid 11 to immerse the food ingredients are placed in tub 1, and by providing a volume body 3 adjusted to an appropriate volume below lid 2, food ingredients 10 can be kept in pickling liquid 11 even when an air layer exists within tub 1. The presence of a predetermined amount of air layer inside tub 1 prevents the pickling liquid from spraying out when lid 2 is subsequently removed.

[0025] The volume of the volume body 3 is adjusted by opening the shielding means 6 provided in the communication passage 5 that communicates with the interior of the volume body 3 to open the communication passage 5, thereby introducing gas into the volume body or discharging gas from inside the volume body, and by closing the shielding means 6 to block the communication passage when the volume is at an appropriate volume, the volume body 3 is sealed and the volume is fixed. By appropriately adjusting the volume of the volume body 3, it is possible to hold food in the marinade without applying any substantial load to the food.

[0026] Furthermore, even if the contents in the tub decrease due to the removal of some of the pickled ingredients 10 in the state shown in Figure 1(a), the remaining ingredients 10 can be retained in the pickling liquid 11 by readjusting the volume of the volume body 3 and fixing it at an appropriate volume (Figure 1(b)).

[0027] The volume body 3 used in the pickle container according to the present invention can be set to a volume within a predetermined range depending on the amount of air (gas) introduced therein, and can be used as appropriate as long as it can maintain the set volume by blocking communication with the outside. Furthermore, it is preferable to use a volume body 3 that contains a predetermined amount of air and has a density that allows it to float in the pickling liquid 11 when used in the tub, since it does not impose a load due to its own weight on the food material 10 in the tub.

[0028] For example, when taking into consideration the ingredients of the pickling liquid used for pickling, the bag-shaped volume body 3 can be formed using a plastic material selected from polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to avoid any adverse effects. This is preferable because the volume body 3 will float in the pickling liquid 11 even when all the air inside the volume body 3 is evacuated, and therefore will not impose a load due to its own weight on the food ingredients 10 inside the pickling liquid 11.

[0029] Furthermore, as the volume body 3, one that has a larger volume (free volume) when the space within the volume body 3 is open to the atmosphere compared to the volume when used to determine the position of the suppression means 4 within the tub portion 1 as shown in Figure 1, etc., is used, and by using the volume body 3 in a compressed state within the tub portion 1, the operation shown in Figure 1 can be performed more easily.

[0030] An example of an embodiment of a pickle container according to the present invention is shown in Figure 2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a bag-like body having a free length equal to or greater than the height of the tub portion when the interior is open to the atmosphere is used as the volume body 3. The volume body is compressed in advance to reduce its volume and placed under the lid portion 2. After that, by opening the shielding means 6, the volume body 3 draws in air from outside the container due to the expansion force that causes the volume body 3 to return to its free volume (free length). This allows the volume to be adjusted.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows an example of a volume body 3 used in the pickle container of the configuration shown in FIG. 2. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, a volume body 3 is preferably used that, when the connecting passage 5 is opened in the tub portion 1 after being compressed in advance to remove the internal gas, exhibits an extensibility sufficient to draw air through the connecting passage 5, thereby removing the pickling liquid and allowing it to penetrate into the interior. For example, by using a bag-like body 15 formed into an accordion shape by blow molding or the like using a flexible plastic material as shown in FIG. 3(a), a volume body 3 that generates an appropriate extensibility depending on its wall thickness and material can be constructed. The use of a accordion-shaped bag-like body 15 is preferable because it expands and contracts mainly in the longitudinal direction due to changes in its volume, and the degree of expansion and contraction can be increased.

[0032] Another possible structure for the volume body 3 is to encase a coil spring 14 in a bag-like body 13 made of a stretchable elastomer or the like, as shown in Figure 3(b), to create a volume body 3 that has a predetermined overall free volume and is stretchable in the longitudinal direction of the spring 14. Furthermore, by combining the coil spring 14 inside the bellows-shaped bag-like body 15, it is possible to adjust the elastic modulus of the volume body 3. The volume body 3 used in the container for pickles according to the present invention has a density that does not cause settling in water even when compressed after the internal gas has been removed, which is preferable in that it prevents load from being placed on the ingredients regardless of the state of the volume body 3.

[0033] 3, when a volume body 3 is used and compressed to create a negative pressure inside, its length can be restricted by limiting the amount of gas sucked into the volume body 3, and the position of the suppression means 4 provided below it can be determined appropriately. In this case, by using a volume body 3 that has enough spreading force to allow at least a portion of the container body 3 to penetrate into the marinade 11 and raise the level of the marinade in the tub, foodstuffs 10 can be kept in the marinade.

[0034] Figure 4 shows an example of the operation when using the pickling container shown in Figure 2. When using the pickling container shown in Figure 2, first, with the shielding means 6 of the communicating passage 5 open (Figure 4A), the volume body 3 is compressed from the outside to reduce the internal volume (Figure 4B), and in this state, the shielding means 6 of the communicating passage 5 is closed to fix the internal volume of the volume body 3 (Figure 4C). The volume body 3 in this state is placed at the top of the tub 1 containing the ingredients 10 to be pickled and the pickling liquid 11 (Figure 4D), and the lid is attached to the tub (Figures 2(a), 4E).

[0035] Next, while allowing air within the tub portion 1 to escape to the outside via the communication passage 8, etc., the shielding means 6 of the communication passage 5 is opened to allow an appropriate amount of air to be drawn into the volume body 3 (FIG. 4F). The expanded volume body 3 then lowers the suppression means 4, suppressing the food material 10 and immersing it in the marinade 11 (FIG. 2(b)). Then, the shielding means 6 of the communication passage 5 is closed to fix the internal volume of the volume body 3 (FIG. 4G), thereby holding the food material 10 in the marinade 11 without pressure. Furthermore, by further expanding the volume body 3, the lower part of the volume body 3 can penetrate into the marinade 11, raising the liquid level of the marinade and essentially eliminating the air layer within the tub portion 1. In this case, it is particularly desirable to keep the lower part of the food material 10 out of contact with the bottom of the tub portion 1, thereby holding the food material in the marinade without applying a load to the food material.

[0036] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the extension force of the pre-compressed volume body 3 is used as a driving force to adjust the amount of air sucked by the volume body 3 through the communicating passage 5, thereby determining the position of the suppression means 4. In this embodiment, there is no need to provide an external driving means for adjusting the position of the suppression means 4, and the position of the suppression means 4 can be easily adjusted with a simple structure. The inside of the volume body 3 used in this way becomes a negative pressure relative to atmospheric pressure, and this pressure and the extension force of the volume body are balanced, making it possible to maintain a predetermined volume.

[0037] Furthermore, in the pickling container shown in Figure 2, even if the volume of the cubic body 3 is not properly adjusted, the load applied to the food material 10 is limited to a magnitude corresponding to the stretching force, etc., of the cubic body 3. Therefore, by appropriately setting the stretching force, etc., of the cubic body 3 in advance, it becomes possible to stably pickle and store pickles.

[0038] The volume body 3 is positioned within the tub portion 1 between the lid portion 2 and the ingredients 10, etc., and expands by drawing in air through the connecting passage 5, generating a driving force to hold the ingredients 10 in the marinade liquid 11, and can be structured as appropriate within the scope of providing this function. In particular, from the viewpoint of simplifying the structure relating to the routing of the communication passage 5 that connects the inside of the volume body 3 to the outside of the pickle container, the volume body 3 can be made integral with the lid portion 2, and the communication passage 5 can be configured to penetrate the lid portion 2. By adopting this structure, the tub portion side can be made to have a simple structure, and the volume body 3 can be properly installed inside the tub portion 1 by simply attaching the lid portion 2 to the tub portion 1.

[0039] The free volume of the tubular body 3, and particularly the free length when it is bellows-shaped, can be determined appropriately depending on the volume and height of the tub portion 1. For example, when used in the form shown in Fig. 2, the length of the tubular body 3 when expanded can be set to be approximately the same as the height of the tub portion 1, thereby allowing food material 10 to be well held in the marinade 11. Furthermore, if a considerable amount of marinade 11 is present in the tub portion 1, the length of the tubular body when expanded can be set to be approximately 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the height of the tub portion, allowing food material 10 to be well held in the marinade. On the other hand, if the free length of the volume body 3 used is insufficient relative to the height of the tub portion 1, for example, as shown in Figure 5, by using a restraining means 4 of an appropriate thickness as the restraining means 4 placed between the volume body 3 and the food material 10, the food material can be well retained in the marinade.

[0040] The suppression means 4 prevents the food material 10 from being exposed above the top surface of the marinade 11, and can be configured as appropriate as long as it can prevent the food material 10 from floating up by avoiding the suppression means 4. Typically, it has a shape that is approximately similar to the cross section of the interior of the tub portion 1, and is preferably large enough to allow smooth movement up and down inside the tub portion 1. For example, if the cross section of the tub portion 1 is approximately circular, the suppression means 4 should be disk-shaped or the like, and the difference in diameter should be 50 mm or less, preferably 40 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less. In particular, by making the difference in diameter between the two 10 mm or less, it is possible to prevent the food material 10 from floating up through the gap between the wall of the tub portion 1 and the suppression means 4, even if the food material 10 has a small diameter.

[0041] Furthermore, if the specific gravity of the suppression means 4 is large, the weight of the suppression means 4 will place a load on the food material, so it is preferable that the suppression means 4 be made of a material whose specific gravity compared to the marinade liquid is 1 or less. Also, in order not to impede the flow of the marinade liquid 11 within the tub 1, it is also preferable that holes of an appropriate size be provided on the surface of the suppression means 4 that comes into contact with the food material 10. In the pickle container of the present invention, it is not necessarily necessary to provide an independent suppression means 4; the lower end of the volume body 3 can serve as the suppression means 4 that suppresses the food material 10, and it is also possible to mold the volume body 3 and the suppression means 4 integrally.

[0042] The tub portion 1 used in the pickle container according to the present invention can be any of a variety of containers conventionally used for pickling, and can be of any size and shape depending on the amount of pickled food to be pickled. For example, in the case of pickled eggplant, a tub portion 1 with a volume of approximately 500 mL to 3 L and a diameter of approximately 10 to 20 cm is preferably used, from the viewpoint of consuming the entire amount of pickled food within its best-before period. Furthermore, the tub portion 1 can be made of the same material as that used for general pickle containers, taking food safety into consideration. For example, materials such as glass, ceramic, and resin (PVC, PET, PC, etc.) are preferably used.

[0043] The upper part of the tub part 1 used in the pickle container according to the present invention is preferably provided with a means for attaching the lid part 2. As the means, any means used for attaching lids to conventional pickle containers can be used without any particular restrictions, and for example, in addition to a type in which spiral recesses and protrusions are screwed together, a type in which recesses and protrusions on both parts are fitted together, or a type in which both parts are placed in predetermined positions and fixed with metal fittings or the like can be used as appropriate. In this invention, when it is stated that the lid part 2 is attached to the tub part 1, it means that, for example, when air is sucked into the volume body 3 and it is expanded, the tub part 1 and the lid part 2 are fixed with enough strength that they do not come apart due to the expanding force.

[0044] Furthermore, in the pickle container according to the present invention, when air is drawn into the volume body 3 to expand it, it is necessary to release approximately the same amount of gas as the drawn air to the outside of the tub portion 1. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, a communication passage 8 that connects the inside and outside of the tub portion 1 can be provided in the tub portion 1, lid portion 2, etc. On the other hand, without providing the communication passage 8, for example, by using the above-mentioned screwing method as a means for attaching the lid portion 2 to the tub portion 1, the volume body 3 can be expanded in the attached state by screwing the lid portion 2 to the tub portion 1 to the extent that the space between the tub portion 1 and the lid portion 2 is not sealed, and the air inside the tub portion can be released through the gap between the tub portion 1 and the lid portion 2, and then the space between the tub portion 1 and the lid portion 2 can be sealed.

[0045] The lid 2 used in the pickle container according to the present invention can be attached to the tub 1 and can be made of any suitable material and structure as long as it has the strength to withstand the stretching force of the volume body 3 when attached to the tub 1. Preferred examples of materials constituting the lid 2 include metal, glass, ceramic, and resin (PVC, PET, PC, etc.).

[0046] In the eggplant pickling process described above, eggplants are pickled in a sealed container containing the ingredients (eggplants) and pickling liquid. When the container is opened after about a day of pickling, it is generally observed that the pickling liquid produces a carbonated water-like effervescence.

[0047] The foaming phenomenon indicates that some kind of reaction occurs in the pickling liquid or ingredients during pickling, producing carbon dioxide gas, etc., and it is thought that the presence of this carbon dioxide gas inside the pickled ingredients (eggplant) causes the ingredients to maintain their size and shape similar to before pickling due to the action of pressure, creating a state of tension in the skin in particular. It is also thought that the refreshing feeling when eating pickled eggplant is related to this carbon dioxide gas, and it is speculated that airtight storage jars are used to keep the pickles in this state.

[0048] In the pickling container according to the present invention, it is also preferable to have a structure that allows the container to be sealed in order to retain carbon dioxide gas and other gases generated during pickling within the container. For this purpose, for example, in order to improve the sealing between the tub part 1 and the lid part 2, it is possible to install a packing made of various resins, elastomers, etc. between them. In addition, for example, as shown in Figure 6, it is also preferable to provide a shielding means 6 in a communication passage 8 that allows the space inside the tub portion 1 to communicate with the outside, so that the inside of the container can be sealed except when the shielding means 6 of the communication passage 5 is operated to expand the volume body 3.

[0049] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a pickle container according to the present invention. In Figure 7, the lid 2 and the volume body 3 are integrated, and the lid 2 is provided with a communication passage 8 that connects the inside and outside of the tub 1, and a communication passage 5 that connects the inside and outside of the volume body 3. The communication passage 8 that connects the inside and outside of the tub 1 is mainly used to release gas to the outside that corresponds to the increase in volume when the volume body 3 draws air from the outside and expands, and the communication passages 5 and 8 are often connected at the same time.

[0050] Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, by sharing the opening / closing means 7 of the shielding means 6 provided in the connecting passage 8 connecting the inside and outside of the tub portion 1 and the connecting passage 5 connecting the volume body 3 and the outside, it becomes possible to easily expand the volume body 3 while the lid portion 2 is attached to the tub portion 1 and sealed, thereby suppressing and retaining the food ingredients 10 in the marinade 11. By expanding the volume body 3 through the above operation, the air layer inside the tub portion 1 is substantially eliminated, thereby preventing oxidation of the food ingredients 10 inside. On the other hand, by leaving a predetermined amount of air layer inside the tub portion 1, it is possible to prevent the marinade juice from spraying out when the lid portion 2 is subsequently removed.

[0051] 7, when the volume of the capacitance body 3 is to be reduced in advance, the gas inside the capacitance body 3 can be released by compressing the capacitance body 3 with the shielding means 6 provided in the communication passage 5 open. Alternatively, by providing a separate communication passage 5 with a check valve 9 that has a directionality that allows the gas inside the capacitance body 3 to be released, it is possible to simply compress the capacitance body 3 to release the gas inside the capacitance body 3 and maintain that state.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, it is also possible to add an exhaust device 12 to the communication passage 5 that connects the volume body 3 to the outside. As described above, the inside of the pickling container becomes positively pressurized due to the generation of carbon dioxide gas during the pickling process, and removing the lid 2 under this condition can cause the pickling liquid to spray out. On the other hand, by using the exhaust device 12 provided in the communication passage 5 as described above, the inside of the volume body 3 can be evacuated before opening the container, reducing the volume of the volume body 3 and lowering the level of the pickling liquid 11, thereby preventing spraying out when the container is opened.

[0053] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a pickle container according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, the shielding means 6 provided in the communication passage 5 between the inside and outside of the volume body 3 is configured to press a packing or the like against the outside of the communication passage 5 using an opening / closing means 7 biased by a spring or the like. By operating the opening / closing means 7 to separate the packing from the communication passage 5, air can be sucked into the volume body 3, and the volume body 3 can also function as a check valve that can release the gas inside when the volume body 3 is compressed.

[0054] It is also possible to simultaneously press the packing against the opening of the communication passage 8 that connects the inside and outside of the container, as shown in Figure 8. With the structure shown in Figure 8, by operating the opening / closing means 7 while the volume body 3 and lid 2 are attached to the tub 1 and sealed, it is possible to simultaneously suck air into the compressed volume body 3 and release the air inside the container to the outside, making it possible to easily contain food ingredients 10 in marinade 11 inside the sealed container.

[0055] In addition to the eggplant pickles mentioned above, the pickling container of the present invention can be preferably used for various ingredients that are pickled while maintaining their shape and are held in a pickling solution, such as pickled radishes and pickled olives. The pickling solution used in the pickling container of the present invention can be a typical saltwater solution containing various ingredients, or an oil such as olive oil. Furthermore, the container can also be used to hold ingredients to be pickled in a viscous solution, such as so-called rice bran pickles or miso pickles.

[0056] Furthermore, in addition to common pickles, foods called simmered foods such as boiled beans, and foods that are kept boiled in water mainly to improve preservation, and that are desired to be kept in a broth or the like after heating, can also be easily preserved by using the pickle container of the present invention and using the broth or the like as a pickling liquid.

[0057] Furthermore, for foods that are generally stored in cans or storage jars in which the ingredients are kept in a pickling liquid such as syrup to avoid contact with the outside air, particularly for the purpose of preserving the flesh of peaches, cherries, apples, citrus fruits, etc., by using the pickle container of the present invention instead of a storage jar, it is possible to easily store the foods in a state where the outside air is excluded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 tub 2 Lid 3 Volume 4 Suppression measures 5 communication passage 6 Shielding means 7 Opening and closing means 8 communication path 9. Check valve 10 ingredients 11 Pickling sauce 12 Exhaust system 13 Bag-like body 14 Spring 15 Bag-shaped body (bellows) 20 bottles 21 Pickled Eggplant

Claims

1. A pickle container having a tub portion for storing pickled food and a lid portion that can be attached to the top of the tub portion, A variable volume body is provided within the tub portion, and the variable volume body has a communication passage that allows communication between the inside of the body and the outside of the body, The volume body is characterized in that by opening the shielding means provided in the communication passage to connect the communication passage, it sucks in gas, increases its volume, and exhibits an expansion force that allows at least a part of the volume body to penetrate into the pickling liquid, and the communication can be blocked by closing the shielding means.

2. 2. The pickle container according to claim 1, wherein the communication passage provided in the volume body connects the inside of the volume body with the outside of the pickle container.

3. The pickle container according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the volume body is a bag-like body formed in an accordion shape.

4. 4. The pickle container according to claim 1, wherein the space in which the pickled food is stored is airtight.

Images