Liquid seasoning for pickles

Abstract

To provide a liquid seasoning imparting saltiness to food materials, and suppressed in white turbidness.SOLUTION: A liquid seasoning has saltiness and imparts saltiness to food materials. The liquid seasoning contains 0.5 mass% or more and 30 mass% or less of a starch decomposition product, and the starch decomposition product has a DE (dextrose equivalent) value of 28 or less. The liquid seasoning has high brightness, and white turbidness is not recognized. Taste containing saltiness is imparted to fresh food materials by soaking the fresh food materials such as fruits in the liquid seasoning followed by leaving as it is.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention ,Pickles This relates to liquid seasonings. [Background technology]

[0002] Low-salt seasonings are widely available as seasonings for reducing salt intake. However, because reducing the salt content can make the salty taste feel weaker, methods for enhancing the saltiness have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a liquid seasoning such as a dressing that uses gelatinized starch (gelatinized starch) as a thickener.

[0003] Liquid seasonings are also known that impart flavor to fresh food ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat by soaking them in them. For example, there is a liquid seasoning that allows vegetables to be soaked for a short period of time to make lightly salted pickles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-259822 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a liquid seasoning contains gelatinized starch as described in Patent Document 1, the liquid seasoning may have a cloudy appearance. This cloudiness, i.e., an appearance in which fine white precipitates are visible, is particularly noticeable in liquid seasonings with high brightness, and may not be preferred as a product. For example, many liquid seasonings used for light pickles are highly bright, which has the advantage of not worsening the appearance of the food ingredients, but cloudiness impairs this advantage and is therefore desirably suppressed.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for imparting saltiness to foodstuffs and suppressing cloudiness. Pickles The object of the present invention is to provide a liquid seasoning for cooking. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The liquid seasoning for pickles of the present invention has a salt content of at most 7% by mass, an L* value in the CIE 1976 L*a*b* color space of 39.23 or more, and contains a starch hydrolysate having a dextrose equivalent of 28 or less in an amount of 0.5% by mass to 30% by mass, Contains reduced starch syrup at a content of at least 4% by mass, The content of modified starch is at most 0.3% by mass. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, cloudiness can be suppressed and a salty taste can be imparted to food materials. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A liquid seasoning (hereinafter referred to as "liquid seasoning") as an example of an embodiment of the present invention is a liquid salty seasoning for imparting a salty taste to food ingredients. This liquid seasoning penetrates into the food ingredients by, for example, soaking the food ingredients (leaving them immersed in the liquid). After soaking, the food ingredients can be eaten as is without undergoing a heat treatment (cooking with heat). In this way, the liquid seasoning of this example is a liquid seasoning for pickles that can be used for pickling, and is a liquid seasoning for eating without heating, which allows the soaked food ingredients to be eaten without heating. In addition to or instead of soaking, the penetration of the liquid seasoning into the food ingredients may be promoted by pressing the food ingredients, such as by kneading the food ingredients while they are immersed in the liquid seasoning.

[0014] The food to be soaked may be fresh food, or may be pre-heated food (hereinafter referred to as pre-heated food). Fresh food includes fruits and vegetables, fish, and meat. Pre-heating may be performed by baking, boiling, steaming, or the like, and known heating methods may be used.

[0015] When the seasoning liquid is a liquid seasoning for pickles, the vegetables to be pickled as fresh ingredients are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include cucumber, Chinese cabbage, eggplant, cabbage, radish, turnip, tomato, carrot, ginger, celery, etc.

[0016] The temperature during soaking (hereinafter referred to as the soaking temperature) is preferably in the range of 2°C or higher and room temperature (approximately 25°C) or lower; a temperature of 2°C or higher allows the seasoning liquid to penetrate the ingredients more easily than if the temperature were lower than 2°C, and the time required to reach the same level of flavor intensity is shorter. A soaking temperature of room temperature or lower more reliably maintains the freshness of the ingredients compared to temperatures higher than room temperature. The soaking temperature is more preferably in the range of 3°C or higher and 10°C or lower, and even more preferably in the range of 3°C or higher and 8°C or lower. However, the soaking temperature can be set appropriately depending on the ingredients, and may be changed during the soaking process.

[0017] When the food is to be eaten as is without heating after a short soaking period (i.e., in the case of light pickling), the soaking time (hereinafter referred to as soaking time) is preferably within the range of 3 minutes to 12 hours, more preferably within the range of 5 minutes to 8 hours, and even more preferably within the range of 15 minutes to 1 hour. When the food is to be soaked more thoroughly than in the case of light pickling, the soaking time may be longer than that for light pickling. The soaking time may be set appropriately depending on the food material, the temperature during soaking, the consumer's preferences, whether or not heat treatment is performed after soaking, etc.

[0018] Depending on the food, it may be possible to heat the food after soaking it before serving it. The seasoning liquid can also be used for purposes other than soaking. Depending on the food, it may be possible to serve it by simply mixing it with the food.

[0019] The liquid seasoning may be diluted with water before consumption, or may be consumed without dilution. When used diluted, the liquid seasoning may be configured to be diluted within a range of 2 to 5 times. That is, when the mass of the liquid seasoning 11 is MA and the volume of water is MW, the liquid seasoning may be configured so that the dilution ratio calculated by (MA+MW) / MA is set within a range of 2 to 5. A dilution ratio of 2 or more has advantages such as a longer shelf life compared to a dilution ratio of less than 2. A dilution ratio of 5 times or less allows for a sufficient blending of ingredients other than water in the liquid seasoning compared to a dilution ratio of more than 5 times, making it easier to adjust the dilution ratio to suit the consumer's preferences.

[0020] The seasoning liquid contains starch hydrolysates with a DE (Dextrose Equivalent) of 28 or less in a range of 0.5% to 30% by mass. The mass percentage, which indicates the content, is the concentration calculated by (MB / MA) x 100, where MA is the mass of the seasoning liquid and MB is the mass of the starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less. DE is a value obtained by measuring reducing sugars as glucose and expressing the ratio of reducing sugars to the total solids as a percentage, and is a value that serves as an indicator of the degree of decomposition of starch hydrolysates. The maximum DE is 100. A "DE of 100" means that all of the solids are glucose. A lower DE indicates a higher content of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. In the case of starch hydrolysates, since they are decomposed to some extent, the DE is greater than 0 and less than 100.

[0021] The liquid seasoning contains 0.5% by mass or more of starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less, i.e., in the range of greater than 0 and less than 28. Therefore, compared to when the content is less than 0.5% by mass (including when the content is zero and no starch hydrolysates), the saltiness is perceived as stronger even when the salty substance (sodium chloride, potassium chloride, etc.) content is the same. This allows for a formulation with a lower salty substance content, making the liquid seasoning effective as a reduced-salt liquid seasoning. Because the content of starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less in the liquid seasoning is 30% by mass or less, the occurrence of fine white precipitates is reliably suppressed compared to when the content exceeds 30% by mass, resulting in a liquid seasoning with reliably reduced cloudiness. For example, white cloudiness has been observed in liquid seasonings containing 40% by mass of starch hydrolysates with a DE of 4 as starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less. The content of starch hydrolysates having a DE of 28 or less in the seasoning liquid is preferably in the range of 0.5% by mass to 10% by mass, more preferably in the range of 0.5% by mass to 2% by mass.

[0022] Reducing the salt content to create a reduced-salt liquid seasoning tends to result in a stronger perceived sourness, while increasing the depth of the aftertaste reduces the sourness (making it less noticeable). In this regard, among starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less, using a starch hydrolysate with a low DE (e.g., DE 4) results in a seasoning with a slightly weaker aftertaste and a slightly stronger perceived sourness. On the other hand, using a starch hydrolysate with a DE of over 16 results in a seasoning with a significantly thicker aftertaste, which is preferable because it enhances the saltiness while also providing a thick aftertaste. This improvement in the depth of the aftertaste achieved by increasing the DE within the range of 28 or less is presumably due to the fact that the higher the DE, the smaller the molecular weight, making the seasoning more likely to remain on the tongue. Furthermore, using a starch hydrolysate with a DE of over 16 results in a seasoning with a thicker aftertaste but with a well-balanced sourness. Furthermore, when a thicker aftertaste is added, the saltiness tends to be perceived as stronger, and among starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less, starch hydrolysates with a DE of more than 16 can be used to produce seasoning liquids with a lower salt content than starch hydrolysates with a DE of 16 or less.

[0023] The liquid seasoning may contain a starch hydrolysate having a DE of 29 or higher. However, since a higher content of starch hydrolysates having a DE of 29 or higher in the liquid seasoning tends to increase the sweetness of the liquid seasoning or decrease the saltiness, it is preferable to keep the content as low as possible. Specifically, the content of starch-containing materials having a DE of 29 or higher is preferably at most 1% by mass, and 0% by mass (non-containing) is preferred from the viewpoint of not reducing the saltiness-enhancing effect achieved by a content of starch hydrolysates having a DE of 28 or lower in the range of 5% to 30% by mass.

[0024] The liquid seasoning may contain multiple types of starch hydrolysates with DEs of 28 or less and different from one another. When multiple types of starch hydrolysates with DEs of 28 or less are contained in the liquid seasoning, the total mass of these hydrolysates should be contained in the liquid seasoning at a content of 0.5% to 30% by mass inclusive. In other words, when the masses of n types of starch hydrolysates (n is a natural number of 2 or more) with DEs of 28 or less are MB1, MB2, MB3, . . . , MBn, the content calculated by {(MB1 + MB2 + MB3 + . . . + MBn) / MA} × 100 should be within the range of 0.5% to 30% by mass inclusive.

[0025] The seasoning liquid complies with CIE (International Commission on Illumination) 1976L. * a * b * L in color space * value (hereinafter simply referred to as "L * It is preferable that the L value is 20 or more, for example, in order not to spoil the appearance of the food material, such as in a liquid seasoning for pickles. * When the brightness is 20 or higher, cloudiness is easily and clearly visible, so the cloudiness suppression effect of having a content of starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less in the range of 5% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less becomes more pronounced.

[0026] The ease with which the cloudiness is visually detected was confirmed in Reference Experiments 1 to 5. Reference Experiments 1 to 5 were conducted by utilizing the properties of processed starch that easily cause cloudiness, and reference samples of seasoning liquids with different brightness levels were prepared by incorporating different caramel contents. Table 1 shows the formulations of the reference samples, the L* values, and the evaluation results of the ease with which the cloudiness is visually detected.

[0027] [Table 1]

[0028] L * The value is an index that represents the brightness of the color, with 0 being black and 100 being white, and the brightness is expressed as a number between 0 and 100. * The value can be measured by a commercially available spectrophotometer. In this example, a commercially available spectrophotometer, CM-3600d manufactured by Konica Minolta Japan, Inc., is used for the measurement. In this example, L * The values ​​were measured using a target mask with a 12 mm aperture under observation conditions of transmission, 2° field of view, and main light source C. The seasoning liquid may contain ingredients such as chopped vegetables, in which case the ingredients are removed from the liquid components using a sieve or similar. * Measure the value and measure the L * Value of L of seasoning liquid * It can be considered as a value.

[0029] When the liquid seasoning is a liquid seasoning for pickles, it is preferable that the liquid be transparent so as not to impair the appearance of the food material. Furthermore, when the liquid is transparent, cloudiness is easily visible, so the cloudiness suppression effect of having a content of starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less in the range of 5% by mass to 30% by mass becomes more pronounced.

[0030] The liquid seasoning may contain processed starch (sometimes referred to as chemically modified starch). However, since a higher content of processed starch in the liquid seasoning tends to cause the liquid seasoning to become cloudy, it is preferable to keep the content as low as possible. Specifically, the content of processed starch is preferably at most 0.3% by mass, that is, within the range of 0% to 0.3% by mass, and it has been confirmed that no cloudiness occurs at 0.3% by mass. When processed starch is used as a raw material for the liquid seasoning and heat treatment is performed during the production process of the liquid seasoning, gelatinized starch (hereinafter referred to as gelatinized starch) may be produced. Gelatinized starch tends to form fine white precipitates in the liquid seasoning, easily causing cloudiness in the liquid seasoning. From the viewpoint of preventing cloudiness of the liquid seasoning due to gelatinized starch, it is preferable to keep the content of processed starch as low as possible.

[0031] For use as a reduced-salt seasoning, it is preferable that the salt content be at most 7% by mass. Even if the salt content is kept at 7% by mass or less, the seasoning liquid contains starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less in the range of 0.5% to 30% by mass, so the saltiness is sufficiently perceived. When using the seasoning liquid as a reduced-salt seasoning, the salt content is more preferably at most 6% by mass, and even more preferably at most 5% by mass. It has been confirmed that when the salt content is extremely low, such as a few percent or less, there is a tendency for the sourness to be perceived. The salt content is calculated by (MC / MA) x 100, where MC is the mass of salt.

[0032] The lower the salt content, the shallower the pickling will be when lightly pickling ingredients such as vegetables, but the seasoning liquid contains starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less, which accelerates the pickling process. To accelerate this pickling process, adding modified starch to the seasoning liquid is also a preferred method. This is because starch hydrolysates and modified starch with a DE of 28 or less have the effect of increasing the amount of salt and other substances that adhere to the surface of ingredients, making the salty taste more pronounced.

[0033] The liquid seasoning preferably contains reduced starch syrup at a content of at least 4% by mass. That is, when the mass of reduced starch syrup is MD, the content of reduced starch syrup calculated by (MD / MA) × 100 is preferably 4% by mass or more. This makes it easier for vegetables to pickle when used as a seasoning for pickling, for example, compared to a content of less than 4% by mass. Thus, when used as a seasoning for pickling, the inclusion of reduced starch syrup facilitates pickling. Therefore, when used as a reduced-salt liquid seasoning, it is preferable to increase the reduced starch syrup content compared to non-reduced-salt liquid seasonings. When used as a reduced-salt liquid seasoning, the reduced starch syrup content is preferably in the range of 4% to 15% by mass, and when used as a non-reduced-salt liquid seasoning, it is preferably in the range of 4% to 9% by mass. Reduced starch syrup is a sugar alcohol obtained by adding hydrogen to starch syrup.

[0034] The seasoning liquid may contain other ingredients, and in this example, other ingredients include soy sauce, vinegar, monosodium glutamate, water, etc. Other ingredients include salt and other ingredients that maintain high brightness, such as L * Any material may be added as long as the value is maintained within the above-mentioned range. Examples include sweeteners such as sugar, sucrose, glucose syrup, fructose, isomerized sugar, and high-intensity sweeteners; natural seasonings obtained from livestock products, agricultural products, and marine products; ingredients obtained from livestock products, agricultural products, and marine products; spices, quality improvers, flavorings, preservatives, stabilizers, coloring agents, antioxidants, and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The form in which they are used is not particularly limited, and they may be any of liquid, paste, powder, granules, and the like.

[0035] When the liquid seasoning is a liquid seasoning for pickles, it is preferably a water-based liquid seasoning that does not contain fats or oils. By not containing fats or oils, the salty taste is not masked, and the salty taste can be felt without containing excessive salt.

[0036] The liquid seasoning can be produced by mixing the ingredients to be contained (including water in this example) and dissolving them by heating, for example, to 90°C until they become transparent. The above-mentioned heating treatment may not be necessary in some cases. The produced liquid seasoning is preferably filled into a storage container such as a PET bottle or a glass bottle and the container is sealed, and this is done in this example as well. [Example]

[0037] [Example 1] to [Example 4] Four types of liquid seasonings containing different starch hydrolysates with a DE of 28 or less were produced by the above-mentioned production method and designated Examples 1 to 4. The formulation of each liquid seasoning is shown in Table 2. In Table 2 and Tables 3 and 4 described below, the formulation is shown in mass % of each ingredient. Furthermore, in Table 2 and Table 4 described below, "DE XX" means that the DE is XX, for example, DE4 means that the DE is 4.

[0038] The ingredients are as follows: Reduced starch syrup; manufactured by Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd. Table salt: manufactured by Naikai Salt Co., Ltd. Soy sauce: Higeta Soy Sauce Co., Ltd., salt concentration 16.9 w / v% Brewed vinegar; Kewpie Brewing Co., Ltd. Monosodium glutamate; Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Starch hydrolysate DE4; manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd. Starch hydrolysate DE16; manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd. Starch hydrolysate DE23; Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd. Starch hydrolysate DE28; manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd. Starch hydrolysate DE42; Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.

[0039] [Table 2]

[0040] The seasoning liquid for comparison was prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 3. *The values ​​were measured, and the cloudiness, saltiness, and sweetness were evaluated according to the following methods and criteria. Furthermore, the seasoning liquid obtained in Example 4 was used to evaluate the saltiness of lightly pickled cucumbers as follows.

[0041] [Table 3]

[0042] 1. Cloudy The resulting seasoning liquid was visually observed and evaluated according to the following criteria. Pass: No visible cloudiness Fail: Cloudiness is visible

[0043] 2. Salty The resulting seasoning liquid was orally ingested and evaluated according to the following criteria. A: The saltiness was stronger than that of the control group and was very favorable (passed) B: The saltiness was slightly stronger than that of the control group and was preferable (passed) C: The saltiness is the same as the control group, and there is no saltiness enhancement effect (failed)

[0044] 3. Sweetness The resulting seasoning liquid was orally ingested and evaluated according to the following criteria. A: The sweetness was equivalent to that of the control group and was very desirable (passed) B: The sweetness was almost the same as the control group and was preferable (passed) C: The sweetness was slightly stronger than the control group, but was at an acceptable level (passed) D: The sweetness was much stronger than the control group, and the balance with the saltiness was lacking (failed)

[0045] 4. Salty pickled cucumbers Lightly pickled cucumbers were made using the seasoning liquid obtained in Example 4. First, cucumbers were cut into 5 mm thick diagonal slices. 100 mL of the seasoning liquid obtained in Example 4 was added to 200 g of cucumbers, and the cucumbers were gently rubbed to allow the seasoning liquid to penetrate the cucumbers. The cucumbers were then left to stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while still immersed in the seasoning liquid. After standing, excess seasoning liquid was removed to make lightly pickled cucumbers, which were then eaten and evaluated for saltiness. The results were favorable, with a strong salty taste.

[0046] [Comparative Example 1] to [Comparative Example 2] Liquid seasonings with different recipes from those in the Examples were produced and designated as Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The recipes for each liquid seasoning are shown in Table 2. Other conditions were the same as in Example 1.

[0047] The liquid seasonings obtained in each Comparative Example were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0048] [Example 5] to [Example 9] As the starch hydrolysate having a DE of 28 or less, a starch hydrolysate having a DE of 23 or 4 was used, and five types of liquid seasonings with different formulations were produced as Examples 5 to 9.

[0049] [Table 4]

[0050] Comparative Example 3 A liquid seasoning having a different recipe from that of the example was produced and designated as Comparative Example 3. The recipe of the liquid seasoning is shown in Table 4. The other conditions were the same as those of Example 1.

[0051] The liquid seasoning obtained in Comparative Example 3 was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 4.

Claims

[Claim 1] The salt content is at most 7% by mass, The L* value in the CIE 1976 L*a*b* color space is 39.23 or more; The starch hydrolysate having a dextrose equivalent of 28 or less is contained in an amount of 0.5% by mass to 30% by mass, Contains reduced starch syrup at a content of at least 4% by mass, A liquid seasoning for pickles, the content of processed starch being at most 0.3% by mass.

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