Method for producing flavored raw eggs and apparatus for producing flavored raw eggs

Abstract

To provide a method capable of producing a seasoned raw egg in a short time.SOLUTION: A method for producing a seasoned raw egg includes immersing a shelled raw egg E in a seasoning liquid L and storing the shelled raw egg E in a pressure container 2, and performing pressurization of the pressure container 2 to more than an atmospheric pressure and decompression of the pressure container 2 from a pressurized state more than once.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing seasoned raw eggs.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a method of immersing raw eggs in a seasoning liquid to season the raw eggs. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of seasoning raw eggs by immersing raw eggs in a seasoning liquid (seasoned aqueous solution) for a predetermined time to allow the seasoning liquid to penetrate inside the shell.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to immerse raw eggs in a seasoning liquid for about 24 hours, and it was not possible to produce seasoned raw eggs in a short time.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a method capable of producing seasoned raw eggs in a short time.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing seasoned raw eggs, which comprises immersing raw eggs with shells in a seasoning liquid, accommodating them in a pressure vessel, and performing pressurization above atmospheric pressure and decompression from the pressurized state in the pressure vessel a plurality of times.

[0007] According to the present invention, by performing pressurization and decompression of the pressure vessel a plurality of times, the seasoning liquid can quickly penetrate into the raw eggs with shells, and it is possible to produce seasoned eggs in a short time.

[0008] The following are examples of various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments shown below can be combined with each other.

[0009] Preferably, the inside of the pressure vessel is pressurized by supplying gas into the pressure vessel.

[0010] Preferably, the pressure inside the pressure vessel in the pressurized state is 0.2 MPa or higher.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a flavored raw egg production apparatus is provided, comprising a pressure vessel, a pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of the pressure vessel, a depressurizing means for depressurizing the inside of the pressure vessel, and a control means for controlling the pressurizing means and the depressurizing means, wherein the control means controls the pressurizing means and the depressurizing means while the raw eggs with shells are immersed in a seasoning liquid and placed in the pressure vessel, thereby performing pressurization above atmospheric pressure and depressurization from the pressurized state multiple times. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing a production apparatus 1 for flavored raw eggs according to a modified example of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature constitutes an independent invention.

[0014] 1. Equipment for producing flavored raw eggs A flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device for producing flavored raw eggs by impregnating raw eggs E with a seasoning liquid L. As shown in Figure 1, the flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment comprises a pressure vessel 2, a pressurizing means 3, a depressurizing means 4, and a control means 5 for controlling the pressurizing means 3 and the depressurizing means 4. The flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment also comprises a rack 6 and an immersion container 7 for housing raw eggs E with shells immersed in the seasoning liquid L in the pressure vessel 2. The specific configuration of each component will be described below.

[0015] The pressure vessel 2 is a pressure-resistant vessel that can withstand the pressurization by the pressurizing means 3. In this embodiment, the pressure vessel 2 comprises a cylindrical container body 20 having an opening 20a that opens horizontally, and a door 21. The container body 20 is sized to accommodate the number of immersion containers 7 corresponding to the number of raw eggs E with shells to be produced at one time. The door 21 opens and closes by sliding vertically. The door 21 is configured to seal the pressure vessel 2 by closing the opening 20a of the container body 20. It is also preferable to have a configuration that can accommodate multiple (for example, three) immersion containers 7.

[0016] The pressurizing means 3 comprises a compressed gas supply source 30, a pressurizing line 31, and a pressurizing valve 32. The compressed gas supply source 30 includes a compressor and a constant pressure regulator (neither shown), and can supply compressed air as a gas compressed by the compressor at a known pressure by the constant pressure regulator. The pressurizing line 31 connects the container body 20 of the pressure vessel 2 to the compressed gas supply source 30 and supplies the compressed gas generated by the compressed gas supply source 30 to the container body 20. The pressurizing valve 32 is provided on the pressurizing line 31 and is an automatic valve (solenoid valve or electric valve).

[0017] The pressure reducing means 4 comprises an exhaust line 40 and an exhaust valve 41. One end of the exhaust line 40 is connected to the container body 20 of the pressure vessel 2, and the other end is open to the atmosphere. The exhaust valve 41 is provided on the exhaust line 40 and is an automatic valve (solenoid valve or electric valve).

[0018] The control means 5 controls the compressed gas supply source 30 and pressurizing valve 32 of the pressurizing means 3, and the exhaust valve 41 of the depressurizing means 4, to control pressurization of the pressure vessel 2 to above atmospheric pressure and depressurization from the pressurized state. Specifically, the control means 5 can be configured as an information processing device equipped with a CPU, memory (e.g., flash memory), input unit, and output unit. The processing by each of the above-described components of the control means 5 configured by the information processing device is performed by the CPU reading and executing a program stored in memory. As the information processing device, for example, a personal computer, a PLC (programmable logic controller), or a microcontroller can be used. However, some functions of the control means 5 may be configured to be executed on a cloud connected by any communication means.

[0019] Rack 6 is configured to hold multiple raw eggs E in their shells by accommodating multiple egg trays in multiple layers. Specifically, for example, rack 6 can accommodate 40 egg trays, each capable of holding 30 raw eggs E in their shells, for a total of 1200 raw eggs E in their shells. The immersion container 7 is an open container with an open top. By placing rack 6, on which the raw eggs E in their shells are placed, into the immersion container 7 filled with seasoning liquid L, the raw eggs E in their shells can be immersed in the seasoning liquid L. For example, if rack 6 is configured to hold 1200 raw eggs E in their shells, and the pressure vessel 2 is capable of accommodating three immersion containers 7, it is possible to produce 3600 seasoned raw eggs in their shells at once.

[0020] Here, the seasoning liquid L is, for example, a liquid containing salt (table salt). The liquid containing salt (table salt) is preferably a saturated salt solution, a salt solution, or a saturated salt solution with dashi soy sauce added, or a salt solution or saturated salt solution with other seasonings added. In one embodiment, the seasoning liquid L is preferably a saturated salt solution with dashi soy sauce added.

[0021] Also, in the present embodiment, the immersion container 7 is placed on a cart (not shown) and carried into the pressure vessel 2 (see FIG. 1). The immersion container 7 may be automatically carried into the pressure vessel 2 by a conveying means (not shown) or manually.

[0022] Note that the configuration of the flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 described above is merely an example, and any configuration can be adopted as long as it is possible to pressurize the raw eggs E with shells inside the pressure vessel 2 beyond the atmospheric pressure and depressurize from the pressurized state while the raw eggs E with shells are accommodated in the pressure vessel 2.

[0023] 2. Method for manufacturing flavored raw eggs Next, a method for manufacturing flavored raw eggs according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The method for manufacturing flavored raw eggs in the present embodiment is a method using the flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 described above.

[0024] Specifically, in the method for manufacturing flavored raw eggs in the present embodiment, first, the rack 6 on which the raw eggs E with shells are placed is accommodated in the immersion container 7 filled with the seasoning liquid L. Then, the immersion container 7 in a state where the raw eggs E with shells are immersed in the seasoning liquid L is accommodated (carried) in the pressure vessel 2, and the door 21 is closed (accommodation step).

[0025] Next, under the control of the control means 5, the pressurizing means 3 pressurizes the pressure vessel 2 to above atmospheric pressure, and the depressurizing means 4 depressurizes the pressure vessel 2 from the pressurized state multiple times (pressure / depressurization process). Here, "multiple times" means that pressurization and depressurization are performed two or more times each. Specifically, for example, the pressurizing means 3 maintains a pressurized state above atmospheric pressure for 10 minutes, and then the depressurizing means 4 depressurizes the pressure and maintains the atmospheric pressure state for 5 minutes. This cycle of pressure / depressurization is repeated four times (however, it is not necessary to maintain the atmospheric pressure state for 5 minutes in the fourth time, and the process can be terminated immediately after depressurization). The number of repetitions and the maintenance times of the pressurized state and atmospheric pressure state are not limited to the example above and can be adjusted as appropriate. In addition, the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 in the pressurized state may be the same throughout the entire cycle, or it may differ from cycle to cycle. Furthermore, the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 in the depressurized state is preferably atmospheric pressure, but it may be lower than the pressurized state, whether above or below atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 in the depressurized state may also be the same throughout the entire cycle, or it may differ from cycle to cycle.

[0026] Here, the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 under pressurized conditions is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.1 MPa or higher, and even more preferably 0.2 MPa or higher. Furthermore, the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 under pressurized conditions is preferably 0.05 to 0.5 MPa, more preferably 0.1 to 0.4 MPa, and even more preferably 0.2 to 0.3 MPa. Specifically, the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 under pressurized conditions may be, for example, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, or 0.5 MPa, and may be within the range of any two of the values ​​exemplified here.

[0027] After the final depressurization, the door 21 is opened, the immersion container 7 is removed from the pressure vessel 2, and the rack 6 is taken out of the immersion container 7. This completes the process of creating flavored raw eggs in their shells that have been permeated with the seasoning liquid L.

[0028] Furthermore, even when the inside of the pressure vessel 2 is pressurized, the temperature of the seasoning liquid L hardly changes, and the raw egg E with its shell on does not turn into a hard-boiled egg.

[0029] 3. Effects As described above, the method for producing flavored raw eggs in this embodiment involves immersing raw eggs E with their shells in a seasoning liquid L and placing them in a pressure vessel 2, and repeatedly pressurizing the pressure vessel 2 to above atmospheric pressure and depressurizing it from the pressurized state using pressurizing means 3 and depressurizing means 4. This configuration allows the seasoning liquid L to effectively permeate the raw eggs E with their shells, making it possible to produce flavored raw eggs in a short time. Furthermore, by supplying compressed air into the pressure vessel 2 to pressurize it, the seasoning liquid L can be permeated without causing cracking or other damage to the raw eggs E with their shells.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the flavored raw egg production apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the control means 5 controls the compressed gas supply source 30 and pressure valve 32 of the pressurizing means 3 and the exhaust valve 41 of the depressurizing means 4, thereby enabling the pressure vessel 2 to be suitably pressurized and depressurized.

[0031] 4. Variations Furthermore, the present invention can also be implemented in the following embodiments.

[0032] In the embodiment described above, the compressed gas supply source 30 of the pressurizing means 3 was equipped with a compressor, which supplied compressed air. However, the compressed gas supply source 30 is not limited to this, as long as it can pressurize the inside of the pressure vessel 2. For example, a cylinder filled with compressed air can be used as the compressed gas supply source 30. Also, the gas supplied by the compressed gas supply source 30 may be a gas other than air, such as nitrogen gas.

[0033] In the embodiment described above, the pressure reduction means 4 was composed of an exhaust line 40 and an exhaust valve 41, but it is also possible to configure it to draw in air using a vacuum pump or the like.

[0034] In the embodiment described above, the flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with an immersion container 7, and the method for manufacturing flavored raw eggs involves placing the immersion container 7, in which raw eggs E with shells are immersed, into a pressure vessel 2, and then pressurizing and depressurizing the pressure vessel 2. However, the method for manufacturing flavored raw eggs of the present invention is not limited to the method described above, and the flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present invention does not need to be equipped with an immersion container 7. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the flavored raw egg manufacturing apparatus 1 is also capable of being equipped with a pressure vessel 2 into which seasoning liquid L can be directly added, and a rack 6 on which raw eggs E with shells are placed is placed directly into the pressure vessel 2. In the configuration of Figure 2, it is preferable that the pressure vessel 2 has an opening 20a at the top. In this configuration, it is also possible to place the raw eggs E with shells into the pressure vessel 2 and then add the seasoning liquid L to the pressure vessel 2. In this configuration, it is preferable that the pressure vessel 2 is equipped with a discharge means 8 for discharging the seasoning liquid L. As an example of the discharge means 8, as shown in Figure 2, it can be configured to include a discharge line 80 and a discharge valve 81. In Figure 2, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the embodiment described above, and their explanations will be omitted. In such a configuration, instead of supplying gas into the pressure vessel 2, it is also possible to fill the pressure vessel 2 with seasoning liquid L and pressurize the seasoning liquid L with a pressurizing pump as the pressurizing means 3. However, in this configuration, a large amount of seasoning liquid L is required because the pressure vessel 2 needs to be filled with seasoning liquid L, and cleaning the inside of the pressure vessel 2 becomes a large-scale operation. Therefore, the configuration in which the pressure vessel 2 is pressurized by supplying gas, as in the embodiment described above, is superior in terms of cost and maintainability.

[0035] In the method for producing flavored raw eggs described above, the pressurization by the pressurization means 3 and the depressurization by the depressurization means 4 were automatically controlled by the control means 5, but it is also possible to perform some or all of these operations manually. [Examples]

[0036] The present invention will be further described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0037] <Experiment 1> To investigate the permeation effect of seasoning liquid L by repeatedly applying and removing pressure, saturated saline solution was used as the seasoning liquid L, and raw eggs with shells immersed in saturated saline solution were placed in a small pressure vessel to season the raw eggs with shells. Specifically, a cylindrical stainless steel container with an inner diameter of 100 mm, a height of 150 mm, and a thickness of 3.0 mm was used as the small pressure vessel. Three raw eggs with shells and saturated saline solution were placed in the pressure vessel, and a comparative experiment was conducted between Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 under the conditions shown below, ensuring that all raw eggs with shells were immersed in saturated saline solution. Example 1: Repeat the process of (pressurized state for 10 minutes + atmospheric pressure for 5 minutes) four times (the fourth time is pressurized only; total 55 minutes). Comparative Example 1: Pressurized for 55 minutes. In both Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the pressure inside the pressure vessel under pressurized conditions was kept constant at 0.2 MPa, and the average salt concentration (average salt concentration) of three whole raw eggs (yolk + egg white) was calculated. The salt concentration was measured using a salinity meter (DRETEC EN-904IV) to obtain an egg mixture made by thoroughly stirring raw eggs removed from their shells, mixing the yolk and egg white well. In this experimental environment, the time it took for the pressure vessel to go from atmospheric pressure to pressurized and from pressurized to atmospheric pressure was only a few seconds, and therefore negligible.

[0038] [Table 1]

[0039] Table 1 shows the results of Experiment 1. In Example 1, the salt concentration of the whole eggs was higher despite the shorter pressurized period compared to Comparative Example 1. This confirmed the effect of salt penetration through repeated pressurization and depressurization. It is not clear why repeated pressurization and depressurization allows for easier penetration of saltwater (seasoning liquid) than continuous pressurization. However, the inventors believe that this may be related to the fact that "only the contents shrink without the shell shrinking during pressurization" and "compared to continuous pressurization, creating an appropriate pressure difference between the inside and outside of the egg makes it easier for water to move and for saltwater to mix inside the shell."

[0040] <Experiment 2> Next, to determine the optimal pressure inside the pressure vessel during repeated pressurization and depressurization, comparative experiments were conducted on raw eggs with shells immersed in saturated saline solution under the conditions described below: Comparative Example 2-1 and Examples 2-1 to 2-4. The same pressure vessel and salinity meter were used as in Experiment 1. Comparative Example 2-1: -0.08 MPa Example 2-1: 0.08 MPa Example 2-2: 0.1 MPa Examples 2-3: 0.2 MPa Examples 2-4: 0.3 MPa In Comparative Example 2-1, instead of repeated pressurization and depressurization, repeated depressurization to below atmospheric pressure and pressurization to atmospheric pressure using a vacuum pump or the like. Also, in Comparative Example 2-1 and Examples 2-1 to 2-4, the pressurization / depressurization cycle of (10 minutes pressurized (depressurized) + 5 minutes at atmospheric pressure) was repeated four times (the fourth time being pressurization (depressurization) only), similar to Example 1, and the total pressurization / depressurization time was 55 minutes. Furthermore, similar to Experiment 1, the average salt concentration of whole eggs (yolk + egg white mixed) from three raw eggs was calculated in each example. Note that Example 2-3 was under the same conditions as Example 1 of Experiment 1, and the results from Experiment 1 were used.

[0041] [Table 2]

[0042] The results of Experiment 2 are shown in Table 2. First, a comparison of Comparative Example 2-1 and Example 2-1 revealed that even though the pressure difference from atmospheric pressure was the same at 0.08 MPa in both cases, repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing from atmospheric pressure resulted in a higher salt concentration in the whole eggs than repeatedly depressurizing and pressurizing from atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the method of repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing from atmospheric pressure is advantageous because it allows for a larger pressure difference and eliminates the need for reinforcing the pressure vessel, thus reducing equipment costs.

[0043] Furthermore, Examples 2-1 to 2-4 showed that when pressurizing and depressurizing from atmospheric pressure is repeated, the salt concentration is highest when the pressure inside the pressure vessel under pressurized conditions is around 0.2 MPa. In other words, it was found that higher pressure is not necessarily better when it is under pressurized conditions, but rather that around 0.2 to 0.3 MPa yields the best results. Moreover, by keeping the pressure inside the pressure vessel 2 under pressurized conditions below 0.3 MPa, it is possible to prevent cracking of the raw eggs E with shells, and furthermore, the costs of equipment for pressurization can be reduced. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1: Manufacturing equipment 2: Pressure vessel 3: Pressurization means 4: Depressurization means 5: Control means 6: Rack 7: Soaking container 8 :Ejection means 20: Container body 20a: opening 21: Door 30: Compressed gas supply source 31: Pressure line 32: Pressure valve 40: Exhaust line 41: Exhaust valve 80: Discharge line 81: Discharge valve E: Raw egg in shell L: Seasoning liquid

Claims

1. A method for producing flavored raw eggs, Raw eggs with their shells are immersed in a seasoning liquid and placed in a pressure vessel. The pressure vessel is then repeatedly pressurized to above atmospheric pressure and then depressurized multiple times. The pressure inside the pressure vessel in the pressurized state is 0.2 MPa or more. A method for producing flavored raw eggs, wherein the time spent under depressurization is shorter than the time spent under pressurization.

2. A method for producing flavored raw eggs according to claim 1, A method for producing flavored raw eggs, comprising supplying gas into the pressure vessel to pressurize the inside of the pressure vessel.

3. A method for producing flavored raw eggs according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, A method for producing flavored raw eggs, wherein the pressure inside the pressure vessel in the pressurized state is 0.25 MPa or more.

4. A device for producing flavored raw eggs, The system comprises a pressure vessel, pressurizing means for pressurizing the inside of the pressure vessel, depressurizing means for depressurizing the inside of the pressure vessel, and control means for controlling the pressurizing means and the depressurizing means. The control means, while immersing raw eggs with shells in a seasoning liquid and housing them in the pressure vessel, controls the pressurizing means and the depressurizing means to repeatedly pressurize the pressure vessel to above atmospheric pressure and depressurize it from the pressurized state multiple times. A production apparatus for flavored raw eggs, wherein the control means further controls the pressurizing means so that the pressure inside the pressure vessel in the pressurized state is 0.2 MPa or more, and controls the pressurizing means and the depressurizing means so that the time in the depressurized state is shorter than the time in the pressurized state during the repetition.

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