Soy meat maker

Abstract

To provide an apparatus which creates soy bean meat at home.SOLUTION: A soy bean meat production apparatus comprises: a crushing container; a hot water / steam injection part which can inject hot water or steam into the crushing container; a blade which is provided on a bottom part of the crushing container; and a control part which controls the hot water / steam injection part and the blade. The control part executes: a step of injecting a prescribed amount of hot water into the crushing container; a crushing step of rotating the blade for a crushing time; and a steaming step of supplying the steam into the crushing container for a steaming time. The soy bean meat production apparatus can produce soy bean meat being the alternative meat at home.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a soybean meat maker that can be used as alternative meat using soybeans as raw materials.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding plant-based artificial meat, Patent Document 1 describes "a method for producing plant-based artificial meat, which comprises crushing soybeans or defatted soybeans, adding a sodium phosphate salt, an expanding agent, and a modifier composed of starch or starch and wheat protein thereto, mixing them, pounding the resulting mixture with a pestle and mortar, continuing this until just before the viscosity of the mixture rapidly increases, and then subjecting it to steaming and drying in sequence."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] As described above, the soy meat producer according to the present invention heats the crushed soybeans with high-energy steam, thus enabling the production of soy meat in a shorter time than boiling in water. Furthermore, despite the high temperature of the steam, the presence of moisture prevents the soybeans from burning, allowing them to be processed into a meat-like consistency.

[0008] Furthermore, the hot water added during the hot water injection process also acts as a water seal, preventing steam from the subsequent steaming process from leaking out of the blade's rotation axis.

[0009] This soy meat preparation device has the above configuration, The control unit, Between the step of injecting hot water and the grinding step, a pre-steaming step is performed in which steam is flowed into the grinding container for a pre-steaming time.

[0010] By carrying out this process, the soybeans can absorb even more moisture before being ground.

[0011] Furthermore, in the configuration described above, this soy meat processing machine performs a drying process and a kneading process after the steaming process.

[0012] By performing this process, excess moisture is removed, resulting in a sticky, meat-like texture. Additionally, during the drying process, intermittent rotation of the blades prevents the soybeans from sticking to the bottom of the container (and burning).

[0013] In addition, in the above configuration, the soybean meat maker executes a secondary grinding process between the steaming process and the drying process.

[0014] By executing such a process, it is possible to obtain crushed pieces smaller than the crushed pieces formed in the grinding process. If the grinding process is set to a rough grinding level, it is possible to change the grinding methods such as fine grinding and double grinding.

[0015] In addition, the soybean meat maker has an additive tank capable of adding an additive in addition to the above configuration, and the control unit causes the additive to be added in the kneading process.

[0016] By executing such a process, it is possible to obtain alternative meat with a more meat-like taste and flavor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the soybean meat maker of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart showing the processing of the soybean meat maker. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the process of putting dried soybeans into the grinding container and adding hot water. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the pre-steaming process of applying steam. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the state of performing the grinding process by rotating the blade. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the steaming process of ejecting steam into the grinding container. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the state of performing the secondary grinding process by rotating the blade again. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the drying process of heating the grinding container with a heater while performing intermittent operation of the blade to remove moisture. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the state of performing the kneading process while adding an additive.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "up" refers to the direction upward in the direction of gravity, and "down" refers to the opposite direction.

[0019] The soy meat preparation device 1 of the present invention is a cooking device that uses dried soybeans as a raw material to create soy meat that can serve as a meat substitute.

[0020] <Overall Structure Outline> Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the soy meat processing machine 1 according to the present invention. The soy meat processing machine 1 includes a grinding container 10 with a bottom, a lid 12, a storage tank 14, a first water channel 16 connecting the storage tank 14 and a heater 30, and a second water channel 18 connecting the heater 30 and the grinding container 10. An additive tank 40 may also be provided.

[0021] The grinding container 10 is not particularly limited, but a cylindrical container is preferably used. A through hole 10bh is formed in the center of the bottom 10b of the grinding container 10, and the rotating shaft 22 of the motor 20, which is located outside the bottom 10b of the grinding container 10, is inserted through a shield 10s provided on the bottom 10b side (inside the grinding container 10). The shield 10s is positioned to prevent moisture from leaking out of the grinding container 10 at the rotating shaft 22 portion. A blade 26 is fixed to the inside of the grinding container 10 of the rotating shaft 22 and rotates together with the rotation of the motor 20.

[0022] Multiple blades 26 are arranged radially at equal angles to the rotation axis 22. The length of the blades 26 from the rotation axis 22 should be less than the inner radius of the grinding container 10 and close to the inner wall of the grinding container 10. This is to prevent raw materials from accumulating between the blades 26 and the inner wall of the grinding container 10. It is also desirable that the blades 26 can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise. This is to create a mixture that contains an appropriate amount of air.

[0023] The heater 30 is positioned on the outside (underside) of the bottom 10b of the grinding container 10 and heats the grinding container 10. In addition to heating the grinding container 10, it can also heat water from the storage tank 14 to generate hot water or steam, which can then be injected into the grinding container 10. It is preferable that the heater 30 is detachable from the grinding container 10. The water inlet end of the heater 30 is the water outlet end 16b of the first water channel 16. The water outlet end of the heater 30 is the water inlet end 18a of the second water channel 18.

[0024] The heater 30 is equipped with a thermometer 32, and the storage tank 14 is equipped with a water level gauge 34. This is so that the control unit 50, which will be described later, can understand the state inside the grinding container 10. A lid 12 is placed on the grinding container 10. The outlet end 18b of the second water channel 18 is positioned to pass through the lid 12. Note that the outlet end 18b may be located on the top of the grinding container 10 instead of on the lid 12.

[0025] The storage tank 14 is a tank for holding water. The storage tank 14 is equipped with a water level gauge 34. The control unit 50, which will be described later, knows the amount of water in the storage tank 14 based on the signal Sl received from the water level gauge 34.

[0026] The inlet end 16a of the first channel 16 is located at the lower end of the storage tank 14. In other words, the first channel 16 is installed from the lower end of the storage tank 14 down to the heater 30.

[0027] The first water channel 16 is equipped with a pump 36. The pump 36 sends water toward the grinding container 10. The heater 30 can heat the water passing through the first water channel 16 and convert it into hot water or boiling steam. The inlet end 18a of the second water channel 18 is connected to the heater 30. The outlet end 18b of the second water channel 18 is installed inside the grinding container 10. Whether hot water or steam is injected from the outlet end 18b of the second water channel 18 is determined by the power supplied to the heater 30 and the operating rate (water flow rate) of the pump 36.

[0028] The storage tank 14, the first water channel 16, the pump 36, the heater 30, and the second water channel 18 constitute the hot water / steam injection section.

[0029] The additive tank 40 is prepared with known materials to give the meat a texture and taste similar to that of a meat substitute. For example, sodium phosphate, leavening agents, and modifiers can be suitably used as additives. An input passage 44 is provided connecting the additive tank 40 to the grinding container 10. One end of the input passage 44 is connected to the additive tank 40. The other end of the input passage 44 is located inside the grinding container 10. An on / off valve 42, which opens and closes according to the instructions of the control unit 50 (described later), is provided in the middle of the input passage 44. It is preferable that the additives be added during the kneading process (described later).

[0030] The control unit 50 consists of an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) and memory. The control unit 50 is connected to at least the motor 20, thermometer 32, water level gauge 34, pump 36, heater 30, and on-off valve 42, and exchanges signals. Control signals Cp, Cm, Ch, and Ca are transmitted to the pump 36, motor 20, heater 30, and on-off valve 42, respectively, and the operation of each device is controlled by these signals. On the other hand, the control unit 50 receives received signals St and Sl from the thermometer 32 and water level gauge 34, and determines the temperature of the heater 30 and the water level of the storage tank 14. The control unit 50 also has a program that executes the following processes. Although not shown in the diagram, the power supply provides power to each part that requires power.

[0031] <Operation of the soy meat maker> The soy meat maker 1 prepares soy meat through the following process. Figure 2 shows the processing flow. First, the ingredients used are dried soybeans. Dried soybeans do not require degreasing. There is no need to peel them. Dried soybeans do not need to have undergone any special drying process; they can be in their normally sold state.

[0032] The dried soybeans 60 are placed into the grinding container 10. The lid 12 is closed after the dried soybeans 60 are placed inside. After this, the flow shown in Figure 2 begins.

[0033] Referring to Figure 2, when the soy meat processor 1 starts (step S100), hot water 62 is poured into the grinding container 10 via the hot water / steam injection section (step S102). Refer to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the state where dried soybeans 60 have been added to the extent that the blades 26 are hidden. Note that grinding is possible with either less or more dried soybeans 60.

[0034] Hot water 62 is produced by pumping water 36 from the storage tank 14 into the first water channel 16, where the heater 30 heats the water to make it hot water. The hot water is then injected from the heater 30 into the grinding container 10 through the second water channel 18 (hot water / steam injection section). The control unit 50 controls the pump 36 and the heater 30.

[0035] The amount of hot water 62 should be fixed based on the amount of dried soybeans 60 to be added and the capacity of the grinding container 10. The amount of hot water injected should be at least enough to cover the shield 10s of the rotating shaft 22, which will also provide a water seal effect to prevent steam 64 (see Figure 4) from leaking out of the shield 10s when it is ejected. If the amount of hot water 62 is too much, excess water will need to be evaporated, and if it is too little, the soybeans will not be able to absorb enough water.

[0036] Next, it is determined whether or not to perform the pre-steaming process (step S104). This may be set in advance by the user. Of course, it may also be a process that is always performed. If the pre-steaming process is to be performed (Y branch in step S104), the pre-steaming process is performed (step S106). If the pre-steaming process is not to be performed (N branch in step S104), the process moves to the next step S108.

[0037] The pre-steaming process involves flowing steam 64 into the grinding container 10 for the duration of the pre-steaming (see Figure 4). The steam 64 is hotter than the hot water 62. Exposure to this steam 64 makes the dried soybeans 60 more absorbent and easier to grind. The pre-steaming time is preferably 2 to 10 minutes, more preferably 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, an intermittent operation of rotating the blade 26 for a few seconds may be included to ensure that the dried soybeans 60 are evenly exposed to the steam 64. The pre-steaming process is a process that allows the dried soybeans 60 to absorb water and makes them easier to grind. Once the pre-steaming process is complete, the process moves to step S108.

[0038] In step S108, the motor 20 is rotated to rotate the blade 26 for the duration of the grinding time, performing the grinding process on the soybeans 60 (step S108 in Figure 2). The blade 26 rotates at 700 to 1500 revolutions per minute. In addition, the rotation speed may be changed rather than rotating at a constant speed for the duration of the grinding time. Reverse rotation may also be incorporated. The grinding time is 10 to 20 minutes, but may vary depending on the amount of soybeans. This process can be called the grinding process.

[0039] Figure 5 shows the grinding process in progress (the blade 26 is rotated during the grinding time). By grinding with the rotating blade 26, the soybeans 60 are broken down into pieces of a certain size (fragments of about 5 mm remain: referred to as fragment clumps 66). Breaking into fragment clumps 66 in hot water makes them easier to grind. If the grinding process continues, the water absorption of the soybeans 60 is further promoted as they are ground, and they can be reduced to ground clumps 68 of about 2-5 mm (see Figure 6). The ground clumps 68 have a particle size of roughly coarse grind.

[0040] Figure 6 shows the state after the grinding process is complete and the steaming process (step S110 in Figure 2) is being performed. When the grinding process reduces the material to a few millimeters in size, the surface area increases, making it easier for the material to absorb moisture when exposed to steam 64. Furthermore, by performing the steaming process with steam 64, the material can be heated and absorbed without burning the material. The steaming time is preferably 40 to 60 minutes, and more preferably 50 to 60 minutes. This process can be called the steaming process. Note that the blade 26 may be rotated intermittently during the steaming process to ensure uniform steaming of the material.

[0041] The soy meat is completed when the steaming process (step S110) is finished. Therefore, the finished product from the steaming process can be used as an ingredient in cooking (a coarsely ground meat substitute). However, to make it more meat-like, a drying process (step S118) and a kneading process (step S122) may be added.

[0042] Referring again to Figure 2, after the steaming process (step S110) is completed, a decision is made as to whether or not to perform the additional grinding process (step S112). This may be done by asking the user when the steaming process is completed, or it may be set by the user before the cooking sequence begins.

[0043] If a further grinding process is to be performed (Y branch in step S112), the further grinding process is executed (step S114). Otherwise (N branch in step S112), the process is moved to the next step S116.

[0044] Figure 7 shows the process of the additional grinding step. The finished product of the steaming step (step S110), the ground mass 68 (see Figure 6), has a particle size of roughly coarse grinding, but the additional grinding step is to make it finer, or roughly the coarser of double grinding. The product after the additional grinding step is called the fine powder mass 70. The fine powder mass 70 is finer than the ground mass 68, and also has a higher degree of particle size uniformity.

[0045] The time required for the additional grinding process varies depending on how far the material is ground. Double grinding takes longer than fine grinding. This setting may be pre-configured or can be set by the user when performing the additional grinding process.

[0046] Refer to Figure 2 again. The further crushing step (step S114) is a matter of preference regarding whether or not to further refine the size of the crushed pulverized mass 68, and it is optional. The processing from step S112 or step S114 is a decision on whether or not to perform the drying step (step S116). If the drying step is performed (Y branch in step S116), the drying step is performed (step S118), and the process moves on to step S120. If the drying step is not performed (N branch in step S116), the process moves on to step S120 as is.

[0047] The menu of the soy meat maker 1 provides recommended amounts of soybeans and water. However, the appropriate ratio of soybeans to water varies depending on the cooking environment and ingredients. Therefore, in the drying process, if there is too much water, the water is evaporated to give the soy meat an appropriate viscosity. Whether or not to perform the drying process can be determined by the user visually, or by the resistance when the blade 26 is rotated.

[0048] Figure 8 shows the drying process. In the drying process, the grinding container 10 is heated by the heater 30 to remove steam and adjust the moisture content of the compound. In Figure 8, the compound is shown as fine powder lumps 70, but it may also be ground lumps 68. The blades 26 may also be rotated intermittently during the drying process. This is to distribute heat evenly to the compound and keep the moisture content of the compound constant.

[0049] Refer to Figure 2 again. Once the drying process is complete or skipped, it is determined whether or not to perform the kneading process (step S120). If it is to be performed (Y branch in step S120), the kneading process is carried out (step S122), and the process is terminated (step S124). If it is not to be performed (N branch in step S120), the process is terminated as is.

[0050] Through the process up to step S120, the raw material, dried soybeans 60, are obtained as a mixture with particle sizes of coarse, fine, and double-ground. This mixture can be used as a meat substitute, but kneading is performed to bring out a more authentic meat flavor and texture.

[0051] Figure 9 shows the kneading process. The kneading process involves rotating the blade 26 in both forward and reverse directions at a low speed to mix the entire mixture. This kneading process causes the mixture to exhibit viscosity characteristics similar to meat.

[0052] In addition, during this kneading process, the additive 72 may be added to the kneaded material (in this case, the fine powder mass 70). The additive 72 is introduced into the grinding container 10 when the control unit 50 opens the on / off valve 42 of the additive tank 40 with a control signal Ca.

[0053] As described above, the soy meat preparation device 1 according to the present invention makes it possible to obtain soy meat from dried soybeans in a few hours. [Industrial applicability]

[0054] The soy meat maker according to the present invention allows for the production of soy meat, which can be used as a meat substitute, at home. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1. Soy meat maker 10 Grinding container 14 Storage tanks 16 First waterway 18 Second waterway 22 Rotation axis 26 blades 30 Heater 36 pumps 40 Additive Tanks 50 Control Unit

Claims

1. A grinding container and The aforementioned grinding container includes a hot water / steam injection section into which hot water or steam can be injected, A blade provided at the bottom of the aforementioned grinding container, The unit includes the aforementioned hot water / steam injection section and the control unit that controls the blade, The control unit, A step of pouring a predetermined amount of hot water into the aforementioned crushing container, A grinding step in which the blade is rotated for a grinding time, A pre-steaming step in which steam is flowed into the grinding container for a pre-steaming time, A steaming step in which steam is flowed into the grinding container for a steaming time, A drying step to dry the inside of the grinding container, Mixing process using the aforementioned blade A soy meat maker that performs this task.

2. The control unit, A soy meat processing machine according to claim 1, wherein a further grinding step is performed between the steaming step and the drying step, in which the blade is rotated for a further grinding time.

3. Furthermore, it has an additive tank with an on / off valve for being added to the grinding container, The control unit, A soy meat making apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the on / off valve of the additive tank is opened in the kneading step.

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