Method for producing whipped cream, and whipped cream

Abstract

Provided is a method for producing whipped cream in which a mixed solution containing honey, whey protein, and water is stirred so that air is incorporated at room temperature, whereby whipped cream having a bulk of 1.5 times or greater than that before stirring is produced. In the mixed solution, the solid content concentration derived from the honey and the whey protein is 57.4-76.7 mass%, the ratio of the whey protein to 100 parts by weight of the solid content of honey is 1.3-32.3 parts by weight, and the ratio of the solid content of honey in the mixed solution is 43.4-75.7 mass%.

Description

Whipped cream manufacturing method and whipped cream

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing whipped cream and to whipped cream produced by the method.

[0002] Honey is a substance that has long been familiar to people, as it is an excellent energy source, consisting of approximately 80% carbohydrates, and is also a nutrient containing various amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Honey is usually added as it is to foods and beverages, or used as a sweetener, but the present applicant has previously proposed novel products that go beyond the traditional uses of honey (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 relates to a technology for concentrating honey to which herbal extracts have been added or mixed under reduced pressure. By adding this to various sweets and dishes such as beverages and ice cream, it is possible to consume the nutritional components of both the herbs and honey while reducing the bitterness and astringency that are characteristic of herbs.

[0004] Patent Document 2 relates to a cosmetic product using honey-derived proteins or protein hydrolysates. This cosmetic product effectively utilizes components that have traditionally been removed from honey and discarded because they reduce the transparency of the honey, and has excellent effects such as promoting collagen production and moisturizing properties.

[0005] The applicant has continued to conduct research and development to provide new products using honey as a raw material, and in the process came up with the idea of ​​producing whipped cream using honey.

[0006] Honey or its aqueous solution cannot be whipped by simply stirring it, and no proposals have been made to produce whipped cream using honey as a primary ingredient. One proposal for whipping high-sugar ingredients, similar to honey, involves adding gluten hydrolyzate and a thickening agent, such as agar or sodium alginate, to fruit sauce or jam to whip it (see Patent Document 3). However, this proposal requires the addition of both gluten hydrolyzate and thickening agent to produce a whipped cream with good shelf life, resulting in a complex ingredient composition. Furthermore, this proposal requires heating a mixture of gluten hydrolyzate and thickening agent to 90°C, stirring, and then cooling to room temperature before stirring to whip the mixture, making production laborious.

[0007] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-189956 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-290844 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-79758

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing whipped cream that can easily produce whipped cream using honey as a main ingredient, and whipped cream produced by the method.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the method for producing whipped cream according to the present invention involves "stirring a mixed solution containing honey, whey protein, and water at room temperature so as to incorporate air, thereby increasing the volume to at least 1.5 times the volume before stirring."

[0010] Conventionally, there has been no idea of ​​whipping honey to make whipped cream. Furthermore, simply adding water to honey does not produce whipped cream. After examining various ingredients, the inventors discovered that adding whey protein to honey and water makes it possible to whip the mixture, increasing the volume by 1.5 times or more compared to before stirring.

[0011] Therefore, according to this manufacturing method, whipped cream containing honey as the main ingredient can be manufactured very easily by simply adding one substance, whey protein, to an aqueous honey solution and then stirring the mixture at room temperature to incorporate air.

[0012] Furthermore, by placing the whipped cream produced by the present invention on or between foods such as confectionery, or by floating it in a drink, new food and drink products can be provided, and new uses for honey can be created. Furthermore, because honey contains ingredients that have beneficial effects on the skin, such as moisturizing and antibacterial effects, the whipped cream produced by the present invention can also be used in cosmetics.

[0013] Honey is a highly viscous liquid that tends to drip when pouring into or out of a container, making it difficult to handle. In contrast, honey that has been whipped into cream is less likely to drip, making it easier to handle.

[0014] In addition to the above configuration, the method for producing whipped cream according to the present invention is such that "in the mixed solution, the concentration of solids derived from honey and whey protein is 57.4% by mass to 76.7% by mass, and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is 1.3 parts by mass to 32.3 parts by mass," and "the ratio of honey solids in the mixed solution is 43.4% by mass to 75.7% by mass."

[0015] The concentration of solids derived from honey and whey protein (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "total solids concentration") is the proportion (mass %) of soluble solids in a mixed solution of honey, whey protein, and water. That is, the total solids concentration is the proportion (mass %) of the combined solids of honey solids and whey protein in a mixed solution, and is synonymous with the Brix value.

[0016] As will be described in detail later, the results of the study revealed that the lower the total solids concentration, i.e., the greater the proportion of water in the mixed solution, the higher the volume increase factor (how many times the volume increases by stirring compared to before stirring), while the higher the total solids concentration, the longer the storage period without honey separating from the foam, and the better the foam shelf life. For whipped cream, it is desirable for the volume increase factor to be high and the foam shelf life to be good. It was also found that increasing the amount of whey protein added has a negative effect on the texture. As will be described in detail later, by setting the total solids concentration in the mixed solution of honey, whey protein, and water, and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids within the above ranges, it is possible to produce whipped cream with a volume increase factor of 1.5 or more, good foam shelf life, and a good texture.

[0017] In addition to the above configuration, the method for producing whipped cream according to the present invention can be configured such that "in the mixed solution, the concentration of solids derived from honey and whey protein is 67.0% by mass to 76.7% by mass."

[0018] As will be described in detail later, by adjusting the total solids concentration in the mixed solution to fall within the above range, whipped cream with better foam preservation properties can be produced.

[0019] In addition to the above configuration, the method for producing whipped cream according to the present invention can be configured such that "no oil or fat is added to the mixed solution."

[0020] Conventional whipped cream is made from fresh cream, a dairy product, and a fat content of 30% or more is said to be suitable for whipping. Cream substitutes, which are made by whipping non-dairy ingredients, also use vegetable oils and fats as ingredients. Therefore, conventional whipped cream or cream substitutes have a high fat content. In contrast, the whipped cream manufacturing method of the present invention does not add fats or oils to the mixed solution, which is the raw material. Therefore, the whipped cream has fewer calories than conventional whipped cream or cream substitutes, and meets the needs of consumers who wish to reduce the intake of foods with a high fat content.

[0021] Next, the whipped cream of the present invention "contains honey, isolated and purified whey protein, and water, wherein the concentration of solids derived from honey and the whey protein is 57.4% by mass to 76.7% by mass, the ratio of the whey protein to 100 parts by mass of honey solids is 1.3 parts by mass to 32.3 parts by mass, and the ratio of honey solids is 43.4% by mass to 75.7% by mass."

[0022] This is the composition of the whipped cream produced by the above manufacturing method.

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing whipped cream that can easily produce whipped cream using honey as a main ingredient, and whipped cream produced by the method.

[0024] 3 is a graph plotting the ratio of bulk increase to total solids concentration. FIG. 4 is a graph plotting the ratio of bulk increase to the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids. FIG. 5 is a graph plotting the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids against total solids concentration. FIG. 6 is a graph enlarging the portion of FIG. 3 where the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is 10 parts by weight or less.

[0025] Hereinafter, a method for producing whipped cream according to one embodiment of the present invention and whipped cream produced by this method will be described.

[0026] In the method for producing whipped cream according to the present embodiment, a mixed solution of honey, whey protein, and water is stirred (whipped) at room temperature so as to incorporate air. This stirring causes foaming and increases the volume.

[0027] Whey is the liquid remaining after removing coagulated milk components from milk during cheese production. Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, including lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, and the like.

[0028] Usually, when whipping fresh cream or whipping vegetable oil to make a cream substitute, the whipping operation needs to be performed at a low temperature. In contrast, in this embodiment, the mixture can be easily whipped even when stirred at room temperature, and whipped cream can be made with a simple operation. In this embodiment, no oil or fat is added to the mixed solution that is the raw material for the whipped cream.

[0029] The whipped cream produced by this method is made mainly from honey, and contains whey protein and water in addition to honey.

[0030] The mixed solutions of samples S-1 to S-3, in which the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was kept constant at 7.6 parts by weight and the total solid concentration (concentration of solids derived from honey and whey protein) was varied, and samples S-4 to S-6, in which the total solid concentration was kept constant at approximately 71% by mass and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was varied, were stirred at room temperature.

[0031] The honey used was Hungarian honey (solid content: 79.2% by mass), and the whey protein used was whey protein powder manufactured by Sachsenmilch GmbH (trade name "German Prot WPI").

[0032] For samples S-1 to S-6, the specific gravity before and after stirring was measured, and the volume increase rate due to stirring (how many times the volume increased) was calculated as an index of the degree of foaming. The specific gravity after stirring was calculated by measuring the mass of a level cup of whipped cream using a container of a specified volume. In addition, the foam storage stability and texture of each sample were evaluated using the following methods.

[0033] <Foam preservation> Whipped cream was placed in a container and stored at a temperature of 5°C, and the time until honey separated from the foam was visible at the bottom of the container was measured and rated on a four-point scale as follows: "○": No honey separation was observed even after more than a week. "●": It took more than 24 hours but less than a week for honey separation to be observed. "△": It took more than 5 hours but less than 24 hours for honey separation to be observed. "×": It took less than 5 hours for honey separation to be observed.

[0034] <Texture> When the whipped cream was fine-grained, smooth to the touch, and had a good taste, it was judged to have a very good texture and rated as "○", when it felt a little powdery but had a pleasant taste, it was judged to have a good texture and rated as "△", and when the whey protein itself had a strong taste and the taste was unpleasant, it was judged to have a poor texture and rated as "×".

[0035] The evaluation results for Samples S-1 to S-3, together with their compositions, etc., are shown in Table 1. The evaluation results for Samples S-4 to S-6, together with their compositions, etc., are shown in Table 2.

[0036]

[0037]

[0038] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, both the total solids concentration and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids affected the bulk increase ratio. Regarding the total solids concentration, the smaller the value and the greater the proportion of water, the greater the bulk increase ratio tended to be. Regarding the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids, in the relationship between Samples S-4 and S-5, the bulk increase ratio increased as the proportion of whey protein increased, but in the relationship between Samples S-5 and S-6, the bulk increase ratio decreased as the proportion of whey protein increased. From this, it was thought that whey protein increased the bulk increase ratio up to a certain proportion, but that the bulk increase ratio decreased once a certain proportion was exceeded.

[0039] From the results in Table 1, it appears that the shelf life of the foam is mainly affected by the total solids concentration. As can be seen from Table 1, whipped creams with very good texture and foam that could be stored for more than 5 hours were obtained with a large volume increase ratio of 2.5 to 9.9 times. Furthermore, from the results in Table 2, it appears that the texture is mainly affected by the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids. As can be seen from Table 2, whipped creams with good or very good texture and foam that could be stored for more than 24 hours were obtained with a large volume increase ratio of 2.2 to 5.0 times.

[0040] Based on the above results, we conducted a detailed study on the influence of the total solids concentration on the volume increase rate, texture, and foam shelf life, and the influence of the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids on the volume increase rate, texture, and foam shelf life.

[0041] First, to investigate the relationship between the total solids concentration and the volume increase ratio, texture, and foam shelf life, the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was kept constant at 7.6 parts by weight, and the total solids concentration was varied for samples S1-1 to S1-12. The volume increase ratio was determined in the same manner as above, and the texture and foam shelf life were evaluated using the same method. The results, along with the composition, are shown in Table 3. Figure 1 also shows a graph plotting the volume increase ratio against the total solids concentration. The markers in Figure 1 correspond to the symbols "○", "●", "△", and "×" used to evaluate the foam shelf life.

[0042]

[0043] As can be seen from FIG. 1 , there is a nearly linear correlation between the total solids concentration and the bulk increase ratio, with the smaller the total solids concentration, i.e., the greater the proportion of water, the greater the bulk increase ratio. Meanwhile, the higher the total solids concentration, the better the foam preservability. For whipped cream, a high bulk increase ratio and good foam preservability are desirable, so it is necessary to balance these opposing trends with respect to the total solids concentration. For the range of samples S1-3 to S1-9, with a total solids concentration of 76.7% by mass to 59.0% by mass, it is desirable for the bulk increase ratio to be 1.5 times or more and for the foam preservability to be rated "○", "●", or "△", i.e., the time until honey separation is confirmed to be 5 hours or more.

[0044] Furthermore, if the range of samples S1-3 to S1-8 is such that the total solids concentration is 76.7% by mass to 64.5% by mass, the bulk increase ratio is 1.5 times or more and the foam preservation is "○" or "●", i.e., the time until honey separation is confirmed is 24 hours or more, which is more desirable.

[0045] Furthermore, when the total solid content is in the range of samples S1-3 to S1-6, which is 76.7% by mass to 72.7% by mass, the bulk increase ratio is 1.5 times or more, and the foam preservability is "Good", that is, the honey has a long-term preservability in which separation is not observed even after one week has passed, which is even more desirable.

[0046] Furthermore, in each of these ranges of total solid concentration, if the upper limit is set to 75.5 mass % (value of sample S1-4), the bulk increase rate exceeds two times, which is even more desirable.

[0047] In addition, samples S1-1 and S1-2, which had a high honey content and a low bulk increase ratio of less than 1.5 times, were rated as "good" for texture, but had a texture similar to honey and a heavy whipped cream texture.

[0048] Next, to investigate the relationship between the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids and the volume increase ratio, texture, and foam shelf life, samples S2-1 to S2-9 and S3-1 to S3-10 were prepared by keeping the honey ratio to the sum of water and honey constant and varying the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids. The volume increase ratio was determined in the same manner as above, and the texture and foam shelf life were evaluated using the same method. Here, samples S2-1 to S2-9 had a constant ratio of honey to the sum of water and honey of 90% by mass, while samples S3-1 to S3-10 had a constant ratio of honey to the sum of water and honey of 85% by mass.

[0049] The results for Samples S2-1 to S2-9, together with their compositions, etc., are shown in Table 4, and the results for Samples S3-1 to S3-10, together with their compositions, etc., are shown in Table 5. Combining the results of Tables 4 and 5, a graph in which the bulk increase ratio is plotted against the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is shown in Figure 2. The total solid concentrations of Samples S2-1 to S2-9 were approximately 71.0% by mass, and the total solid concentrations of Samples S3-1 to S3-10 were 67.4% to 74.6% by mass, which are therefore within the desirable range of 76.7% to 59.0% by mass and the more desirable range of 76.7% to 64.5% by mass for the total solid concentration, as described above with reference to Table 3 and Figure 1. In Figure 2, samples with a texture of "x" (bad) are marked with "*", and samples with a texture of "o" (very good) or "△" (good) are marked with the symbols "o", "●", "△", and "x" in the evaluation of foam storage stability. Note that samples with a poor texture were not evaluated for foam storage stability.

[0050]

[0051]

[0052] As can be seen from Figure 2, the increase in bulk increases with an increase in the whey protein ratio until the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids reaches 13.7 parts by weight (the value for sample S3-7), but once the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids exceeds 13.7 parts by weight, the bulk does not increase, and samples S3-7 and S3-8 show almost the same increase in bulk until the whey protein ratio reaches 22.1 parts by weight, whereas samples S3-9 and S3-10 show a decrease in the increase in bulk when the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids exceeds 32.4 parts by weight. Sample S3-10 was evaluated as "x" (poor) for texture.

[0053] This shows that the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids increases the volume of the foam up to a certain value, but if the ratio is too high, the volume increase rate decreases and the texture is adversely affected.

[0054] Furthermore, in samples S2-1 to S2-8, in which the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was as low as 0.40 parts by weight or less, the increase in bulk was small and the evaluation of the foam preservability was also "X". It can be seen that the foam preservability improved as the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids increased up to 32.4 parts by weight (the value for sample S3-9).

[0055] From the above investigation, it was found that the total solids concentration and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids all affect the volume increase rate, texture, and foam shelf life, and that there is a desirable numerical range between the total solids concentration and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids. Therefore, the desirable range was set as the range in which whipped cream with a volume increase rate of 1.5 times or more, very good or good texture, and foam shelf life rated as "△" or higher, i.e., the time until honey separation was confirmed was 5 hours or more, and the desirable range for the relationship between the total solids concentration and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was investigated.

[0056] Samples S4-1 to S4-10 were prepared with mixed solutions whose composition was such that the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was near the upper limit within the desirable range predicted from the results of the above study. Samples S5-1 to S5-9 were prepared with mixed solutions whose composition was such that the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids was near the lower limit. The bulk increase rate, texture, and foam shelf life were evaluated using the same methods as above. The evaluation results, along with the composition, are shown in Tables 6 and 7, respectively. The honey used in this study was Hungarian honey, with solid contents of 79.4%, 79.5%, 79.6%, and 79.7% by weight. For each sample, the solid content of the honey used was used to calculate the total solids concentration and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids.

[0057]

[0058]

[0059] Compiling the results shown in Tables 1 to 7, a graph in which the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is plotted against the total solids concentration is shown in Figure 3. Since the numerical values ​​and evaluation results for each point in the range of small values ​​on the vertical axis are difficult to read in Figure 3, a graph in which the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is 10 parts by weight or less is shown in Figure 4, which is an enlarged version of the graph. Markers in Figures 3 and 4 indicate samples with a bulk increase rate of less than 1.5 times with a "+" and samples with a texture of "×" (poor) with an "*". Additionally, samples with a bulk increase rate of 1.5 times or more and a texture of "○" (very good) or "△" (good) are marked with the same symbols as those used to evaluate the foam preservation stability: "○", "●", "△", and "×".

[0060] 3 and 4, when the total solids concentration is X% by mass and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is Y parts by weight, it can be seen that the desirable range described above, i.e., the range within which whipped cream having a volume increase ratio of 1.5 times or more, an excellent or excellent texture, and a foam preservation rating of "Fair" or higher, can be produced if the following conditions A and B are satisfied: Condition A: 57.4≦X≦76.7 Condition B: 1.3≦Y≦32.3

[0061] Within the above-described desirable range, when the total solids concentration is 57.4% by mass and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by mass of honey solids is 32.3 parts by mass (the upper left corner of the rectangle representing the desirable range shown in the graph in Figure 3 ), the honey solids ratio in the mixed solution is at its minimum of 43.4% by mass. When the total solids concentration is 76.7% by mass and the ratio of whey protein to 100 parts by mass of honey solids is 1.3 parts by mass (the lower right corner of the rectangle representing the desirable range shown in the graph in Figure 3 ), the honey solids ratio in the mixed solution is at its maximum of 75.7% by mass. In other words, the mixed solution and the whipped cream produced by the manufacturing method of this embodiment contain honey at a high solids ratio of 43.4% to 75.7% by mass. The inclined dashed lines in Figures 3 and 4 indicate the line where the honey solids ratio in the mixed solution is 65.0% by mass. In other words, within the desirable range described above, the range to the lower right of the dashed line represents a very high range of 65.0% to 75.7% by mass of honey solids in the mixed solution and the whipped cream produced by the manufacturing method of this embodiment. As mentioned above, honey contains a high sugar content of approximately 80%, and whipping a liquid with a high sugar content is difficult. Therefore, whipped cream containing such a high percentage of honey is very innovative in this respect. The whipped cream produced by the manufacturing method of this embodiment is unlikely to grow bacteria due to its high sugar content, and is therefore thought to be able to be stored for long periods of time without the addition of preservatives.

[0062] Furthermore, from the results of Figures 3 and 4, it can be seen that a more desirable range for producing whipped cream with a volume increase ratio of 1.5 times or more, an excellent or excellent texture, and a foam shelf life rating of "●" or higher (the time until honey separation is confirmed is 24 hours or more) is a range that satisfies the following conditions C and B. Condition C: 67.0≦X≦76.7 Condition B: 1.3≦Y≦32.3

[0063] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, no fats or oils are added to the mixed solution that is the raw material for the whipped cream, and therefore, unlike conventional whipped creams and cream substitutes, which are dairy products, whipped cream is manufactured that contains almost no lipids. However, since whey protein contains a very small amount of lipids, the whipped cream manufactured contains a very small amount of lipids derived from whey protein. The lipid content of the whey protein used in this embodiment is 1.0% by mass or less. Therefore, in the above-mentioned desirable ranges (conditions A and B) and more desirable ranges (conditions C and B), the lipid content of the manufactured whipped cream is at most less than 0.2% by mass, which is a very small amount.

[0064] The present invention has been described above by citing preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible as described below, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0065] For example, in the above example, the raw materials are honey, whey protein, and water only, but in addition to these, trace amounts of flavorings, coloring agents, emulsifiers, thickeners, etc. may also be added.

[0066] Furthermore, although the texture of the whipped cream was evaluated above, the whipped cream produced can be used in foods and beverages as well as cosmetics.

Claims

1. A method for producing whipped cream, comprising: stirring a mixed solution containing honey, isolated and purified whey protein, and water at room temperature so as to incorporate air, thereby increasing the volume to at least 1.5 times that before stirring; wherein the mixed solution has a solids concentration derived from honey and the whey protein of 57.4% by mass to 76.7% by mass, and the ratio of the whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is 1.3 parts by mass to 32.3 parts by weight; and wherein the ratio of honey solids in the mixed solution is 43.4% by mass to 75.7% by mass.

2. The method for producing whipped cream according to claim 1, characterized in that the solid content concentration of the honey and the whey protein in the mixed solution is 67.0% by mass to 76.7% by mass.

3. The method for producing whipped cream according to claim 1, characterized in that the solid content of honey in the mixed solution is 65.0% by mass to 75.7% by mass.

4. The method for producing whipped cream according to claim 1, characterized in that no oil or fat is added to the mixed solution.

5. A whipped cream comprising honey, isolated and purified whey protein, and water, wherein the concentration of solids derived from honey and said whey protein is 57.4% by mass to 76.7% by mass, the ratio of said whey protein to 100 parts by weight of honey solids is 1.3 parts by mass to 32.3 parts by weight, and the ratio of honey solids is 43.4% by mass to 75.7% by mass.

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