Vacuum freeze-dried block for sauce

Abstract

This vacuum freeze-dried block for sauce contains a solid or liquid vegetable oil / fat having a melting point of 0-50°C, an emulsifier, and a paste selected from processed starch and gelatin. The lipid content of the block is 40-90 mass%. The content of the paste is preferably 1.0-15.0 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the lipid. It is also preferable to contain the processed starch. The emulsifier is preferably one or more selected from sorbitan fatty acid ester and glycerin fatty acid ester.

Description

Vacuum freeze-dried blocks for sauces

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces.

[0002] Conventionally, freeze-dried blocks for soups have been known (for example, Patent Document 1). Also, Patent Document 2 describes freeze-dried ingredients with a high oil content.

[0003] JP 2021-159061 A JP 2020-162563 A

[0004] For example, a high-oil sauce is a dip sauce eaten with chips or vegetables. Producing a high-oil sauce at home requires mixing vegetable paste, seasonings, oils, and other ingredients, which is known to be time-consuming. Meanwhile, with the spread of vacuum freeze-drying technology, there is a growing demand for a simple vacuum freeze-dried block that can be easily prepared by simply rehydrating it in hot water.

[0005] However, when the inventors attempted to produce a vacuum freeze-dried block with a high oil content by simply rehydrating it in hot water, they found it difficult to achieve a balance between the shape retention of the block, the reconstitution of the block when soaked in hot water, the prevention of oil separation after rehydration, and the texture of the sauce after rehydration.

[0006] That is, when reconstituting a sauce with hot water, only a small amount of hot water can be used compared to soup. Moreover, when the oil content is high, hot water does not easily penetrate into the block. A vacuum freeze-dried block of a high-oil sauce must achieve good reconstitution properties under such harsh conditions, so that it dissolves in a short time with a small amount of hot water to become a smooth sauce. Furthermore, since vacuum freeze-dried blocks are usually obtained by drying a gel, attempts to improve reconstitution properties and texture after reconstitution tend to reduce the gel strength, which is the skeleton of the block, making it difficult to maintain shape retention. Furthermore, high-oil sauces are prone to oil separation after a period of time after reconstitution. When oil separates from the sauce after reconstitution, the appearance and texture tend to deteriorate.

[0007] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by using a specific oil and fat, an emulsifier, and a specific thickening agent in combination.

[0008] The present invention is based on the above findings and provides a vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces, which contains solid or liquid vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C, an emulsifier, and a thickening agent selected from modified starch and gelatin, and has a lipid content of 40 to 90% by mass.

[0009] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below. The present invention relates to a vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces, which contains a solid or liquid vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C, an emulsifier, and a thickening agent selected from modified starch and gelatin, and has a lipid content of 40 to 90% by mass.

[0010] 1. Lipid Content The vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as the "block of the present invention") is a food product with a high lipid content of 40% by mass or more, tailored to consumer preferences. From this perspective, the lipid content in the block of the present invention is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, and even more preferably 53% by mass or more. On the other hand, to prevent oil and fat precipitation in the block of the present invention, improve the block's reconstitution, and suppress texture and oil and fat separation, the lipid content of the block is preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less. In this specification, "lipid" refers to a component defined in the 2015 edition (7th revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, and refers to the total amount of components soluble in solvents such as ether and petroleum ether. When the components used are known, the lipid content can be calculated as the sum of the lipid amounts of each component. It can also be determined by the ether extraction method (https: / / www.caa.go.jp / policies / policy / food_labeling / food_labeling_act / assets / food_labeling_cms201_220830_03.pdf, accessed February 21, 2024).

[0011] 2. Solid or Liquid Vegetable Oils and Fats with a Melting Point of 0 to 50°C The blocks of the present invention contain solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats with a melting point of 0 to 50°C. Examples of such vegetable oils and fats include rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated rice oil, shea butter, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated rapeseed oil, palm oil, hydrogenated palm oil, and olive oil, as well as oils obtained by interesterifying or fractionating these vegetable oils. By using vegetable oils and fats with a predetermined melting point, the blocks of the present invention can achieve a good flavor upon reconstitution and a good texture. The melting point is measured in accordance with the "Standard Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Fat 2.2.4.2 (1996) 1996 Edition, Established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society." In this specification, "solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats" refers to vegetable oils and fats that are not powdered oils and fats. Examples of powdered oils and fats include oil-in-water emulsions in which oil is emulsified in water, or water-in-oil emulsions in which water is emulsified in oil, which have been dried and powdered, or dried and powdered oils and fats. Oils and fats that are not powdered oils and fats are mixed with other ingredients, for example, in the form of liquid or solid raw materials. The use of solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats in the present invention, rather than powdered oils and fats, makes it easier to balance shape retention, texture, reconstitution, and the effect of inhibiting separation of the oil and fat. The melting point of solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats with a melting point of 0 to 50°C is preferably 0 to 45°C, more preferably 5 to 40°C.

[0012] In the block of the present invention, the "solid or liquid vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C" preferably contains an oil that is fluid at 25°C (sometimes commonly referred to as "liquid oil"), as this improves reconstitution and tends to improve the texture after reconstitution. For example, it is preferable to contain an oil with a melting point of 0 to 25°C, and more preferably an oil with a melting point of 5 to 25°C. Examples of such oils include olive oil and rapeseed oil, with olive oil being preferred because it is easy to balance flavor, shape retention, and reconstitution. In addition, in the present invention, it is also preferable to contain an oil that is solid at 25°C as the "solid or liquid vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C," as this easily prevents oil precipitation and separation. Such an oil has a melting point greater than 25°C and less than 50°C, preferably greater than 25°C and less than 45°C, and more preferably greater than 25°C and less than 40°C. A preferred example of such an oil is palm oil.

[0013] In the present invention, the proportion of solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats with a melting point of 0 to 50°C in the total lipid content in the block is preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 50% by mass or more. Also, the proportion of solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats with a melting point of 0 to 50°C in the total lipid content in the block is preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less.

[0014] The proportion of vegetable oils having a melting point of 0 to 50°C, regardless of the added form, including the aforementioned "solid or liquid vegetable oils having a melting point of 0 to 50°C," is preferably 40% by mass or more of the total lipid content of the block of the present invention, in terms of the good flavor of the block after restoration, and the good texture, reconstitution, and texture after restoration. From this perspective, the proportion of vegetable oils having a melting point of 0 to 50°C of the total lipid content of the block of the present invention is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 60% by mass or more. Furthermore, it is also preferable that the proportion of vegetable oils having a melting point of 0 to 45°C is high, and the oil content of this melting point range is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, and preferably 60% by mass or more. In addition, when the block of the present invention contains a plant paste as a raw material and the paste contains a vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C, this vegetable oil is considered to fall under the category of "vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C" (however, the vegetable oil in the plant paste is not considered to fall under the category of "solid or liquid vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C" in terms of the form in which it is added).

[0015] 3. Emulsifier The block of the present invention contains an emulsifier. In this specification, "containing an emulsifier" means containing an emulsifier other than the emulsifier contained in the powdered oil. This allows the present invention to effectively emulsify oils and fats with a melting point of 0 to 50°C, including solid and liquid oils and fats. As described above, the block of the present invention has a high oil content, and by combining an emulsifier with a specific thickening agent, oil separation can be effectively suppressed, making it easy to achieve both improved resilience and suppressed oil separation. Furthermore, the addition of an emulsifier also has the effect of suppressing the precipitation of oils and fats in the block.

[0016] Examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, and lecithin. Here, glycerin fatty acid esters include esters of glycerin and fatty acids, as well as glycerin acetate esters, glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, glycerin lactate fatty acid esters, glycerin citric acid fatty acid esters, glycerin succinate fatty acid esters, glycerin diacetyltartaric acid fatty acid esters, and polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters. Furthermore, glycerin fatty acid esters include, as esters of glycerin and fatty acids, monoglycerin fatty acid esters, diglycerin fatty acid esters, and polyglycerin fatty acid esters. Furthermore, lecithin includes fractionated lecithin, enzymatically decomposed lecithin, and enzymatically treated lecithin. Among these, in the present invention, the use of at least one selected from glycerin fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters is preferred due to its excellent emulsifying performance, and the use of at least one selected from polyglycerin fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters is even more preferred.

[0017] The emulsifier preferably has an HLB of 2.0 or more, more preferably 3.0 or more, and particularly preferably 6.0 or more, and preferably 17 or less, more preferably 16 or less, and even more preferably 15 or less.

[0018] In order to more easily achieve a balance between reconstitution, texture, shape retention, and inhibition of oil separation and oil and fat precipitation, when the block of the present invention contains an emulsifier, the content thereof in the block is preferably 0.2% by mass or more and 4.0% by mass or less, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.6% by mass or more and 2.0% by mass or less.

[0019] In addition, in terms of the oil separation prevention effect, it is preferable that the emulsifier be contained in an amount of 0.5 to 3.5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of lipid content in the block, more preferably 0.7 to 2.7 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 1.0 to 2.0 parts by mass.

[0020] 4. Thickeners The blocks of the present invention contain one or more thickeners selected from modified starch and gelatin. In the present invention, as shown in a comparison between Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 and 4 described below, the inclusion of gelatin or modified starch can improve shape retention, the texture of the sauce, and the prevention of fat separation. For example, in the present invention, the use of modified starch or gelatin as a thickener in the presence of an emulsifier improves the mixability of the thickener and fats and oils compared to the use of conventional thickeners such as xanthan gum, making fat separation less likely to occur after reconstitution. Furthermore, in the present invention, the use of modified starch or gelatin as a thickener can improve the uniformity of the mixture during processing compared to the use of conventional thickeners such as xanthan gum.

[0021] Known types of processing for processed starch include, for example, one or more treatments selected from etherification, esterification, cross-linking (phosphate cross-linking, etc.), oil / fat processing, and oxidation. Examples of raw materials for processed starch include starches such as corn starch, waxy corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, wheat starch, and rice starch. In the present invention, it is preferred to use processed starch with a gelatinization onset temperature of 60 to 80°C, particularly preferably 65 to 80°C, because this has high rehydration properties.

[0022] In the present invention, only one of gelatin and modified starch may be contained, but it is preferable to contain both, since this makes it easier to obtain excellent reconstitution properties while also obtaining sufficient shape retention.

[0023] When the block of the present invention contains a processed starch, the content thereof in the block is preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 9.0% by mass or less, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 8.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 3.5% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 1.5% by mass or more and 2.5% by mass or less.

[0024] When the block of the present invention contains gelatin, its content in the block is preferably from 0.1 to 3.5% by mass, more preferably from 0.1 to 2.5% by mass, and even more preferably from 0.5 to 1.5% by mass.

[0025] When the block of the present invention uses a combination of processed starch and gelatin, the mass ratio (processed starch / gelatin) is preferably 1.0 to 4.0 / 1, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0 / 1.

[0026] In the block of the present invention, the total amount of the processed starch and gelatin is preferably 0.7 to 11.0% by mass, more preferably 0.7 to 6.0% by mass, even more preferably 0.7 to 5.0% by mass, even more preferably 1.5 to 4.5% by mass, and particularly preferably 2.5 to 3.5% by mass. Furthermore, in the block of the present invention, the total amount of the processed starch and gelatin is preferably 1.0 to 22.0 parts by mass, more preferably 1.0 to 15.0 parts by mass, even more preferably 1.0 to 8.0 parts by mass, even more preferably 1.0 to 6.0 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 2.0 to 5.0 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the lipid content.

[0027] 5. Other Ingredients Examples of other ingredients that may be used in the block of the present invention, other than solid or liquid vegetable oils and fats with a melting point of 0 to 50°C, emulsifiers, processed starch, and gelatin, include powdered oils and fats, dry powders or mashed juices or pastes of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, etc., proteins such as milk protein, soy protein, and egg white, carbohydrates other than processed starch such as unprocessed starch and dextrin, dietary fiber such as powdered cellulose, seasonings such as salt, soy sauce, amino acids, and sugars, colorings, flavorings, pH adjusters, antioxidants, etc.

[0028] The types of vegetables and fruits are not particularly limited, and examples of vegetables include avocado, tomato, onion, carrot, radish, turnip, potato, burdock, pumpkin, cabbage, bell pepper, paprika, celery, broccoli, sweet potato, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, leek, celery, bell pepper, spinach, green peas, corn, eggplant, garlic, joga, green asparagus, basil, edamame, and Egyptian beans. Examples of fruits include banana, mango, plum, apple, strawberry, mandarin orange, grape, Japanese pear, Japanese pear, and lemon. Among these, avocado, tomato, carrot, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, burdock, green pea, spinach, and basil are preferred from the viewpoint of ease of processing into juice or paste.

[0029] When the block of the present invention contains vegetables or fruits, the amount of the vegetables or fruits in the block of the present invention is preferably 1 to 50% by mass, more preferably 3 to 45% by mass, and even more preferably 7 to 40% by mass. Here, the amount of the vegetables or fruits is the amount excluding water from the raw material of the vegetables or fruits, also called the solid content, and includes lipids.

[0030] The type of dairy product is not particularly limited, and examples include cheese, butter, and fresh cream. The block of the present invention may contain a food product whose main ingredient is milk, etc. In this case, the content of the food product in the block may be 10 to 35% by mass, 10 to 30% by mass, or 15 to 25% by mass. Food products whose main ingredient is milk, etc., contain 50% by mass or more of milk-derived protein, and examples include milk proteins such as sodium caseinate and whey protein, and milk powder.

[0031] 6. Manufacturing Method A preferred manufacturing method for the block of the present invention will now be described.

[0032] (Ingredient Mixing) First, water and gelatin or modified starch are mixed. Other ingredients, such as the seasonings and antioxidants, may be mixed with water at this stage. The resulting mixture is preferably heated to, for example, 70 to 90°C to dissolve the solid ingredients (hereinafter also referred to as Mixture 1). Separately from the above, Mixture 2 is prepared by mixing a solid or liquid oil or fat with a melting point of 0 to 45°C with an emulsifier, and this is emulsified and mixed with Mixture 1. Emulsifying and mixing can be performed using, for example, a stirrer, a mixer heater, or the like.

[0033] In this production method, a mixture 1 containing gelatin or modified starch and water is emulsified with a mixture 2, which is an oil phase containing an emulsifier and a solid or liquid oil or fat having a melting point of 0 to 50° C., to obtain an emulsion that is uniform overall and provides a smooth sauce upon reconstitution after freeze-drying. This emulsion may be used as a mixture for freeze-drying as is, or a mixture for freeze-drying may be obtained by heating and dissolving dried food powder or juice or paste of mashed food and mixing it with the emulsion.

[0034] The lipid content of the mixture for freeze-drying is preferably 5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 10 to 30% by mass, in order to successfully produce a block with good reconstitution properties.

[0035] Furthermore, in order to successfully produce a block with good restorability, it is preferable that the water content of the mixture for freeze-drying be 50 to 80% by mass, more preferably 50 to 70% by mass, and particularly preferably 55 to 65% by mass.

[0036] (Freezing step) Next, the mixture for freeze-drying is frozen. The mixture for freeze-drying obtained in the mixing step is in a liquid or paste state, and is poured into a mold, frozen, and then freeze-dried to obtain a block. The filling should be carried out at a temperature that ensures good fluidity during filling and maintains the emulsified state.

[0037] Conventional freezing techniques can be applied, such as air-blast tunnel freezers, wagon freezers, and freezers. Freezing methods include a quick freezing method, in which the food product temperature passes through the maximum ice crystal formation zone (-5°C to -1°C) within 30 minutes, and a slow freezing method, in which the food product is frozen more slowly. In this production method, it is preferable to use the slow freezing method.

[0038] (Vacuum Freeze-Drying Step) Next, the frozen product is vacuum freeze-dried under reduced pressure using a vacuum freeze-dryer. The vacuum freeze-drying conditions are not particularly limited, and the product may be dried at a degree of vacuum and heating temperature that does not cause thawing. The preferred ranges for the degree of vacuum are that the pressure inside the vacuum freeze-dryer is 200 Pa or less in absolute pressure, the final temperature is 60 to 40°C, and the moisture content after drying is 0.1 to 10% by mass.

[0039] The freeze-dried blocks can be reconstituted in hot water and mixed to be used as sauces. The sauces obtained from the freeze-dried blocks of the present invention can be used in a variety of ways, such as as a dipping sauce or topping sauce, poured over food, spread on food, or used to coat or coat food.

[0040] The present embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples.

[0041] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such examples. Unless otherwise specified, "%" means "% by mass" and "parts" means "parts by mass." The units of the formulations in Table 1 are parts by mass.

[0042] (Example 1) The compositions shown in Table 1 were used. The avocado paste used had an oil content of 23.7% by mass. The sorbitan fatty acid ester used had an HLB of 3.0 or more but less than 6.0. The polyglyceryl fatty acid ester used had an HLB of 6.0 or more but less than 15.0. The palm oil used had a melting point of 40°C. The milk powder used had an oil content of 62% by mass. The powdered oil and fat used was vegetable oil and fat with an oil content of 70% by mass. The seasonings used included sugar, citric acid, salt, umami seasoning, etc. Vitamin E was used as the antioxidant.

[0043] (1) Seasoning, gelatin, milk powder, water (about 5 times the amount of the milk powder), and antioxidant were mixed. The resulting mixture was heated to 80°C to dissolve the gelatin, milk powder, and seasoning.

[0044] (2) To the composition obtained in (1), mayonnaise oil, powdered oil and fat, and palm oil previously dissolved and mixed with a sorbitan fatty acid ester were added and mixed, followed by mixing with avocado paste. The resulting mixture was at 60°C. The resulting mixture was placed in a container having multiple cubic cavities (volume 40 ml), with 43 g of the mixture filling each cavity, and then rapidly frozen at -28°C.

[0045] (3) The obtained frozen product was dried in a vacuum freeze dryer at 200 Pa or less until the product temperature reached 55°C, to obtain a vacuum freeze-dried block (15 g) for sauce.

[0046] Example 2 In place of palm oil in Example 1, olive oil (melting point 10°C) was mixed in advance with sorbitan fatty acid ester and used. Furthermore, phosphate cross-linked starch (derived from waxy corn starch, gelatinization onset temperature approximately 70°C) was used in the amount shown in Table 1, and the amount of sorbitan fatty acid ester was changed to the amount shown in Table 1. Except for this, a vacuum freeze-dried block for sauce was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0047] (Example 3) Gelatin was not used, and instead xanthan gum was used in the amount shown in Table 1. Other than that, the same procedure as in Example 2 was repeated to obtain a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0048] (Example 4) In comparison with Example 1, the amount of phosphate cross-linked starch was used as shown in Table 1, and the amount of sorbitan fatty acid ester was changed to the amount shown in Table 1. Other than that, the same procedure as in Example 1 was repeated to obtain a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0049] (Example 5) Unlike Example 2, gelatin was not used. Except for this, the same procedure as in Example 2 was followed, and a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce was obtained with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0050] (Example 6) In Example 2, a polyglycerin fatty acid ester (polyglyceryl stearate) was used instead of the sorbitan fatty acid ester, and the rest of the procedure was the same as in Example 2, and a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce was obtained with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0051] Example 7 Palm oil was used instead of olive oil in Example 6. Other than that, the same procedure as in Example 5 was followed, and a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce was obtained with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0052] (Example 8) In comparison with Example 7, the amounts of avocado paste and palm oil were changed to those shown in Table 1, and the amounts of the other components were increased by the same factor (approximately 1.2 times). Except for this, the same procedure as in Example 7 was followed, and a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce was obtained with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0053] (Example 9) In Example 7, the amounts of avocado paste, palm oil, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester were changed to those shown in Table 1. The amounts of the other components were reduced by the same factor (approximately 0.93). Except for this, the same procedure as in Example 7 was followed, and a vacuum freeze-dried block for sauce was obtained with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0054] Comparative Example 1 Unlike Example 1, gelatin was not used. Except for this, the same procedure as in Example 1 was followed, and a vacuum freeze-dried block for a sauce was obtained with the composition shown in Table 1.

[0055] The vacuum freeze-dried blocks for sauces obtained in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples were evaluated by three expert panelists according to the following criteria. The average scores are shown in Table 1.

[0056] Panelists evaluated shape retention by actually touching the vacuum freeze-dried blocks for sauce with their hands. (Shape retention) 5 points: Good shape retention and quite hard. 4 points: Good shape retention. 3 points: Does not break even when force is applied. 2 points: Breaks when force is applied. 1 point: No shape retention at all.

[0057] Panelists visually inspected the freeze-dried blocks for sauces and evaluated the oil precipitation. (Oil precipitation from the block) 5 points: no precipitation at all 4 points: slight precipitation 3 points: partial precipitation 2 points: partial precipitation 1 point: oil seeped out from the entire block

[0058] The resilience was evaluated by a panelist placing one block in a dish, pouring 25g of 90°C hot water over it, mixing, and visually observing the block as it dissolved. (Resilience) 5 points: no lumps, completely dissolved. 4 points: almost completely dissolved. 3 points: some lumps that are difficult to dissolve. 2 points: only about half of the block dissolves. 1 point: the block barely dissolves.

[0059] The separation of oil was evaluated by a panel of visual observers of the appearance of the reconstituted sauce 3 minutes after pouring hot water over it. (Oil Separation) 5 points: No oil separation. 4 points: Some oil separation. 3 points: A small amount of oil separation. 2 points: Oil separation. 1 point: Significant oil separation.

[0060] The texture was evaluated by panelists who tasted the reconstituted sauce. 5 points: Very smooth. 4 points: Smooth. 3 points: Acceptable. 2 points: Thick. 1 point: Very thick.

[0061]

[0062] According to each of the above examples, the shape retention of the block, the suppression of oil precipitation from the block, the reconstitution property, the suppression of oil separation after reconstitution, and the texture were all good. (Examples 10-11) Tomato paste was used instead of the avocado paste of Example 1. The tomato paste used had an oil content of 0.1% by mass. The ingredients other than the tomato paste were the same as those in Example 1. The composition shown in Table 2 was used.

[0063] (1) Seasoning, gelatin, phosphate cross-linked starch, milk powder, water (about 5 times the amount of the milk powder), and antioxidant were mixed. The resulting mixture was heated to 80°C to dissolve the gelatin, milk powder, and seasoning.

[0064] (2) To the composition obtained in (1), mayonnaise oil, powdered oil and fat, and palm oil previously dissolved and mixed with polyglycerol fatty acid ester were added and mixed, followed by mixing with tomato paste. The resulting mixture was at 60°C. The resulting mixture was placed in a container having multiple cubic cavities (volume 40 ml), with 43 g of the mixture filling each cavity, and then rapidly frozen at -28°C.

[0065] (3) The obtained frozen product was dried in a vacuum freeze dryer at 200 Pa or less until the product temperature reached 55°C, to obtain a vacuum freeze-dried block (15 g) for sauce.

[0066] The vacuum freeze-dried blocks for sauces obtained in Examples 10 and 11 were evaluated by three expert panelists using the same evaluation criteria as in Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Example 1. The average evaluation scores are shown in Table 2.

[0067]

[0068] In Examples 10 and 11, which used tomato paste, the shape retention of the blocks, the inhibition of oil precipitation from the blocks, the reconstitution, the inhibition of oil separation after reconstitution, and the texture were all good.

[0069] The vacuum freeze-dried block of the present invention is excellent in shape retention, reconstitution when the block is mixed with hot water, suppression of oil separation after reconstitution, and texture of the sauce after reconstitution.

Claims

1. A vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces, containing solid or liquid vegetable oil having a melting point of 0 to 50°C, an emulsifier, and a thickening agent selected from modified starch and gelatin, and having a lipid content of 40 to 90% by mass.

2. A vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces as described in claim 1, wherein the content of the thickening agent is 1.0 to 15.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of lipids.

3. The vacuum freeze-dried block for sauces according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the emulsifier is one or more selected from the group consisting of sorbitan fatty acid esters and glycerin fatty acid esters.

4. The vacuum freeze-dried block for sauce according to claim 1 or 2, which is for use in a dipping sauce.

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