JPH08116904A - Tofu product and its production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a tofu product useful as a plain diet, etc., preventing collapse of shape of tofu (bean curd), having excellent long-term shelf stability, by housing tofu immobilized in a gelatinized layer in a container. CONSTITUTION: This tofu product is obtained by housing tofu 2 immobilized in a gelatinized layer 3 of gelatin gel, carrageenan gel, starch gel, agar gel, alginic acid gel, gelan gum gel, tamarind seed gum gel, pectin gel, xanthan gum or locust bean gum gel in a container 1. The gelatinized layer 3 preferably contains seasoning, broth and/or a food ingredient. The opening part of the container 1 is preferably sealed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a novel tofu product and a method for producing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tofu product in which tofu fixed with a gelling layer is contained in a container, and a method for producing the tofu product.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Tofu has an extremely high digestibility and is considered to be one of the best ways to eat soybeans along with natto etc. Moreover, it has excellent palatability and cooking characteristics and is widely used throughout the year. Have been served. In the past, tofu was produced on a small scale or in-house, but due to the spread of cold chains, it has recently been mass-produced at a tofu factory. It is sold in a form in which it is housed in a container and the opening of the container is sealed with a sheet (or film).

[0003]

As described above, in recent years, a large amount of tofu products enclosed in containers have been produced in a tofu factory and are widely sold. However, since tofu is extremely vulnerable, when it is transported from a factory to a retail store or displayed at a retail store, vibration and shock easily cause the tofu to lose its shape and lose its commercial value. There is a problem of significant reduction. Even if the cold chain spreads, tofu is a perishable food,
There is a strong demand for technology to prevent tofu from decaying. Further, tofu is widely used as a food material, but there is a demand for a simple food containing tofu, that is, a tofu product that can eat tofu dishes as it is or by a simple means such as heating. As a result of intensive investigations by the present inventors to solve the above problems, by fixing tofu in a container,
It has been found that the shape of tofu can be remarkably suppressed and that such a technique also has a remarkable effect on prevention of spoilage of tofu. The present invention has been made based on such findings, and an object thereof is to provide a new form of a tofu product in which tofu is stored in a container and a method for producing the same.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, provides a tofu product comprising a container containing tofu immobilized in a gelling layer; a gelling layer Is a gelatin gel, carrageenan gel, starch gel, agar gel, alginate gel, gellan gum gel, tamarid gum gel, pectin gel, xanthan gum gel or locust bean gum gel; the tofu product described above; the gelling layer is seasoning, soup stock and And / or a tofu product containing the above-mentioned or a food material; a tofu product according to any one of the above, wherein the opening of the container is sealed; and a gelling agent solution is added to a container containing the tofu and cooled. A method of producing a tofu product comprising: a gelling agent solution containing the seasoning, soup stock and / or food material;

In the tofu product of the present invention, the tofu is contained in a container and is fixed by a gelling layer so that it is substantially immobile. The above-mentioned container is not particularly limited, but a container made of a plastic material (for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.) which has been conventionally widely used as a tofu container is used. Any tofu can be used as the tofu stored in the container, for example, silken tofu, cotton tofu, Saga tofu,
Examples include yuzu tofu, and sesame tofu is also included. Such tofu may be prepared by processing pre-prepared tofu into an appropriate shape (for example, hemispherical shape, rectangular parallelepiped shape, diced shape, etc.) and storing it in a container. The tofu prepared by coagulating soymilk therein may be used, or the tofu prepared by coagulating soymilk in a container may be prepared. When preparing tofu in a container, an appropriate amount of coagulant (for example, calcium sulfate, magnesium chloride,
(Gluconodelta lactone etc.) is added to a container and heated soy milk is added to solidify; cooled soy milk is added and heated (for example, about 90 ° C. for about 40 minutes) to solidify. To be done. Note that the tofu may have a suitable seasoning (eg, miso, soy sauce,
It may be seasoned with salt, mirin, sugar, etc.).

The above-mentioned tofu is fixed by a gelling layer formed in a container. Such gelling layer can be prepared according to a conventional method, for example, a conventional gelling agent (for example, gelatin, carrageenan, starch, agar, alginic acid, gellan gum, tamarid gum, pectin, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, etc.) It can be prepared by gelling the solution. Two or more gelling agents may be used in combination. The concentration of the gelling agent in the gelling layer can be appropriately adjusted depending on the type of gelling agent, desired gel strength, etc., but is usually 0.1 to 10% (w /
v%, the same below), preferably about 0.5 to 5%,
It is more preferably about 1 to 3%. Further, depending on the type of gelling agent, a gelling aid such as calcium salt or potassium salt may be added.

The gelling layer may contain a seasoning and / or a seasoning if desired.
Or soup stock etc. can be contained. Examples of the seasoning include seasonings such as miso, soy sauce, salt, mirin, sugar, and spices, and examples of the soup include soup stock of bonito flakes, soup stock of kelp, and soup stock. Furthermore, the gelling layer may contain a food material, as the food material, for example, vegetables (for example,
Leek, potato, taro, sweet potato, radish,
Carrots, etc., seaweeds (eg, seaweed, seaweed, etc.), mushrooms (eg, matsutake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, mushrooms, etc.), seeds (eg, ginnan, pine nuts, etc.), meats (eg, beef, pork) , Their ground meat, etc.), processed meat products (eg, ham, sausage, bacon, etc.), fish (eg, sea bream, cod, etc.), processed fish products (eg, kamaboko, chikuwa, etc.), eggs and processed egg products, An example is roasting. Of these food materials, the solid one is preferably shredded into a suitable size. It may be cooked / seasoned if necessary, and is preferably sterilized. More specifically, the gelling layer containing seasonings, dashi soup, food materials, etc. is eaten with tofu as it is; the gelling layer is turned into a liquid by heating to become miso soup, simmered soup, ankake, etc. And is prepared to be eaten with tofu.

The method for producing the tofu product of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be carried out by various methods. Usually, a gelling agent solution having an appropriate concentration (if necessary, is placed in a container containing tofu). The above-mentioned seasoning, soup stock, and food materials are added), and a gelled layer is formed by a conventional method such as cooling. The gelling agent solution may be added to a container containing tofu and food materials. The formation amount of the gelling layer is appropriately adjusted depending on the application etc., but at least an amount that allows the tofu stored in the container to form a substantially immovable state, preferably the tofu stored in the container is a gel. The gelling layer is formed so as to be covered with the gelling layer.
After the gelled layer is formed in this way, it is preferable to seal the opening of the container with a sheet (including a film) made of a material such as plastic in order to prevent foreign matter from entering the container. Further, in order to improve the preservability of the stored tofu (and gelling layer), it is preferable to perform heat treatment,
In particular, it is preferable to perform the heat treatment after performing the sealing treatment. This heat treatment is not particularly limited as long as it can contribute to the improvement of the preservability of the tofu (and gelling layer), but is usually performed at about 80 ° C. for about 30 minutes.

The tofu product of the present invention has the above-mentioned constitution,
The tofu stored in the container is fixed by the action of the gelling layer, and the gelling layer can also act as a cushioning material. Therefore, unlike conventional products that store tofu in a container with water,
Even if the tofu product of the present invention is subjected to vibration or shock during the transportation process or the display process in a retail store, the tofu product can be prevented from being deformed. Further, as shown in the test example below, in the tofu product of the present invention, even after long-term storage,
Compared with the conventional products, it was shown that the growth of bacteria was suppressed and the antiseptic effect was high, and a remarkable effect that was unexpected from the conventional techniques and knowledge was expressed.

The tofu product of the present invention may be eaten as it is, or may be eaten after removing the gelling layer. In particular, the tofu product of the present invention in which the gelling layer (and / or tofu) described above contains a seasoning, soup stock, and food materials can be suitably used as a simple food product. That is, since the gelled layer (and / or tofu) is seasoned in such a form of food, the tofu and gelled layer may be eaten as they are, or the gelled layer may be heated in a microwave oven or the like to form the gelled layer. It can be liquefied and eaten with tofu. Examples of such food dishes include:
Examples include miso soup containing tofu, soup soup containing tofu, bean paste tofu, and mapo tofu. More specifically, an example of a miso soup containing tofu will be described. The present invention is made by adding a seasoning such as soup, miso or the like and optionally food material strips to the gelling layer while making the tofu into a diced shape. Make up tofu products. When this product is heated in a microwave oven or the like, the gelled layer changes to a liquid state, so that miso soup containing tofu can be obtained. As described above, by utilizing the technique of the present invention, various tofu dishes can be provided in the form of simple foods.

The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an embodiment of the tofu product of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view thereof. As shown in the figure, the tofu product has a cup-shaped container 1 made of a plastic material such as polypropylene and a semi-spherical tofu 2 stored therein.
Is covered by. Further, a sheet 4 made of a plastic material is releasably fused to the opening of the container 1 by means such as heat sealing so that the container 1 is sealed. Further, the sheet 4 is provided with a grip portion 5 for facilitating the peeling of the sheet 4. The above-mentioned tofu product is prepared by storing pre-prepared tofu 2 in a container 1, adding a gelling agent solution having an appropriate concentration, and then cooling to form a gelling layer 3,
It can then be prepared by sealing the opening of the container 1 with a sheet 4. The above gelling agent solution is
If desired, the seasoning, soup stock and / or food material described above may be contained.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the tofu product of the present invention. In this example, the tofu product of the present invention is in the form of a simple food product for preparing tofu-containing miso soup. More specifically, a cup-shaped container 21 made of a plastic material such as polypropylene is used to store diced tofu pieces 22. The tofu 22 is seasoning such as broth and miso (and food if desired). Material)
Is covered with a gelling layer 23 containing. Further, the opening of the container 21 has a sheet 24 made of a plastic material.
Is peelably fused by means such as heat sealing, and the container 21 is sealed. Although not shown, the sheet 24 is provided with a grip portion for facilitating the peeling of the sheet 24, like the sheet 4 shown in FIG. The tofu product of FIG. 3 can be eaten as miso soup containing tofu because the gelling layer 23 is liquefied by heating in a microwave oven or the like. The tofu product of FIG. 3 can be prepared by a method substantially similar to that of FIG. 1 except that a gelling agent solution containing seasonings such as soup stock and miso is used.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the tofu product of the present invention. In this example, the tofu product of the present invention is in the form of a simple food product for preparing a bean paste-like tofu-like food product. More specifically, in a cup-shaped container 31 made of a plastic material such as polypropylene,
The tofu 32 is stored, and the tofu 32 is a gelling layer 33 containing the soup stock and seasonings (and food materials as desired).
Is covered by. Further, a sheet 34 made of a plastic material is releasably fused to the opening of the container 31 by means such as heat sealing so that the container 31 is sealed.
Although not shown, the sheet 34 is provided with a grip portion for facilitating peeling of the sheet 34, like the sheet 4 shown in FIG. The tofu product in Figure 4 is
Since the gelled layer 33 is liquefied by heating in a microwave oven or the like, it can be eaten as a bean paste-like tofu-like food. In addition, in the tofu product of FIG. 4, a tofu coagulant is added to the container 31, and cooled soy milk is poured into the container 31,
Next, tofu 32 is prepared by heating and coagulating, and a gelling agent solution containing the above-mentioned soup stock and seasonings (and food materials as desired) is poured into the tofu 32 and cooled to form a gelling layer 33. , And then prepared by sealing the opening of the container 31 with a sheet 34.

The tofu product and the method for producing the tofu product of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned examples, but can be modified appropriately and carried out, and the shape of the container, the sealing method, etc. are also particularly limited. Alternatively, the tofu may contain the above-mentioned food material.

[0015]

The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following examples and test examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Example 1 Tofu (shape: hemispherical) prepared by coagulating soymilk according to a conventional method was placed in a polypropylene cup-shaped container with the spherical surface facing upward. A 2% gelatin solution was added to the top of the tofu and cooled to form a gel layer. Next, the container opening was sealed with a heat seal using a plastic sheet, followed by heat treatment at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes and then cooling to obtain a tofu product of the present invention.

Test Example 1 The tofu product obtained in Example 1 was subjected to a storage test at 10 ° C., and the preservability was examined by measuring the number of general viable bacteria (bacteria number / g tofu) over time. As a comparative example, in Example 1, water was added in place of the gelatin solution, and heat treatment was not performed (Comparative Product 1); water was added in place of the gelatin solution, and similarly at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes. The heat-treated product (Comparative product 2) was also subjected to the same storage test. Table 1 shows the results. As shown in Table 1, in Comparative Products 1 and 2, the number of general viable bacteria increased remarkably as the number of days of storage increased, and spoilage proceeded, whereas in the product of the present invention, the growth of bacteria was suppressed. Therefore, it became clear that corruption could be prevented.

[0017]

[Table 1]

Example 2 Tofu (shape: rectangular parallelepiped) prepared by coagulating soymilk according to a conventional method was placed in a suitable container and tamarind gum 1.5 was added.
% Solution was added and gelled to obtain the tofu product of the present invention.

Example 3 The tofu product of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a 1.5% solution of a pectin blended product (Pectin Classic AB903: Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) was used instead of the 2% gelatin solution. Got

Example 4 A tofu product of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a solution containing 0.3% carrageenan and 0.05% potassium monohydrogen phosphate was used instead of the 2% gelatin solution.

Example 5 A tofu product of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a 1% solution of a mixture containing xanthan gum and locust bin gum in a ratio of 1: 1 was used instead of the 2% gelatin solution.

Example 6 Soymilk was prepared according to a conventional method, and the prepared tofu was cut into a diced shape, which was then placed in the same container as that used in Example 1. To this, 0.5% of gellan gum compound (Gelmate KB: gelling agent manufactured by Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and 1 of miso
Dashi soup containing 0% was added and cooled to form a gelled layer. Then, the container opening was sealed with a sheet in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a tofu product of the present invention.

Example 7 0.35 g of calcium sulfate was added to a container, and 80 ° C.
100 g of soy milk is poured and solidified. After coagulation, a 1% agar solution was poured into this and cooled to gel to obtain a tofu product of the present invention.

Example 8 0.25 g of gluconodeltalactone and 100 g of cooled soymilk were added to a container and heated at 90 ° C. for 40 minutes to coagulate. After coagulation, seasoning liquid containing 4% potato starch (dashi soup 1
200 g, soy sauce 180 g, and mirin 200 g) were added, and the mixture was cooled and gelled to obtain a tofu product of the present invention.

Example 9 A tofu product of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in Example 8 except that the cooked and seasoned shiitake strips and carrot strips were added to the seasoning liquid containing 4% of potato starch.

Example 10 100 g of soy milk cooled with 0.3 g of magnesium chloride in a container
g was added and heated at 90 ° C. for 40 minutes to coagulate. After coagulation, 30 g of a dispersion liquid containing 0.24 g of sodium alginate, 0.15 g of calcium carbonate and 0.06 g of glucono delta lactone was added and cooled to gel to obtain a tofu product of the present invention.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the tofu in the container is substantially fixed, and it is possible to prevent the tofu from losing its shape during the transportation process, etc., so that the commercial value is reduced and the defective product is defective. Since it is possible to prevent the generation of bacterium, suppress the growth of bacteria, and prevent spoilage, it is possible to preserve for a long period of time. Furthermore, according to the present invention, since various tofu dishes can be provided in the form of simple foods, it is possible to prepare tofu dishes simply and quickly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of a tofu product of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the tofu product of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the tofu product of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the tofu product of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 container 2 tofu 3 gelling layer 4 sheet 5 gripping part 21 container 22 tofu small piece 23 gelling layer 24 sheet 31 container 32 tofu 33 gelling layer 34 sheet

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A tofu product characterized by containing tofu fixed in a gelling layer in a container. 2. The gelling layer comprises gelatin gel, carrageenan gel, starch gel, agar gel, alginic acid gel,
Gellan gum gel, tamarid gum gel, pectin gel,
The tofu product according to claim 1, which is a xanthan gum gel or a locust bean gum gel. 3. The gelling layer comprises seasoning, soup stock and / or
Alternatively, the tofu product according to claim 1 or 2, which contains a food material. 4. The tofu product according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the container is sealed. 5. A method for producing a tofu product, which comprises adding a gelling agent solution to a container containing tofu and cooling the container. 6. The method for producing a tofu product according to claim 5, wherein the gelling agent solution contains a seasoning, soup stock and / or food material.