JP7483363B2 - Pepper and method for producing pepper - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to pepper and a method for producing pepper.

Pepper is a commonly used seasoning. One of the requirements for pepper is to improve its aroma. Various methods for processing pepper have been devised to improve its aroma.

In relation to the above, Reference 1 (JP Patent Publication 59-55162 A) discloses a method for treating natural spices, in which the spices are immersed in edible oil heated to 120-250°C for 2-300 seconds, then drained until no more oil falls off, and then crushed to 60 mesh or less. Reference 1 also describes how this method can kill bacteria without impairing the flavor.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-55162

The present inventors aim to provide peppers having a crispy texture in addition to a fragrant flavor, for example in peppers for commercial use.
That is, an object of the present invention is to provide pepper having a fragrant flavor and a crispy texture and a method for producing the same.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following.
[1] A method for producing pepper, comprising the steps of heating pepper wholes in oil at 150°C or higher, and de-oiling the heated pepper wholes to an oil content of 13% by mass or less.
[2] The manufacturing method of [1], further comprising a step of coarsely grinding the deoiled wholes, the coarsely grinding step including a step of pulverizing the wholes to a particle size such that 35% by mass or more remains on a sieve with an opening of 0.5 mm and 80% by mass or more passes through a sieve with an opening of 2.8 mm.
[3] The manufacturing method described in [2], wherein the crushing step includes a step of sandwiching the hole with a pair of members, and a clearance is provided between the pair of members when the hole is compressed.
[4] The manufacturing method described in [3], wherein the pair of members is a pair of rolls arranged parallel to each other.
[5] The manufacturing method described in [4], wherein the compressing step is carried out by a granulator or a roller.
[6] Pepper having an oil content of 13% by mass or less, a glassy structure, needle-shaped crystals formed on the surface of the structure, and a particle size such that 35% by mass or more remains on a sieve with an opening of 0.5 mm.
[7] The pepper according to [6], which is a whole pepper.
[8] The pepper according to [7], which is for milling.
[9] The pepper according to [6], which is coarsely ground pepper and has a particle size such that 80% by mass or more passes through a sieve with an opening of 2.8 mm.
[10] A food product comprising the pepper according to any one of [6] to [9].

The present invention provides pepper with a fragrant flavor and a crispy texture, and a method for producing the same.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing pepper according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rough grinding device. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a granulator. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rolling machine. FIG. 5 shows a light microscope photograph of black pepper tissue. FIG. 6 shows a light microscope photograph of white pepper tissue. FIG. 7 shows an optical microscope photograph of the surface structure of Comparative Example 8.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a method for producing pepper according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing pepper according to the present embodiment. The method includes a step of heating whole peppers in oil (step S1), a step of de-oiling the heated whole peppers (step S2), and a step of coarsely grinding the de-oiled whole peppers (step S3). Each step is described in detail below.

Step S1: Heating First, whole peppers are prepared. The prepared peppers are heated in oil. That is, the peppers are fried. By frying the peppers, the peppers become easier to crack and a structure that gives them a crispy texture is formed. In addition, the aroma of the peppers becomes fragrant. Furthermore, by heating in oil, the peppers can be heated in a short time. Also, since the peppers are not exposed to air, the flavor is less likely to escape.

The type of pepper is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, black pepper, white pepper, or red pepper. As the raw pepper, for example, one having an oil content of 3 to 15% by mass, preferably 5 to 12% by mass before heating in oil can be used.
The oil to be used is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, edible oil such as palm oil, olive oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, lard, beef tallow, etc. It may be appropriately selected from the viewpoint of storage stability and flavor, and for example, a preferred oil from the viewpoint of storage stability is palm oil.

The heating temperature (oil temperature) is, for example, 150°C or higher, preferably 150 to 250°C, more preferably 150 to 200°C, and even more preferably 150 to 180°C.
The heating time is, for example, 1 to 10 minutes, preferably 2 to 8 minutes.

Step S2: De-oiling Next, the peppers are de-oiled. Specifically, the peppers are de-oiled so that the amount of oil in the peppers is 13% by mass or less.
The whole pepper obtained through step S1 contains a large amount of oil. When the amount of oil in the pepper is large, the following points are of concern.
(1) The oil is localized on the surface of the pepper, making it slippery. As a result, in the subsequent coarse grinding process (step S3), it becomes difficult for the coarse grinding device (such as a granulator or a rolling mill) to grip the pepper, making it impossible to grind, or reducing the grinding efficiency.
(2) Fat and oil become liberated, forming fine powder and lumps that become foreign matter.
(3) The surface of the pepper will be covered with oil, which will greatly reduce the aroma.
(4) The surface of the pepper is sticky and the oil stains the inside of the packaging such as jars and pouches, as well as the spoon and hands when measuring.
(5) In particular, with black pepper, oil accumulates under the skin, so the skin is scraped off and separated from the seeds.
(6) Because the pepper pieces stick together due to the oil, it is difficult to obtain the desired particle size with a high degree of precision.
In contrast, if the amount of oil is 13% by mass or less, the problems (1) to (6) described above are unlikely to occur. In particular, adhesion of holes to each other in the subsequent coarse grinding process is prevented, making it easier to obtain the desired particle size.
For the deoiling, for example, a deoiling machine can be used.

Preferably, the whole peppers are deoiled to an oil content of 12% or less. More preferably, the whole peppers are deoiled to an oil content of 11% or less.

The amount of oil in pepper can be controlled by adjusting the oil-removal conditions (de-oiling conditions), etc. For example, when a de-oiling machine using centrifugal force is used as the de-oiling machine, the amount of oil in the pepper after de-oiling can be controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the de-oiling machine and the de-oiling time.
Alternatively, the more ripe the pepper, the more oil it will contain, so this can also be adjusted by the degree of ripeness of the pepper (how ripe the pepper is before it is harvested).

Step S3: Coarse grinding Next, the pepper whole is coarsely ground. In detail, the whole is crushed to a particle size such that 35% or more of the pepper remains on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm, and 80% or more of the pepper passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 2.8 mm. By crushing the whole to such a particle size, the size of the pepper can be adjusted while maintaining a crisp texture.
From the viewpoint of texture, the particle size after grinding is preferably such that 80% by weight or more of the pepper remains on a sieve with an opening of 1.18 mm.

The holes are ground, for example, using a coarse grinding device.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a coarse grinding device 10. The coarse grinding device 10 shown in FIG. 2 has a pair of rolls (a pair of members) 1-1 and 1-2. The pair of rolls is arranged to be parallel to each other. Each roll (1-1, 1-2) is configured to rotate around a central axis c. A clearance a is provided between the pair of rolls (1-1 and 1-2). Pepper 2 (whole) is supplied between the pair of rolls (1-1 and 1-2), sandwiched between the pair of rolls, compressed, and crushed.

The pepper fried in step S1 is prone to cracking and also to pulverizing. As a result, it is difficult to coarsely grind the pepper to the desired particle size. In contrast, as described above, a clearance is provided between the pair of members that sandwich and compress the pepper, making it easier to grind the pepper wholes to the desired particle size. As a result, it is possible to grind the pepper while maintaining the texture that gives it a crispy texture.

In addition, when using a method such as a hammer mill in which pepper holes are crushed by colliding them with a member (e.g., a wall) using centrifugal force, the pepper becomes too fine, making it difficult to obtain the desired particle size. As a result, it becomes difficult to obtain the desired texture.
In addition, when the pepper is crushed between a pair of components, such as a stamp mill, and ground, i.e., when no clearance is provided between the pair of components, the pepper will be crushed too finely, making it difficult to obtain the desired particle size and the desired texture.

In addition, in the coarse grinding device 10 having the configuration shown in Figure 2, the grain size of the ground pepper can be adjusted by adjusting the clearance a.

Suitable coarse grinding devices 10 include a granulator 10-1 and a roll machine 10-2. The configuration of each device is explained below.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a granulator 10-1. Fig. 3 is a side view of a pair of rolls (1-1, 1-2) viewed from a direction perpendicular to the central axis c. As shown in Fig. 3, each roll (1-1, 1-2) is provided with a plurality of blades 3 on its outer circumferential surface. The plurality of blades 3 are arranged so as to be aligned along the axial direction. Each of the blades 3 extends along the circumferential direction. That is, each blade 3 is provided so as to be in the shape of a ring.
The pepper 2 (whole) is fed between a pair of rolls (1-1, 1-2) and is pinched, compressed and crushed by the blades 3 provided on each roll (1-1, 1-2). That is, the pepper 2 is pinched, compressed and crushed at multiple points.
By using the granulator 10-1 having such a configuration, it becomes easier to obtain coarsely ground pepper having a uniform grain size while maintaining the texture.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rolling machine 10-2. Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of each roll (1-1, 1-2) taken along a plane perpendicular to the central axis c. In the example shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of blades 4 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of each roll (1-1, 1-2). The plurality of blades 4 are arranged in the circumferential direction. Each blade 4 extends along the axial direction.
When using such a roll machine 10-2, the pepper 2 is also pinched, compressed, and crushed by the blades 4 provided on each roll (1-1, 1-2). That is, the pepper 2 is pinched, compressed, and crushed at multiple points. As a result, it is easy to obtain coarsely ground pepper with a uniform grain size while maintaining the texture, as in the case of using the granulator 10-1.

By going through each of the steps described above, the pepper according to this embodiment is obtained. According to this embodiment, in steps S1 and S2, whole peppercorns are heated in oil and deoiled, which allows a fragrant aroma to be obtained. In addition, the pepper tissue is brought into a state that gives a crunchy texture when bitten. Furthermore, in step S3, by crushing to a specified grain size, the pepper can be coarsely ground while maintaining the state of the tissue. As a result, it is possible to obtain coarsely ground peppercorns that have a crunchy texture and emit a fragrant aroma the moment they are broken.

In the above description, the embodiment in which coarsely ground pepper is obtained through steps S1 to S3 has been described. However, pepper before step S3, i.e., whole pepper obtained after step S2, is also useful in itself. Since such whole pepper has been processed through steps S1 and S2, it has a texture that gives a crisp texture and a fragrant aroma. Therefore, it can be suitably used, for example, as whole pepper for milling.
In addition, when the pepper obtained by this embodiment is filled in a mill and ground, it can be ground with less force. From this point of view, the pepper according to this embodiment is preferable as a whole pepper for milling.

The pepper obtained by this embodiment has a glassy texture, and needle-like crystals are formed on the surface of this glassy texture.
The state of the pepper tissue can be confirmed, for example, by observing the pepper under an optical microscope.
5 shows optical microscope photographs of black pepper tissue. Fig. 5(A) shows a photograph of black pepper after undergoing steps S1 and S2 described above. Fig. 5(B) shows a photograph of black pepper without undergoing steps S1 and S2.
Meanwhile, Fig. 6 shows optical microscope photographs of the structure of white pepper. Fig. 6(A) is a photograph of white pepper after undergoing the above-mentioned steps S1 and S2. Fig. 6(B) is a photograph of white pepper that has not undergone steps S1 and S2.

The appearances shown in Figures 5(A) and 6(A) are glossier than those shown in Figures 5(B) and 6(B), which shows that the pepper obtained in steps S1 and S2 has a glassy texture.
In addition, the surface of the pepper shown in Figures 5(A) and 6(A) differs from the pepper in Figures 5(B) and 6(B) in that it has needle-like or rod-like patterns, and it can be seen that needle-like crystals have been formed on the surface.

The pepper according to this embodiment may be packed in a container. The container is not particularly limited as long as the contents can be removed, but specifically, for example, a pouch-shaped container, a tube-shaped container, a bottle-shaped container, a can, a jar, etc. can be used.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a food product comprising the pepper according to the present embodiments.
The foods of the present invention are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include mixed spices, sauces such as roux and pasta sauce, soups, sauces, soy sauce, miso, dressings, edible salt, seasonings, seasoned rice, rice crackers and other rice confectioneries, bean confectioneries such as nuts, snacks, baked goods such as biscuits and cookies, ice cream, cream puffs, chocolate confectioneries, cereals, noodles such as udon, soba, and ramen, condiments for hot pot, delicacies, beverages, and the like.

(Example)
In the following, examples carried out by the present inventors will be described in more detail for the purpose of explaining the present invention in more detail. However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the examples described below.

A: Heat Treatment Process Study Example 1
Whole black pepper with 8% oil was prepared. The prepared whole black pepper was put into 10 times the amount of palm oil at 180°C. The temperature of the oil dropped to about 160°C by putting the pepper. The pepper was heated at about 160°C for 3 minutes. After heating, the pepper was removed from the oil. Furthermore, the pepper was deoiled using a deoiler at a rotation speed of 3000 rpm for 2 minutes. The whole pepper after deoiling was obtained as the pepper according to Example 1.

Example 2
The pepper (whole) according to Example 1 was pulverized using a granulator having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 to obtain the coarsely ground pepper according to Example 2.

Comparative Example 1
Whole peppers were prepared and sterilized in a conventional manner using an airflow sterilizer (manufactured by Okawara Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) at 145°C for 5 seconds under a pressure of 1.25 kg/ ^cm2 (heating in oil and de-oiling steps were not performed). The sterilized whole peppers were obtained as the peppers according to Comparative Example 1.

Comparative Example 2
The pepper whole according to Comparative Example 1 was pulverized using a granulator having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 to obtain the coarsely ground pepper according to Comparative Example 2.

(Flavor and Texture)
The resulting peppers of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were evaluated for flavor and texture.

The flavor was evaluated as follows, taking Comparative Example 1 as the standard.
◯: The aroma is stronger than that of Comparative Example 1. ×: The aroma is weak (same as Comparative Example 1).

The texture was evaluated as follows, based on Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.
◎: Crispy texture (same as Example 1)
◯: Less texture than Example 1, but more texture than Comparative Example 1. ×: No crispy texture (same as Comparative Example 1)

(Grain size)
The particle size of the pepper according to each example was measured. Specifically, 30 g of pepper was sieved for 30 minutes using a low tap type sieve shaker to measure the amount passing through a sieve with a specified mesh size and the amount remaining on the sieve with a specified mesh size.

(Oil volume measurement)
The oil content of the pepper according to each example was measured by the Soxhlet extraction method. Specifically, the oil content was measured by the method described in "3. Lipids 3-1. Soxhlet extraction method (1)" on page 33 of the Analysis Manual and Commentary of the 2015 Edition (7th Edition) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan.

(Appearance Observation)
The surface structure of the pepper according to each example was observed using an optical microscope.

Table 1 shows the production conditions, as well as the measurement results of flavor, texture, oil content, and particle size, and the observation results of the surface structure.
In the particle size measurement results, the description "passed through a sieve with openings of mm" indicates that almost all of the pepper passed through the sieve with that opening. Similarly, the description "remains on the sieve with openings of..." indicates that almost all of the pepper remained on the sieve with that opening.

As shown in Table 1, the peppers according to Examples 1 and 2 had better flavor and texture than the peppers according to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. That is, it was found that the heat treatment in oil can impart a fragrant flavor and provide a crispy texture.
In addition, the appearance of the peppers in Examples 1 and 2 was glass-like with needle-like crystals scattered throughout, whereas the appearance of the peppers in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 was like solidified powder, was not glass-like, and no needle-like crystals were observed.

B: Study of particle size Examples 3 to 8, Comparative Example 3
The peppers according to Examples 3 to 8 and Comparative Example 3 having different particle sizes were obtained using the same method as in Example 2, except that the clearance in the granulator was changed.

Example 9
The coarsely ground pepper of Example 9 was obtained using a rolling machine having the configuration shown in FIG. 4 instead of the granulator, and the other points were the same as in Example 2.

Example 10
The pepper according to Example 8 and the pepper according to Comparative Example 3 were mixed in a mass ratio (Example 8: Comparative Example 3) of 4:6 to obtain the pepper according to Example 10.

Comparative Example 4
Coarsely ground pepper according to Comparative Example 4 was obtained using the same method as in Example 2, except that a hammer mill was used instead of a granulator.

Comparative Example 5
Coarsely ground pepper according to Comparative Example 5 was obtained using the same method as in Example 2, except that a stamp mill was used instead of a granulator.

Comparative Example 6
The pepper according to Example 8 and the pepper according to Comparative Example 3 were mixed in a mass ratio (Example 8:Comparative Example 3) of 3:7 to obtain the pepper according to Comparative Example 6.

For the peppers of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 3 to 6, the flavor, texture, oil content, and particle size were measured and the surface structure was observed, in the same manner as in "A: Study on the heat treatment process."

Tables 2-1 to 2-4 show the results together with the production conditions.
As shown in Tables 2-1 to 2-4, the peppers according to Examples 1 to 10 had a better texture than the peppers according to Comparative Examples 3 to 6.
Considering that the texture of the pepper in Example 10 was good and the texture of the pepper in Comparative Example 6 was poor, it can be understood that a good texture can be obtained if the particle size is such that 35% by mass or more remains on a sieve with an opening of 0.5 mm.

C: Study on oil content Peppers according to Examples 11 to 12 and Comparative Example 7 having different oil contents were obtained using the same conditions as in Example 2, except that the type of pepper used as the raw material and the conditions of the deoiling treatment were changed.
In detail, as shown in Table 3, pepper having an oil content of 6.1% by mass was used as a raw material, and the other conditions were the same as those of Example 2 to obtain the pepper of Example 11.
In addition, the deoiling conditions were changed to a rotation speed of 1500 ppm for 1 minute, and the other conditions were the same as those in Example 2 to obtain the pepper of Example 12.
Further, as a de-oiling treatment, the oil was drained through a sieve until no oil was dripping, and the other conditions were the same as those of Example 2 to obtain the pepper according to Comparative Example 7. For the pepper according to Example 2, Examples 11 and 12, and Comparative Example 7, the flavor, texture, oil amount, and particle size were measured, and the surface structure was observed, in the same manner as in "A: Investigation of the heat treatment process".

The measurement results are shown in Table 3.
As shown in Table 3, the pepper according to Comparative Example 7, in which the amount of oil exceeded 13% by mass, had a poor texture. In contrast, the pepper according to Examples 2, 11, and 12, in which the amount of oil was 13% by mass or less, had a good texture.

D: Study on Heating Temperature The pepper according to Comparative Example 8 was obtained by the same method as in Example 1, except that the heating temperature was different. Specifically, the pepper was put into palm oil at 150°C. The temperature of the oil was lowered to about 125°C by putting the pepper in. The pepper was heated at about 125°C for 3 minutes. The flavor, texture, oil amount, and grain size of the obtained pepper according to Comparative Example 8 were measured, and the surface structure was observed, in the same manner as in "A: Study on the heat treatment process".

Table 4 shows the measurement results of Comparative Example 8 together with those of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. Also, FIG.
As shown in Table 4, Comparative Example 8, which was heated in oil at 125° C., was inferior in flavor and texture, similar to Comparative Example 1. In addition, as shown in Figure 7, the appearance of the pepper according to Comparative Example 8 was like that of solidified powder, similar to Comparative Example 1, and was not glassy, and no needle-like crystals were observed.

E: Study of mill grinding torque The mill grinding torque was measured for the peppers according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. Specifically, each pepper was loaded into the mill. The mill was fixed to a torque meter (TNP-2, manufactured by Nidec-Shimpo Corporation) and the maximum torque (N) was measured when the mill was manually ground.

The results are shown in Table 5. As shown in Table 5, the pepper according to Example 1 had a smaller maximum torque than the pepper according to Comparative Example 1. In other words, the pepper according to the present invention can be ground with less force, and is therefore superior as pepper for milling.

1-1 to 1-2 Roll 2 Pepper (whole)
3 Blade 4 Blade 10 Rough grinding device 10-1 Granulator 10-2 Roll machine a Clearance c Central axis

Claims (10)

A step of heating whole peppers with an oil content of 5 to 12% by mass in oil at 150 to 200°C for 1 to 10 minutes;
De-oiling the heated holes so that the oil content is 13% by mass or less;
Equipped with
How to make pepper. further comprising coarsely grinding the deoiled holes;
Equipped with
The coarse grinding step includes a step of crushing the holes to a particle size such that 35% by mass or more remains on a sieve with an opening of 0.5 mm and 80% by mass or more passes through a sieve with an opening of 2.8 mm.
The method according to claim 1 . The crushing step includes a step of sandwiching the hole with a pair of members,
When the hole is compressed, a clearance is provided between the pair of members.
The method according to claim 2 . The pair of members is a pair of rolls arranged parallel to each other.
The method according to claim 3. The compressing step is carried out by a granulator or a roller;
The method according to claim 4. The amount of oil is 13% by mass or less,
It has a glassy texture,
Needle-shaped crystals are formed on the surface of the tissue,
The particle size is such that 35% by mass or more remains on a sieve with an opening of 0.5 mm.
pepper. The pepper according to claim 6, which is whole. The pepper according to claim 7, which is for milling. Coarsely ground pepper,
The particle size is such that 80% by mass or more passes through a sieve with an opening of 2.8 mm.
The pepper of claim 6. A food product containing the pepper according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

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