JP7579563B2 - Manufacturing method of dried sweet potato - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing dried sweet potatoes.

Traditionally, dried sweet potatoes are generally produced by heating unpeeled sweet potatoes, peeling them, cutting or compressing them to shape them, and drying them. For example, a method described in Patent Document 1 (Patent Publication No. 5810360) is known as a method for producing this type of dried sweet potato. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing dried sweet potatoes by heating unpeeled sweet potatoes, peeling them, pre-drying them, compressing them to shape them, and finally drying them. The pre-drying in Patent Document 1 is performed at 0 to 15°C. The main drying in Patent Document 1 is performed by drying them in the sun for 2 to 3 weeks at the same temperature as the pre-drying.

Traditionally, in the process of peeling sweet potatoes (i.e., the peeling process) and cutting sweet potatoes (i.e., the cutting process) in the production of dried sweet potatoes, a cutting tool with a sharp part such as a blade or piano wire is used.

Patent No. 5810360

When using a cutting tool, there is a risk that the worker may be injured by its sharp edges. Furthermore, continued use of the cutting tool may cause the sweet potato skin and flesh to adhere to the tool. If work is continued with the sweet potato skin and flesh attached to the cutting tool, it may become difficult to perform the peeling or cutting process. Furthermore, there is a risk that various bacteria may adhere to the cutting tool. If work is continued with bacteria attached to the cutting tool, the bacteria may adhere to the sweet potato flesh. For this reason, the cutting tool must be cleaned as necessary to remove the sweet potato skin, flesh, and bacteria attached to the cutting tool. There is also a risk that the worker may be injured by its sharp edges when cleaning the cutting tool.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a method for producing dried sweet potatoes without using a cutting tool.

In order to achieve the above object, the method for producing dried sweet potato according to the present invention comprises the steps of:
A heating step of heating the sweet potato with skin;
A refrigeration step of refrigerating the heated sweet potato with skin;
A reheating step of reheating the refrigerated sweet potato with skin to soften the contents of the sweet potato with skin;
A compression step of compressing the softened contents of the skinned sweet potato through the skin of the skinned sweet potato to make the entire skinned sweet potato into a substantially flat plate shape;
A drying step of drying the compressed sweet potato with skin;
Includes.

The method for producing dried sweet potatoes according to the present invention allows for the production of dried sweet potatoes without using a cutting tool.

1 is an overall perspective view of a dried sweet potato produced by a dried sweet potato production method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a method for producing dried sweet potato according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method for producing dried sweet potato according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention,
A heating step of heating the sweet potato with skin;
A refrigeration step of refrigerating the heated sweet potato with skin;
A reheating step of reheating the refrigerated sweet potato with skin to soften the contents of the sweet potato with skin;
A compression step of compressing the softened contents of the skinned sweet potato through the skin of the skinned sweet potato to make the entire skinned sweet potato into a substantially flat plate shape;
A drying step of drying the compressed sweet potato with skin;
Including,
To provide a method for producing dried sweet potato.

According to a second aspect of the present invention,
The temperature at which the sweet potato with skin is heated in the reheating step is higher than the temperature at which the sweet potato with skin is refrigerated in the refrigeration step and lower than the temperature at which the sweet potato with skin is heated in the heating step;
The present invention provides a method for producing the dried sweet potato according to the first aspect.

According to a third aspect of the present invention,
The temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is dried in the drying step is higher than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is refrigerated in the refrigeration step and is equal to or lower than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is reheated in the reheating step;
The present invention provides a method for producing the dried sweet potato according to the first or second aspect.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention,
The time required for the drying step is shorter than the time required for the refrigeration step.
The method for producing the dried sweet potato according to the third aspect is provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention,
After the drying step, a shaping step is performed to shape the sweet potato with skin.
The present invention provides a method for producing dried sweet potato according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention,
The drying step and the shaping step are performed multiple times.
The present invention provides a method for producing dried sweet potato according to the fifth aspect.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In addition, steps that are substantially the same in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof are omitted.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a dried sweet potato produced by a method for producing dried sweet potato according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the dried sweet potato produced by the method for producing dried sweet potato according to the first embodiment is a substantially flat (flat) dried sweet potato that is entirely covered with skin. This dried sweet potato is produced without using a cutting tool such as a blade, and remains entirely covered with skin from the start to the end of the production process.

This prevents workers from being injured by cutting tools during production or cleaning. In addition, because no cutting tools are used, the skin and contents of the sweet potatoes do not adhere to the cutting tools, and bacteria are prevented from adhering to the sweet potatoes. There is also no need to clean the cutting tools.

The skin of the raw material, the sweet potato with skin, contains a variety of nutrients. The dried sweet potato shown in Figure 1 is completely covered with skin, so by eating the dried sweet potato shown in Figure 1, you can ingest the nutrients contained in the skin.

The method for producing dried sweet potatoes according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 2 is a flow chart showing the method for producing dried sweet potatoes according to the first embodiment.

[Raw materials]
In the first embodiment, a sweet potato with skin, which is entirely covered with skin, is used as the raw sweet potato. The method for producing dried sweet potato according to the first embodiment includes sequentially carrying out a heating step S1, a refrigerating step S2, a reheating step S3, a compressing step S4, and a drying step S5 while the sweet potato is entirely covered with skin.

[Heating step S1]
The heating step S1 is a step of improving the sugar content of the sweet potato by heating the sweet potato with skin. In the heating step S1, for example, the sweet potato with skin is heated at a temperature of 180° C. or higher for a predetermined time. The predetermined time varies depending on the type and shape of the sweet potato, but is, for example, 90 minutes. The heating of the sweet potato with skin in the heating step S1 may be, for example, heating (baking) by fire or heating (steaming) by superheated steam. However, when the sweet potato with skin is heated by superheated steam, moisture adheres to the skin, making the skin easily damaged. For this reason, in the first embodiment, the sweet potato with skin is heated by fire. When the sweet potato with skin is heated by fire, the skin is likely to burn or be unevenly baked. For this reason, when the sweet potato with skin is heated by fire, it is preferable to perform the heating step S1 while changing the position where the sweet potato with skin is directly subjected to the fire.

[Refrigeration step S2]
The refrigeration step S2 is a step of refrigerating the sweet potatoes with skin heated in the heating step S1 to mature the inside of the sweet potatoes with skin and harden the skin. The temperature at which the sweet potatoes with skin are refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2 is, for example, 0° C. or higher and 15° C. or lower. The time for which the sweet potatoes with skin are refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2 varies depending on the type and shape of the sweet potatoes, but is, for example, 24 hours or higher and 48 hours or lower.

[Reheating step S3]
The reheating step S3 is a step of reheating the skinned sweet potato refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2 to soften the inside of the skinned sweet potato. In the reheating step S3, it is preferable to heat the skinned sweet potato at low heat so that the skin is not burned or damaged. In this first embodiment, the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is reheated in the reheating step S3 is higher than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2 and lower than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is heated in the heating step S1. The temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is heated in the reheating step S3 is, for example, 60°C or higher and 70°C or lower. In addition, the time at which the skinned sweet potato is heated in the reheating step S3 varies depending on the type and shape of the sweet potato, but is, for example, 2 hours or higher and 3 hours or lower. In this first embodiment, the reheating step S3 and the drying step S5 described later are performed using the same food dryer.

[Compression step S4]
The compression step S4 is a compression step in which the contents of the skinned sweet potato softened in the reheating step S3 are compressed through the skin of the skinned sweet potato to make the entire skinned sweet potato into a substantially flat plate shape. By compressing the skinned sweet potato to a desired thickness in the compression step S4, the texture and appearance when eating the dried sweet potato can be adjusted. In addition, by making it thinner than conventional dried sweet potatoes (for example, 15 mm to 20 mm), the subsequent drying step S5 can be shortened. The compression step S4 is performed, for example, by sequentially pressing the entire skinned sweet potato with fingers. By compressing the skinned sweet potato with fingers, it is easier to adjust the compression force so that the skin of the skinned sweet potato is not damaged.

[Drying step S5]
The drying step S5 is a step of drying the skinned sweet potato compressed in the compression step S4 to complete the production of the dried sweet potato of FIG. 1. In this first embodiment, the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is dried in the drying step S5 is higher than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2 and is equal to or lower than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is reheated in the reheating step S3. The temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is dried in the drying step S5 is, for example, 60°C or higher and 70°C or lower. By drying the skinned sweet potato within this temperature range, the drying of the sweet potato can be promoted and completed in a short time. The time for drying the skinned sweet potato in the drying step S5 varies depending on the type and shape of the sweet potato, but is shorter than the time required for the refrigeration step S2, for example, 20 hours. In addition, in the conventional method for producing dried sweet potato, the main drying step is carried out under natural winter temperature conditions (0°C to 15°C), which are the same temperature conditions as the refrigeration step S2, so the drying time is 2 to 3 weeks.

Furthermore, in conventional dried sweet potato manufacturing methods, the main drying process is carried out by drying in the sun. For this reason, a large space must be secured so that a large number of dried sweet potatoes are exposed to outside air during the main drying process (2 to 3 weeks). In contrast, in this first embodiment, the drying process S5 is carried out using the same food dehydrator as the reheating process S3. For this reason, there is no need to secure a large space to carry out the drying process S5, and the dried sweet potato manufacturing method according to this first embodiment can be completed even in a small store.

Completing the drying process S5 completes the production of the dried sweet potato shown in Figure 1.

According to the method for producing dried sweet potatoes according to the first embodiment, the production process can be completed without removing the skin from the skinned sweet potatoes, so dried sweet potatoes can be produced without using cutting tools such as knives. As a result, it is possible to prevent workers from being injured by cutting tools during production and cleaning. In addition, because no cutting tools are used, the skin and contents of the sweet potatoes do not adhere to the cutting tools, and it is also possible to prevent bacteria from adhering to the sweet potatoes. There is also no need to clean the cutting tools.

Furthermore, according to the method for producing dried sweet potatoes in this first embodiment, the temperature at which the sweet potatoes with skin are heated in the reheating step S3 is higher than the temperature at which the sweet potatoes with skin are refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2, and lower than the temperature at which the sweet potatoes with skin are heated in the heating step S1. This production method makes it possible to soften the contents of the sweet potatoes with skin while preventing the skin from being damaged by burning or the like. This makes it possible to make the contents of the sweet potatoes with skin in a state that makes them easier to compress in the subsequent compression step S4, while making it difficult for the skin to be damaged.

Furthermore, according to the dried sweet potato manufacturing method of this first embodiment, the temperature at which the skinned sweet potatoes are dried in the drying step S5 is higher than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potatoes are refrigerated in the refrigeration step S2, and is equal to or lower than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potatoes are reheated in the reheating step S3. This manufacturing method accelerates the drying of the sweet potatoes and allows them to be dried in a shorter time than conventional manufacturing methods. Furthermore, because the skinned sweet potatoes can be dried in a short time, for example, the same food dehydrator can be used for the reheating step S3 and the drying step S5. This eliminates the need to secure a large space to perform the drying step S5, and the dried sweet potato manufacturing method of this first embodiment can be completed even in a small store.

In addition, according to the method for producing dried sweet potatoes in this first embodiment, the time required for the drying step S5 is shorter than the time required for the refrigeration step S2. This method dries the skinned sweet potatoes in a shorter time, so there is no need to secure a large space to perform the drying step S5, and the method for producing dried sweet potatoes in this first embodiment can be completed even in a small store.

The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment, but can be implemented in various other ways.

Second Embodiment
The method for producing dried sweet potato according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the method for producing dried sweet potato according to the second embodiment. The method for producing dried sweet potato according to the second embodiment differs from the method for producing dried sweet potato according to the first embodiment in that, after the drying step S5, a shaping step S6 for shaping the sweet potato with skin and a confirmation step S7 for confirming the drying state and thickness of the sweet potato with skin are performed.

[Shaping step S6]
The shaping step S6 is a step of compressing and shaping the skin-on sweet potato dried in the drying step S5 so as not to damage the skin. The shaping step S6 is performed, for example, by sequentially pressing the entire skin-on sweet potato with fingers. By pressing the skin-on sweet potato with fingers, it is easier to adjust the compression force so that the skin is not damaged, and the drying state of the skin-on sweet potato can be confirmed. If the skin-on sweet potato is compressed to the desired dried potato thickness (for example, 15 mm to 20 mm thick) in the compression step S4, the force applied to the skin-on sweet potato becomes large, and the skin of the skin-on sweet potato becomes easily damaged. Therefore, by compressing the skin-on sweet potato in two steps, the compression step S4 and the shaping step S6, it is possible to make the skin of the skin-on sweet potato less likely to be damaged.

In addition, since the shaping process S6 is performed after the drying process S5, the sweet potatoes with skin in the shaping process S6 are harder than the sweet potatoes with skin in the compression process S4. Therefore, if the sweet potatoes with skin are compressed with the same force in the compression process S4 and the shaping process S6, the skin of the sweet potatoes with skin in the shaping process S6 is more likely to be damaged than that of the sweet potatoes with skin in the compression process S6. Therefore, it is preferable that the force and amount used to compress (shape) the sweet potatoes with skin in the shaping process S6 is smaller than the force and amount used to compress the sweet potatoes with skin in the compression process S4.

[Confirmation step S7]
The confirmation step S7 is a step for confirming whether or not the skinned sweet potato shaped in the shaping step S6 has been completed as the dried sweet potato according to the present second embodiment. The confirmation step S7 is performed, for example, by pressing the skinned sweet potato with fingers. The confirmation in the confirmation step S7 may be performed based on the feeling obtained by pressing with fingers in the shaping step S6. In the confirmation step S7, for example, when the dryness of the skinned sweet potato has reached a desired level and the skinned sweet potato has reached the desired dried sweet potato thickness, it is determined that the skinned sweet potato has been completed as the dried sweet potato according to the present second embodiment.

In the confirmation step S7, if it is confirmed that the skinned sweet potatoes shaped in the shaping step S6 have been completed as dried sweet potatoes according to this second embodiment (YES in the confirmation step S7), the production of dried sweet potatoes is completed.

For example, when the dryness of the skinned sweet potato shaped in the shaping process S6 does not reach the desired level, or when the skinned sweet potato does not reach the desired dried sweet potato thickness, it cannot be said that it is complete as a dried sweet potato according to this second embodiment. In this way, when it cannot be said that the skinned sweet potato shaped in the shaping process S6 is complete as a dried sweet potato according to this second embodiment (NO in the confirmation process S7), the drying process S5 is carried out again, and then the shaping process S6 is carried out. In other words, the drying process S5 and the shaping process S6 may be carried out multiple times (repeatedly).

According to the method for producing dried sweet potatoes according to the second embodiment, the compression force used to compress the sweet potatoes with their skins in one process can be reduced, making it less likely that the skins of the sweet potatoes with their skins will be damaged. As a result, even with sweet potatoes of various types and sizes, it is possible to achieve a more uniform drying state and thickness while preventing damage to the skins of the sweet potatoes with their skins.

The present invention is not limited to the second embodiment, and can be implemented in various other aspects. For example, in the above, if the skinned sweet potato shaped in the shaping process S6 cannot be considered to be completed as a dried potato according to the second embodiment (if the confirmation process S7 is NO), the drying process S5 and the shaping process S6 are performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the dryness of the skinned sweet potato shaped in the shaping process S6 has not reached a desired level, only the drying process S5 may be performed again. Also, for example, if the thickness of the skinned sweet potato shaped in the shaping process S6 is not the desired dried potato thickness, only the shaping process S6 may be performed again.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom.

1. Dried sweet potatoes with skin

Claims (6)

A heating step of heating the sweet potato with skin;
A refrigeration step of refrigerating the heated sweet potato with skin;
A reheating step of reheating the refrigerated sweet potato with skin to soften the contents of the sweet potato with skin;
A compression step of compressing the softened contents of the skinned sweet potato through the skin of the skinned sweet potato to make the entire skinned sweet potato into a substantially flat plate shape;
A drying step of drying the compressed sweet potato with skin;
Including,
Manufacturing method of dried sweet potato. The temperature at which the sweet potato with skin is heated in the reheating step is higher than the temperature at which the sweet potato with skin is refrigerated in the refrigeration step and lower than the temperature at which the sweet potato with skin is heated in the heating step;
The method for producing the dried sweet potato according to claim 1. The temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is dried in the drying step is higher than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is refrigerated in the refrigeration step and is equal to or lower than the temperature at which the skinned sweet potato is reheated in the reheating step;
The method for producing dried sweet potato according to claim 1 or 2. The time required for the drying step is shorter than the time required for the refrigeration step.
The method for producing the dried sweet potato according to claim 3. After the drying step, a shaping step is performed to shape the sweet potato with skin.
The method for producing dried sweet potato according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The drying step and the shaping step are performed multiple times.
The method for producing the dried sweet potato according to claim 5.

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