JP7728646B2 - Chickpea-containing retort food and method for producing chickpea-containing retort food - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a chickpea-containing retort food product and a method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product.

Coupled with the growing health consciousness in recent years, chickpeas, which are rich in proteins, vitamins (mainly vitamin B), minerals, dietary fiber, and other ingredients, have been attracting attention. Furthermore, because chickpeas do not contain allergens such as gluten, they have also attracted attention as a food ingredient that can replace wheat, soybeans, and other ingredients, and are used in a variety of food products. Such retort food products containing chickpeas are disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below.

JP 2018-42473 A

The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 relates to a retort food product (e.g., retort curry sauce, stew sauce, hayashi sauce) that contains chickpea paste and a sauce portion containing 25% by mass or less of fat and oil, and that, upon retort processing, becomes thicker than the viscosity at the time of filling into a pouch.

The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves chickpea paste (the chickpea paste mentioned above). According to Patent Document 1, chickpea paste is obtained through a process of absorbing water into dried chickpeas and a grinding process. During this process, in order to produce a paste with the appropriate properties (physical characteristics), it is necessary to allow the dried chickpeas to absorb a large amount of water.

In response to this, in order to ensure the desired quality (taste, texture (physical properties), flavor, etc.) of retort pouch foods, the moisture content of the entire retort pouch food is adjusted. Accordingly, the amount of moisture derived from the chickpea paste added to the retort pouch food (the total moisture content of all the chickpea pastes added) is limited. In other words, if the total moisture content of the chickpea paste exceeds the limit, the amount of chickpea paste that can be contained in the retort pouch food will be reduced.

As mentioned above, chickpea paste contains a relatively large amount of water. Therefore, in the retort pouch food of Patent Document 1, the chickpea paste content excluding the ingredients is limited to 40% by mass (20% by mass when converted to the weight of dried chickpeas). As a result, the retort pouch food of Patent Document 1 cannot adequately meet the demand for chickpeas in an amount exceeding this limit.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a chickpea-containing retort food product that can contain a larger amount of chickpeas while ensuring the high quality of the retort food product, and a method for producing the chickpea-containing retort food product.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the chickpea-containing retort food according to the present invention has the following characteristics.
[1] The chickpea-containing retort food according to the present invention contains shredded chickpeas.
[2] In the chickpea-containing retort food product according to [1] above, the content of shredded chickpeas is preferably 63% by weight or less.
[3] In the chickpea-containing retort food product according to [1] or [2] above, the content of shredded chickpeas in terms of dry weight is preferably 20% by weight to 35% by weight.
[4] In the chickpea-containing retort food product according to any one of [1] to [3] above, the ratio of the weight of the shredded chickpeas to the dry equivalent weight (ratio of the shredded chickpeas to the dry equivalent weight) is preferably 1.5 to 1.8.
[5] The chickpea-containing retort food product according to any one of [1] to [4] above preferably contains 40% by weight or more of chopped chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings.

Furthermore, the method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food according to the present invention has the following features.
[6] The method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food according to the present invention comprises:
The process of absorbing water from dried chickpeas,
A step of shredding the absorbed chickpeas to obtain shredded chickpeas;
Includes.
[7] In the method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to [6] above, it is preferable to add chopped chickpeas so that the content of chopped chickpeas is 63% by weight or less.
[8] In the method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to [6] or [7] above, it is preferable to add chopped chickpeas so that the content of chopped chickpeas in the food product is 20% by weight to 35% by weight on a dry basis.
[9] In the method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to any one of [6] to [8] above, it is preferable to allow the dried chickpeas to absorb water so that the ratio of the weight of the shredded chickpeas to the dry equivalent weight (ratio of the shredded chickpeas to the dry equivalent weight) is 1.5 to 1.8.
[10] In the method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to any one of [6] to [9] above, it is preferable that the chickpeas are chopped so that the chickpeas contain 40% by weight or more of chopped chickpeas having a particle size that passes through a sieve with 8 mm openings and passes through a sieve with 5 mm openings.

According to the present invention, by using chopped chickpeas (chopped chickpeas), it is possible to ensure the high quality of the retort pouch food even if the chickpeas have a lower moisture content than chickpeas in paste form (chickpea paste). In other words, more chopped chickpeas can be added until the moisture limit required to ensure the quality of the retort pouch food is reached. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to add more chickpeas while ensuring the high quality of the retort pouch food.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, shredded chickpeas with desired physical properties can be obtained by subjecting dried chickpeas to a water absorption process and then shredding the absorbed chickpeas. This provides a method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product that can contain a larger amount of chickpeas while ensuring the high quality of the retort food product.

[Retort food containing chickpeas]
A chickpea-containing retort food product (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "retort food product") according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The chickpea-containing retort food product of this embodiment contains shredded chickpeas. Here, the chickpeas used in the shredded chickpeas are known by the scientific name Cicer arietinum (also known as garbanzo, etc.), and are a self-pollinating crop belonging to the genus Cicer in the family Fabaceae.

The chickpeas in this embodiment may be either the Kabuli variety or the Daxi variety. Furthermore, the chickpeas in this embodiment may be fresh, but are preferably dried (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "dried chickpeas"). The moisture content of dried chickpeas is, for example, 10% or less. However, this is not limiting.

The shredded chickpeas in this embodiment are obtained by allowing dried chickpeas to absorb water and then shredding them. However, the method for obtaining the shredded chickpeas is not limited to this. Here, the upper limit of the shredded chickpea content is preferably 63% by weight or less, more preferably 56% by weight or less, and even more preferably 48% by weight or less. However, this is not limited to this. On the other hand, if the weight of the shredded chickpeas exceeds 63% by weight, this is undesirable as it may impair the quality of the retort food (for example, physical properties such as melt-in-the-mouth texture).

Furthermore, when the weight of the shredded chickpeas is converted into the weight of dried chickpeas (hereinafter, the converted weight is referred to as the "equivalent dry weight"), the content of shredded chickpeas in the equivalent dry weight is preferably adjusted to 20% to 35% by weight. By adjusting the content of shredded chickpeas in the equivalent dry weight to fall within this range, it is possible to include more shredded chickpeas in the retort pouch food while ensuring the quality of the retort pouch food. In particular, it is possible to increase the amount of chickpeas per unit weight in the retort pouch food, which is expressed as [amount obtained by excluding water from the total amount of shredded chickpeas / total amount of shredded chickpeas].

The lower limit of the content of shredded chickpeas in terms of dry weight is preferably greater than 20% by weight, even more preferably 23% by weight or more, and even more preferably 25% by weight or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of shredded chickpeas in terms of dry weight is more preferably 35% by weight or less, even more preferably 33% by weight or less, and even more preferably 30% by weight or less.

The value obtained by subtracting the dry equivalent weight from the weight of shredded chickpeas corresponds to the moisture content (water absorption) of the shredded chickpeas. One method for measuring the dry equivalent weight of shredded chickpeas is to measure the weight of the chickpeas before water absorption (dried chickpeas) and the weight of the chickpeas after water absorption (for example, after boiling, steaming, or soaking dried chickpeas in water, rinsing under running water, and then draining in a colander, etc.), and then subtract the weight of the dried chickpeas from the weight of the chickpeas after water absorption. However, this method is not limited to this.

Next, in the shredded chickpeas of this embodiment, the ratio of the weight of the shredded chickpeas to their equivalent dry weight (hereinafter referred to as the "equivalent weight ratio") is preferably 1.5 to 1.8. In contrast, in the retort food product disclosed in Patent Document 1, when chickpea paste is added until the moisture limit is reached, the equivalent weight ratio is 2 (40% by mass (weight of chickpea paste) / 20% by mass (equivalent dry weight) = 2).

In this way, when the ratio of shredded chickpeas to equivalent weight is adjusted to 1.5 to 1.8, the moisture content of the shredded chickpeas can be made lower than that of the chickpea paste. As a result, more shredded chickpeas can be included in the retort pouched food product. In particular, the amount of chickpeas per unit weight can be increased in the retort pouched food product.

Next, the shredded chickpeas of this embodiment preferably include shredded chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings. By including shredded chickpeas with this particle size, the desired quality of the retort pouch food can be ensured even if the moisture content of the shredded chickpeas is lower than that of, for example, chickpea paste. However, the particle size of the shredded chickpeas is not limited to this.

Furthermore, the shredded chickpeas of this embodiment preferably contain shredded chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings in an amount of 40% by weight or more, more preferably 50% by weight or more, and even more preferably 60% by weight or more, based on the total amount of shredded chickpeas.

When the content of chopped chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings is adjusted to 40% by weight or more relative to the total amount of chopped chickpeas, it is possible to obtain chopped chickpeas that have a smooth texture with little residue in the mouth, like potato salad (hereinafter, this texture may be referred to as "melt in the mouth"), while retaining a moderate amount of chickpea flavor. In contrast, when the content of chopped chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings is less than 40% by weight, the proportion of chopped chickpeas with a fine particle size similar to chickpea paste increases. As a result, the higher the content of chopped chickpeas in a retort pouch food, the greater the likelihood that the retort pouch food will not have the desired texture (for example, a good melt-in-the-mouth texture), which is undesirable.

Next, the chickpea-containing retort food product of this embodiment may contain, in addition to the moisture content other than that contained in the shredded chickpeas, ingredients such as vegetables; seasonings such as salt and sugar; oils and fats; starch-based ingredients; spices; pH adjusters; flavorings, etc.

[Method for producing chickpea-containing retort food]
Next, a method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to this embodiment (the above-mentioned retort food product) will be described. The method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to this embodiment includes a step of absorbing water into dried chickpeas and a step of shredding the water-absorbed chickpeas to obtain shredded chickpeas. The method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food product according to this embodiment also includes a step of subjecting a raw material containing the shredded chickpeas to a retort treatment.

The water absorption process for dried chickpeas is a process in which dried chickpeas are allowed to absorb water and the ratio of the weight of the shredded chickpeas to the weight of the dried chickpeas (a ratio corresponding to the aforementioned "equivalent weight ratio") is adjusted to 1.5 to 1.8. Here, the value obtained by subtracting the weight of the dried chickpeas from the weight of the shredded chickpeas corresponds to the amount of water absorbed by the chickpeas in the water absorption process. Water absorption in this range is less than the amount of water absorbed by chickpea paste when chickpea paste is obtained from the same amount of dried chickpeas. As a result, the amount of chickpeas per unit weight contained in the retort pouch food can be increased.

One example is a method in which a predetermined amount of dried chickpeas is added to hot water (e.g., boiling water) and boiled for a predetermined period of time. There are no particular restrictions on the amount of time the chickpeas are boiled, but it is preferably 5 to 40 minutes after the hot water that has cooled due to the addition of the dried chickpeas has boiled again (re-boiling), more preferably 8 to 35 minutes, and even more preferably 10 to 30 minutes.

In contrast, boiling dried chickpeas for less than 5 minutes after re-boiling is undesirable because the chickpeas will have a low moisture content (absorption) after boiling, making them hard and preventing them from being chopped to the desired particle size. Furthermore, boiling dried chickpeas for more than 40 minutes will result in the chickpeas absorbing more moisture than expected after boiling, meaning that the retort pouch food will contain more moisture derived from the chickpeas than the limit. This is therefore undesirable because it could impair the desired quality of the retort pouch food.

However, the water absorption process for dried chickpeas is not limited to this. Other examples of water absorption processes include steaming dried chickpeas, soaking dried chickpeas in water, and combinations of these. The water absorption processes of boiling dried chickpeas and steaming dried chickpeas, which are exemplified, can shorten the processing time (e.g., boiling time or steaming time) compared to soaking dried chickpeas in water.

Next, in the process of shredding the water-absorbed chickpeas to obtain shredded chickpeas, the chickpeas are shredded by any means (e.g., a comitroll, silent cutter, meat chopper, cutter mill, mass colloider, etc.) so as to include shredded chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings. By obtaining shredded chickpeas with such particle size, it is possible to produce a retort food product with the desired quality guaranteed, even if the moisture content of the shredded chickpeas is less than that of chickpea paste (even if the amount of chickpeas per unit weight is greater). However, the particle size of the shredded chickpeas is not limited to this.

In this case, for example, it is preferable to shred the chickpeas so that the shredded chickpeas that pass through a sieve with 8 mm openings and pass through a sieve with 5 mm openings account for 40% by weight or more, more preferably 50% by weight or more, and even more preferably 60% by weight or more.

As a mode of the water absorption step, particularly when boiling or steaming dried chickpeas, it is preferable to expose the heated chickpeas to running water for a predetermined period of time and then shred the chickpeas. This allows the heated chickpeas to cool sufficiently and allows impurities on the surface of the chickpeas to be removed before shredding. However, this mode is not limited, and the chickpeas may also be shredded immediately after heating them in the water absorption step.

Next, in the process of subjecting the raw material containing shredded chickpeas to retort processing, the raw material containing shredded chickpeas (which may further contain moisture other than that contained in the shredded chickpeas, ingredients, seasonings, oils and fats, starch-based ingredients, spices, pH adjusters, flavorings, etc.) is filled into a package such as a retort pouch and subjected to retort processing. Retort processing conditions include, but are not limited to, heating the raw material filled into the package for 4 minutes at a temperature where the core temperature reaches 120°C.

Specific examples of the chickpea-containing retort food described above are shown below. However, the present invention is not limited or restricted by the following examples.

Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 shown in Table 1 below were prepared as follows, and their physical properties (melt-in-the-mouth feel) after retort processing were evaluated. Examples 1 to 5 consist of shredded chickpeas and water (other than the water content contained in the shredded chickpeas). Comparative Examples 1 to 4 consist of chickpea paste and water (other than the water content contained in the chickpea paste).

First, the production procedures for Examples 1 to 5 will be described. First, 500 g of dried chickpeas were added to boiling water, and after the water was brought to a boil again, they were boiled for 15 minutes. After boiling, the chickpeas were drained, soaked in running water for 20 minutes, and then drained to obtain 800 g of chickpeas.

Next, the drained chickpeas were shredded to obtain shredded chickpeas. The shredded chickpeas that passed through a sieve with 8 mm openings and passed through a sieve with 5 mm openings accounted for approximately 40% by weight of the total amount of shredded chickpeas. Finally, the shredded chickpeas and water were mixed and retorted at 120°C for 30 minutes. In this manner, Examples 1 to 5 were produced.

Next, the production procedures for Comparative Examples 1 to 4 will be explained. First, 500 g of dried chickpeas were soaked below the surface of water at 5°C for 16 hours. The chickpeas were then drained and further soaked below the surface of fresh water at 15°C, and heated to 85°C for 15 minutes. After heating, the chickpea soaking was completed when the water temperature reached 55°C. At this point, the chickpeas weighed 1,000 g.

Next, the chickpeas were crushed to pass through a sieve with 3 mm openings to obtain chickpea paste. Finally, the chickpea paste was mixed with water and retorted at 120°C for 30 minutes. In this way, Comparative Examples 1 to 4 were produced.

The samples prepared (Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4) were evaluated for melt-in-the-mouth feel. Evaluations were made by five panelists, and were based on the average scores (average scores) given by each panelist based on the following criteria. Note that a lower score corresponds to a sample with a gritty texture (a texture that feels like lumps), while a higher score corresponds to a sample with a smoother texture.

1 point: The melt-in-the-mouth feel is significantly inferior to that of the control product (Example 1).
・2 points: The melt-in-the-mouth feel is inferior to the control product.
3 points: Slightly less melt-in-the-mouth than the control product.
4 points: Slightly less melt-in-the-mouth than the control product.
・5 points: The melt-in-the-mouth feel is equal to or better than that of the control product.

As shown in Table 1 below, samples with an average score of 1 were rated "X", samples with an average score of more than 1 but less than 3 were rated "△", and samples with an average score of 3 or more were rated "〇".

As shown in Table 1, when comparing Examples and Comparative Examples with the same dry equivalent weight, the Example containing shredded chickpeas received a higher rating. For example, Example 1, with a dry equivalent weight of 20% by weight, received a rating of 5.0, while Comparative Example 1, with the same dry equivalent weight, received a rating of 4.0. Also, Example 2, with a dry equivalent weight of 25% by weight, received a rating of 3.8, while Comparative Example 2, with the same dry equivalent weight, received a rating of 2.8. Similarly, Example 3, with a dry equivalent weight of 30% by weight, received a rating of 3.0, while Comparative Example 3, with the same dry equivalent weight, received a rating of 2.0.

This suggests that retort pouch foods containing shredded chickpeas can maintain the quality of the retort pouch foods even if they contain a larger amount of chickpeas. In particular, assuming that the moisture content of the dried chickpeas in each sample is the same, the samples containing shredded chickpeas were shown to have a higher amount of chickpeas per unit weight and to have a good melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Next, Examples 6 to 9 were prepared as follows, containing the shredded chickpeas prepared using the above-mentioned procedure, water, and other ingredients. First, the ingredients shown in Table 2 below were placed in a kneader and mixed at a temperature of 90°C. The resulting mixture was then filled into a package (retort pouch) and subjected to retort treatment at a temperature of approximately 120°C for 30 minutes. The resulting Examples 6 to 9 all had good physical properties and flavor.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. However, the above description is provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

Claims (2)

A chickpea-containing retort food product containing shredded chickpeas,
The shredded chickpeas have a size that passes through a sieve with an opening of 8 mm and passes through a sieve with an opening of 5 mm,
The content of the shredded chickpeas in terms of dry weight is 20% by weight to 35% by weight,
The chickpea-containing retort food product has a ratio of the weight of the shredded chickpeas to the dry equivalent weight (equivalent weight ratio) of 1.5 to 1.8. a moisture absorption step of allowing the dried chickpeas to absorb moisture so that the ratio of the weight of the shredded chickpeas to the dry equivalent weight (equivalent weight ratio) is 1.5 to 1.8;
shredding the absorbed chickpeas to obtain shredded chickpeas having a particle size that passes through a sieve with 8 mm openings and passes through a sieve with 5 mm openings;
adding shredded chickpeas to the mixture so that the shredded chickpeas content is between 20% and 35% by weight on a dry weight basis;
A method for producing a chickpea-containing retort food, comprising: