JPH0424024B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Background of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to commonly used thermoreversible gelling agents, namely agar, gelatin, pectin, carrageenan, facellulan, and tamarind seed polysaccharide (hereinafter referred to as thermoreversible gelling agent). A heat-resistant gel is produced by mixing an alginate alkali metal salt and a calcium salt together with a gelation inhibitor, and the heat-resistant gel obtained by the method of the present invention can be heated. It does not lose its shape and can withstand heat sterilization.
Moreover, it is possible to maintain the original texture, transparency, etc. of thermoreversible gels, providing new gel-like foods such as gel foods with a long shelf life and jelly-filled pound cakes.

Prior Art Calcium alginate gel (hereinafter abbreviated as alginic gel) produced by the reaction of alginate alkali metal salt and calcium is thermoirreversible and resistant to heat, so this property can be used as a heat-sensitive thermoreversible gelling agent. For example, a method of using alginate alkali metal salts in combination with agar, etc. has been proposed as an attempt to impart this effect (Japanese Patent Publication No. 44-780, Japanese Patent Publication No. 49-49).
35150, JP 60-110252, JP 60-192556).

These methods involve heating and dissolving a mixture of sodium alginate in agar, etc., cooling it, cutting the gel into an appropriate shape, and then immersing it in a calcium salt solution, or inserting it into a nozzle while it is heated and dissolved. One of the methods is to extrude the calcium salt from the calcium salt solution.

Although these methods also improve heat resistance, these known methods have the following problems.

1. Since the reaction between sodium alginate and calcium proceeds from the surface of the gel, the surface and interior become non-uniform, resulting in a difference in gel hardness. Also,
As the reaction progresses, the gel contracts and deforms.

2. Difficult to apply to large gels because it takes time for calcium ions to penetrate inside the gel.

3 Two steps are required: gel formation and calcium reaction.

4 For example, in the case of mitsumame agar, calcium salts are sometimes added to the syrup to stabilize the gel, but the harsh taste caused by the calcium salts becomes a problem.

In addition, a method for producing a heat-resistant gel by the reaction between sodium alginate and calcium caseinate (Japanese Patent Publications No. 58-56608, No. 60-29461, No. 61-1358,
JP-A-61-19457) has also been proposed, but the gel produced lacks transparency and is not a suitable method when a transparent gel is desired.

[Summary of the invention]

Summary The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result of various studies on the synergistic effect of a thermoreversible gelling agent and a thermoirreversible alginic gel, we found that by using a reaction inhibitor in combination, The inventors discovered that the formation of alginic gel is extremely slow, and that heating and cooling accelerates the reaction to form a uniform heat-resistant gel, leading to the completion of the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides agar, gelatin, pectin,
An alginate alkali metal salt, a calcium salt, and a gelling inhibitor are further dispersed as necessary in one type or a mixture of two or more of thermoreversible gelling agent powders such as carrageenan, facellulan, and tamarind seed polysaccharide. This method of producing a heat-resistant gel is characterized by dispersing a mixture of agents in water, heating it, and then cooling it.

The gel according to the present invention can be produced in exactly the same way as a commonly used thermoplastic gelling agent, by simply dispersing it in water, heating it, and cooling it, and the gel formed is highly heat resistant and transparent. It has a good feel, no gel shrinkage or deformation, and is an excellent heat-resistant gel.

[Specific description of the invention]

Composition 1 of Heat-resistant Gelling Preparation The alginates added to the heat-reversible gelling agent are water-soluble alginates such as sodium and potassium salts, with sodium alginate being preferred when used in foods. The amount added varies depending on the type of thermoreversible gelling agent and the properties of the desired heat-resistant gel, but for gelatin it is 5.0 to 20.0% by weight, agar, carrageenan,
The preferred range is 10.0 to 50.0% by weight for tamarind etc., and 70.0 to 120.0% by weight for pectin.

2 Calcium salts that are poorly soluble in water such as calcium citrate, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and tricalcium phosphate can be used, but the most important thing is the ratio of calcium to alkali metal alginate. The weight corresponds to 0.3 to 1.2 equivalents of salt, preferably 0.5 to 1.0 equivalents. If the amount of calcium added is less than 0.3 equivalents, not only the heat resistance of the gel will be insufficient, but also a pasty feeling will remain in the gel, and if it is more than 1.2 equivalents, unreacted calcium salts will be mixed in, resulting in an opaque gel, and the taste will change. do.

3. Gelation inhibitors for uniformly reacting alginate alkali metal salts and calcium include sodium or potassium salts of polymerized phosphoric acids such as pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphoric acid, and metaphosphoric acid;
EDTA., sodium carbonate, sodium citrate, etc. can be used. Among these, polymerized phosphates, especially metaphosphates, are effective. The amount to be added is 1 to 10 times the amount of calcium, preferably 3
~7 times the amount. If the amount is less than 1 times the amount, algine gel will not be formed uniformly, and if the amount is more than 10 times the amount, it will be difficult to form an algine gel.

4 The dispersant added as necessary is added to promote the dispersion of the heat-resistant gelling agent in water, and granulated sugar, glucose, fructose, etc. are used, but there are particular restrictions on the amount and type. It is not something that will be done.

Formation of Heat-resistant Gels Heat-resistant gels according to the present invention are formed by dispersing a suitably formulated heat-resistant gelling formulation in water followed by heating and cooling.

The heating temperature varies depending on the content of alginate alkali metal salt and calcium content ratio, as well as the type of thermoreversible gelling agent that is the main ingredient, but it is the melting temperature of commonly used gelatin, i.e. A temperature of 60℃ or higher is required. By heating, the thermoreversible gelling agent and alginate alkali metal salt are uniformly mixed, and then by cooling, alginic gel is gradually formed, but the calcium salt contained is calcium carbonate. In the case of extremely poorly soluble salts such as, it is desirable to adjust the pH to 4.0 to 6.0 with citric acid, tartaric acid, etc. immediately before cooling.

The cooled gel is left at room temperature for at least 60 minutes, preferably 90 minutes or more, in order to allow the reaction to proceed sufficiently, thereby obtaining a gel with added heat resistance.

Effects of the Invention Appropriate applications of the heat-resistant gel include gel foods whose shelf life can be extended by heat sterilization.

In addition, methods for controlling bacteria include adding preservatives,
Although water activity can be adjusted using salt, sugar, etc., this is not the preferred method from the standpoint of consumer health consciousness, and there are restrictions on the type of food, so sterilization by heating is considered the safest and most reliable method.

However, with commonly used thermoreversible gels, even agar, which has a relatively high melting point, melts at 80-85°C, and gelatin gels have difficulty retaining their shape at temperatures as low as 20-30°C. Therefore, the limit for heat sterilization of mitsumame agar is about 80℃ at most, and bacteria are suppressed by adding acid to the syrup to adjust the pH, but failure to adjust the heating temperature can result in defective products due to deformation. Occurrence occurs.

In addition, gelatin is used in foods such as ``Nikogori'' (fish and shellfish) surrounded by jelly, and ``Aspitsuku'' (Western-style ``Nikogori'') with ingredients such as eggs, ham, and salmon. The ingredients melt, the ingredients move, and the original beauty of ``Nikogori'' or ``Aspitsuku'' is lost and the product value is lost. In other words, this type of jelly food currently on the market has a very short shelf life because it is sold as a daily delivery product without undergoing heat sterilization.

However, in the method of the present invention, the gel prepared from the agar preparation can withstand heat sterilization at 95°C for 30 minutes, has excellent gel homogeneity and texture, does not shrink or deform, and does not require the addition of acid to the syrup. Tsumame agar, almond tofu, etc. can be produced.

In addition, in the present invention, if a gelatin preparation is used, there will be no movement of the ingredients even after heat sterilization at 110°C for 20 minutes, which is the retort condition, and products such as "Nikogori" and "Aspic" with excellent transparency will be produced. of food can be produced.

Further, in the present invention, by using the pectin preparation, jelly-filled pound cakes, fruit cakes, etc., which are free from jelly dripping and deformation, can be produced.

In addition to the above application examples, according to the method of the present invention, heat resistance can be added to the gel in a wide range, so the range of use of the thermoreversible gelling agent is expanded.

Next, examples of the present invention will be shown, in which parts indicate parts by weight.

Example 1 33 parts agar, 14 parts sodium alginate, 5 parts calcium citrate, 5 parts sodium metaphosphate,
Three parts of the gel preparation mixed with 43 parts of granulated sugar are dispersed in cold water. Next, melt by heating at 98°C for 40 minutes, pour into a vat, leave at room temperature for 12 hours to form a gel, and cut into 1 cm squares.

Separately, make syrup by heating 64 parts of caster sugar and 36 parts of water at 85℃ for 30 minutes.

220 parts of the cut heat-resistant square agar and 140 parts of the syrup were packed in a heat-resistant nylon plastic bag, sealed, heat sterilized at 90°C for 30 minutes, and then cooled in cold water. The shape of the gel did not change at all due to heating, and the texture was extremely good.

Example 2 4 parts of a gel preparation prepared by mixing 85 parts of gelatin, 10 parts of sodium alginate, 2 parts of calcium carbonate, and 3 parts of sodium metaphosphate were mixed with 2 parts of concentrated seasoning liquid and salt.
Disperse the mixture in 92.8 parts of water together with 0.2 parts of caramel and 1 part of caramel, heat and dissolve at 80°C for 5 minutes, and adjust the pH to 5.0 to 6.0 by adding a small amount of 10% citric acid solution. Pour this solution into a polypropylene container with an inner diameter of 10 cm and a height of 3 cm. Before it hardens, decorate it with half-split boiled quail eggs and shrimp and seal it. Cool in the refrigerator for 60 minutes to gel, then heat to 90°C.
After heat sterilization for 40 minutes, it was cooled in cold water.

There was no movement of the ingredients at all due to heat sterilization, and an aspic with excellent transparency and maintaining the original texture of gelatin was obtained. When this product was stored at 25°C for 3 weeks, the number of bacteria was 0.

Example 3 9 parts of HM pectin, 9 parts of sodium alginate
1 part of calcium carbonate, 1 part of sodium metaphosphate, and 80 parts of caster sugar.
Disperse in cold water and boil for 30 seconds. After adding 100 parts of caster sugar and heating to dissolve,
Add 5 parts of 10% citric acid solution and pour into a vat and allow to cool. Leave to stand for 2 hours and cut the resulting gel into 1cm squares to make square jelly.

Separately, 25 parts butter, 25 parts granulated sugar, 25 parts eggs,
Mix 25 parts of flour and 0.3 part of baking powder in the usual manner to make a pound cake batter. Square jelly was dispersed and sealed in this dough and baked in an oven at 180°C for 85 minutes. The jelly was kept in its original shape inside the finished pound cake, making it possible to produce a jelly-containing pound cake.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Agar, gelatin, pectin, carrageenan,
Mix an alginate alkali metal salt, a calcium salt, a gelation inhibitor, and a dispersant as necessary with one type or a mixture of two or more of thermoreversible gelling agent powders such as Farcellulan and tamarind seed polysaccharide. A method for producing a heat-resistant gel, which is characterized by dispersing the gel in water, heating it, and then cooling it. 2. The heat-resistant gel according to claim 1, wherein the alginic acid alkali metal salt is sodium and potassium alginic acid salts and is added in an amount corresponding to 5.0 to 120.0% by weight based on the thermoreversible gelling agent. Manufacturing method. 3. Claims in which the calcium salt is one of calcium citrate, dibasic calcium phosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, and calcium carbonate, either alone or in combination, added in an amount equivalent to 0.3 to 1.2 equivalents of the alginate alkali metal salt as calcium. A method for producing a heat-resistant gel according to item 1. 4. The gelation inhibitor is a sodium salt or potassium salt of a polymeric phosphate such as pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphoric acid, metaphosphoric acid, etc., alone or in combination, which is added in an amount of 1 to 10 times the amount of calcium in the calcium salt. A method for producing a heat-resistant gel according to claim 1. 5. The method for producing a heat-resistant gel according to claim 1, wherein the heating is heating to 60°C or higher.