JP6958879B2 - A stirrer used for continuous production of tofu and a continuous production device for tofu provided with the stirrer. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stirrer used in a manufacturing method capable of continuously mass-producing tofu with good flavor over time, and a continuous production apparatus for tofu provided with the stirrer.

Tofu includes silk tofu, cotton tofu, soft tofu, and filled tofu, and fried tofu, ganmodoki, and atsuage as processed products of tofu dough fried in oil. Tofu, which is the basis of these tofu, is a traditional food made by dispersing a coagulant in soymilk obtained by squeezing soybeans and reacting with soybean protein to coagulate. There are various types of coagulants, but examples of coagulants that have a mild sweetness and enhance the soybean flavor include inorganic salts of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and calcium chloride. Bittern, which has been used for a long time, is also an inorganic salt whose main component is magnesium chloride. However, these inorganic salts react very quickly with soybean protein and coagulate quickly, and the coagulation reaction partially proceeds before they are uniformly dispersed in soymilk, resulting in poor yield and texture. Therefore, in order for the tofu structure to obtain uniform tofu, only a small scale and skillful technique was required.

Therefore, in order to continuously produce a large amount of tofu, it is necessary to slowly react with soybean protein in the process, and the reaction is carried out by using calcium sulfate and glucono delta lactone, which gradually start the coagulation reaction among coagulants. It works, but it's far from the original flavor of soybeans and there was a problem with the flavor of tofu.

In recent years, in mass production of tofu, a coagulant for tofu, which is mainly composed of magnesium chloride and has a slow coagulant reaction rate, has been used by controlling the rate. As a method of delaying, a fast-acting inorganic salt was emulsified or dispersed in a water-in-oil type with an emulsifier which is a fatty acid partial ester of polyhydric alcohol or polyglycerin to prepare an inorganic salt-based coagulant composition (Patent Documents 1 to 5). It is a thing. In general, many emulsifiers have surface activity to reduce the interfacial tension at the interface between inorganic salts and edible oils and fats, and emulsify and stabilize them. On the other hand, there is also an inorganic salt-based coagulant composition (Patent Document 6) in which a fast-acting inorganic salt is emulsified into a water-in-oil type in a mixture of natural wax and edible oil and fat without using an emulsifier. These delayed-acting water-in-oil inorganic coagulant compositions are commercially available as emulsifying bittern.

Emulsified bittern is one of the coagulants for tofu, and is continuously dispersed in soymilk in the production line with a stirrer and used for mass production of tofu. However, there is a problem that the taste changes with time immediately after production, that is, the flavor deteriorates, which is the expression of so-called taste loss. This is a big problem for long-lasting tofu, which is made by packaging tofu in sachets and sterilizing it by heating.

Since such emulsified glycerol is not a tofu maker but an emulsifier maker specialized in manufacturing and selling, it is necessary to maintain emulsification stability over a period of one year or more after manufacturing due to storage and distribution, and it is salt resistant and strong. It is common to add a large amount of emulsifier with strong surface activity, mainly polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester (hereinafter referred to as PGPR), which is suitable for water-in-oil emulsification. Therefore, there is a problem that the taste of the emulsifier remains and the original flavor of tofu is impaired.

Water-in-oil emulsified bittern contains a water-soluble inorganic salt, and when it is finely and mechanically dispersed in soymilk, the oily film of emulsified bittern breaks and the inorganic salt elutes, soy protein in soymilk. It reacts with and gels into a network of networks and solidifies.

By the way, tofu becomes delicious tofu by making the best use of the original taste and aroma of soybeans, but for that purpose, it is necessary for soybean protein and coagulant to react and crosslink the protein to confine the taste component with a thin mesh protein film. be. Therefore, before the coagulant reacts with the protein in soymilk, it must be dispersed as finely, uniformly and quickly as possible, and then react firmly with the protein.

The main stirring method for mechanically dispersing the coagulant in soy milk is a one-two method in which a plate with several holes is stirred up and down once or twice, and a centrifugal rotary stirring method with low shear but excellent dispersion ability. There is a method by in-line high-speed high-shear stirring with high shearing force. Of these, the one-two method is suitable for batch-type small-quantity production because the coagulant is coarsely dispersed and difficult to be uniform due to gentle vertical stirring, and the dispersion tank is small, and the coagulant also reacts quickly. Inorganic salts are often used as they are.

In addition, the centrifugal rotary stirring method does not stir with wings, but rotates a rotating body in which the discharge port and the suction port communicate with each other in the flow path, so that the centrifugal force of the discharge port is larger than the centrifugal force of the suction port. (Patent Document 7), for example, M-Revо (manufactured by IPMS Co., Ltd., M-Revо is a registered trademark) and M-Revо are sucked to apply a shearing force. There is a silent core (manufactured by Taiki Bussan Co., Ltd., Patent Document 8) with small wings on its mouth. These are suitable for the production of tofu using bittern for emulsification because they have excellent dispersion ability, but both M-Revо and silent core can be used only in batch or batch continuous because of their structure, and are suitable for small-quantity production. However, it is not suitable for continuous mass production.

In addition, the in-line high-speed high-shear agitation method uses a device in which a rotor stator is incorporated in the pipe, agitates strongly at high-speed rotation, and emulsified bittern is finely and instantly dispersed by a strong shearing force. For example, there are devices such as a pipeline homomixer (manufactured by Prime Mix Co., Ltd.), a milder (manufactured by Matsubo Co., Ltd., milder is a registered trademark), and a system mug (manufactured by Earth System 21 Co., Ltd.). Therefore, the system that combines bittern with good emulsification stability over time and an in-line high-speed high-shear stirrer is most often used for continuous mass production of tofu.

However, in continuous mass production by in-line high-speed high-shear stirring, the emulsified bittern is agitated and mixed in soymilk with high shear, so that the oily film of the emulsified bittern is broken at the same time as the emulsified bittern is dispersed, and the eluted fast-acting inorganic salt is used. The protein partially coagulates, and the protein film that has started to form is broken by the high-speed rotor stator. As a result, the umami component was gradually released from here, and the taste of tofu was reduced in continuous mass production compared to small batch production that can be produced without applying much shearing force. This is thought to be the cause of flavor deterioration, which is the expression of so-called taste loss, in which the taste changes with time immediately after production in mass production. In addition, the flavor of fried tofu, ganmodoki, and atsuage, which are processed products fried in oil as dough, was naturally lower than that of craftsmen who carefully make small amounts of fried tofu.

Patent No. 291249 Patent No. 3516298 Patent No. 4105674 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-94831 Patent No. 4800106 Patent No. 6030595 Patent No. 4418019 International Publication No. WO2017 / 00295

Therefore, the present invention is a stirrer used in a method for continuously producing a large amount of tofu dough that expresses the original flavor of tofu derived from raw soybeans and squeezed soymilk and whose flavor does not deteriorate over time. An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous production apparatus for tofu equipped with a stirrer.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and is a stirrer provided in a supply line through which soymilk is distributed, and is a suction port provided on the bottom surface of the stirrer and a discharge port provided on the top surface thereof. It is provided with an outlet, a flow path connecting the suction port and the discharge port, the suction port is formed closer to the rotation axis of the stirring body than the discharge port, and the flow path is from the suction port to the said. It is a stirrer characterized in that it is inclined so as to be separated from the rotation axis as it reaches the discharge port.

Further, the present invention is formed so that the angle formed between the straight line connecting the center of the discharge port and the center of the suction port and the rotation axis of the stirring body is 10 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. The characteristic agitator.

Further, the present invention is the stirrer, characterized in that the flow path is formed in a straight line.

Further, the present invention is a continuous production apparatus for tofu having the stirrer in a supply line through which soymilk is distributed.

Further, in the present invention, separately from the tofu production line, an aqueous phase is gradually added to the oil phase circulating in the line through which the emulsifier is passed to emulsify, and further circulation is performed until the desired aqueous phase average particle size is reached. , The above-mentioned continuous production apparatus for tofus, which is provided with a line for producing emulsified sardines emulsified in a water-in-oil type.

According to the stirrer used for the continuous production of tofus according to the present invention and the manufacturing apparatus provided with the stirrer, the rotor having a strong shearing force is used to stir and disperse the soymilk and the coagulant by a stirrer utilizing centrifugal force. Compared with the case of using a stator or the like, in-line low shear having a stirring and dispersing force becomes possible. As a result, the oily film of the emulsifying bittern is not broken at the same time as the dispersion of the emulsifying bittern, and the eluted fast-acting inorganic salt and the protein partially coagulate and react, and the protein film that has started to form is formed by the rotor stator at high rotation speed. Since it does not break, continuous mass production is possible without impairing the flavor of tofu.

Further, the continuous production apparatus for tofu according to the present invention, which is provided with an emulsifying bittern production line separately from the tofu production line, can directly supply the produced emulsified bittern to the tofu production line, and thus is an emulsifying bittern preparation. As storage stability is not required, and PGPR, which is a strong W / O emulsifying agent, is not always required, resulting in an improvement in tofu flavor. Further, the ratio of the aqueous phase (inorganic salt) / oil phase can be maximized by gradually adding the aqueous phase to the oil phase circulating in the liquid passage line of the emulsifier to emulsify. Furthermore, the aqueous phase particle size of the water-in-oil type can be controlled according to the number of circulation passes in the emulsifying machine liquid passing line, and the soybean protein coagulation structure can be homogenized by optimizing the oil-based coating.

The figure which represented typically about the tofu production apparatus which concerns on this invention. A partially cutaway front view of the stirrer according to the present invention. The perspective view of the stirrer according to this invention. The figure which represented typically the emulsifying bittern manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

In the method for continuously producing tofu using the stirrer according to the present invention, the step of adding emulsifying tofu to soymilk and the stirrer provided in the supply line where the emulsified soymilk is distributed to emulsify the soymilk. In-line method of dispersing a specific tofu coagulant in soymilk in a supply line using a centrifugal rotary stirrer having excellent dispersion ability while having low shear. Is for continuous production of tofu.

The water-in-oil emulsification with a magnesium chloride-based coagulant as the aqueous phase used in such a production method is finely and uniformly dispersed in soymilk without breaking the emulsification by stirring with low shear, and then. The emulsified particles of the oily film containing a high concentration of coagulant spontaneously emulsify and break due to the difference in osmotic pressure from soymilk, and the coagulant elutes into soymilk.

The coagulant eluted in this way reacts with the soybean protein of soymilk and crosslinks the protein to form a thin network-like protein film, traps the original taste and aroma of soybean, and coagulates tofu. Therefore, the emulsified bittern used in the present invention is stable when dispersed in soymilk with low shear, but after dispersion, the emulsified bittern adjusted to a weak oily film that breaks due to the osmotic pressure difference is preferable.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the manufacturing apparatus used in the continuous manufacturing method for tofu of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a tofu manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. There are two methods for producing tofu: the so-called "continuous type" in which soymilk is continuously fed into the molding belt or mold box of a conveyor and stirred and dispersed with a coagulant, and the so-called "continuous type" in which a fixed amount of soymilk is stirred and dispersed in the mold box. Although the "batch type" can be mentioned, the production method of the present invention employs a "continuous type" suitable for mass production of tofu.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tofu production apparatus of the present invention includes a soymilk tank 1 for storing soymilk, a supply line 5 for supplying soymilk from the soymilk tank 1 to the stirrer 3, and an intermediate of the supply line 5. A supply pump 8 provided in the above, a coagulant tank 2 for storing emulsified bittern, a supply line 6 for supplying the coagulant from the coagulant tank 2 to the supply line 5, and the supply line 6. A supply pump 9 is provided in the middle of the above, and a supply line 7 for supplying soymilk discharged from the stirrer 3 to the molding belt 4 is provided. In this embodiment, the soymilk in which the coagulant is agitated and dispersed by the stirrer 3 is discharged to the molding belt 4, but this may be discharged to the molding mold box.

In this embodiment, the emulsifying bittern supply line 6 is connected to the supply line 5 in front of the stirrer 3 and the emulsifying bittern is directly added. However, this is lightly pre-dispersed by feather stirring or the like in advance, and then the supply line 5 It may be added to the soymilk inside. Further, when the stirrer 3 is driven, a water flow is generated, so that the soymilk automatically flows in the supply line 5, but it is preferable to adjust the flow rate of the emulsified bittern and the soymilk by using the supply pumps 8 and 9.

The stirrer 3 of the present invention is different from the stirrer that stirs with a stirrer blade, when a mixture of soymilk and emulsified bittern passes through a flow path formed in a stirrer and is discharged from a discharge port. It is continuously mixed and dispersed by centrifugal force. As described above, since the stirrer 3 of the present invention utilizes the centrifugal force, the shearing force is weaker than that of the rotor stator or the like that performs mechanical shearing, but in-line low shearing with mixed dispersion force becomes possible, and cavitation can be performed. There is a feature that does not wake up.

The stirrer 3 of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. The stirrer 3 is provided with a stirrer 31, a shaft 32 for attaching the stirrer 31, a tubular casing 33 for accommodating the stirrer 31, and an upper portion of the casing 33, and gives rotation to the stirrer 31 via the shaft 32. It includes a drive unit 34. Further, in the upper part of the casing 33, above the position where the stirring body 31 is provided, the attachment port 332 of the supply line 7 is provided, and below the casing 33, the attachment port 331 of the supply line 5 is provided. Are provided respectively.

The shaft 32 is provided so that its rotation shaft substantially coincides with the axis of the casing 33, its upper end side is connected to the drive unit 34, and its lower end side is rotatably supported by the bearing member 35. ing. The bearing member 35 is provided with a hole 351 for inserting the shaft 32 in the center thereof, and an opening 352 for circulating soymilk is provided around the hole 351. ..

Further, a stirring body 31 is attached at an arbitrary position in the middle of the shaft 32. The stirring body 31 includes a suction port 314 provided on the bottom surface 312 and a discharge port 313 provided on the top surface 311 thereof, and a flow path 315 connecting the suction port 314 and the discharge port 313. The stirring body 31 is attached to the shaft 32 so that the bottom surface 312 is on the upstream side of the soymilk flow, that is, the attachment port 331 side, and the top surface 311 is on the downstream side, that is, the attachment port 332 side.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the stirring body 31 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, only two suction ports 314, two discharge ports 313, and two flow paths 315 are shown for ease of understanding, but it goes without saying that the number of these is not limited to two. .. As shown in the figure, the stirring body 31 is preferably formed so that the cross section orthogonal to the rotation axis L1 has a circular shape, and the overall shape thereof is not particularly limited, but is predetermined from the viewpoint of ease of processing. It is preferable to have a columnar shape or a disk shape having a thickness of. A hole 316 for inserting the shaft 32 is bored in the central portion of the stirring body 31, and the shaft 32 inserted in the hole 316 may be fixed to the stirring body 31 by welding or the like. It may be fixed by processing a clasp or the like.

As shown in the figure, the suction port 314 is formed closer to the rotation axis L1 of the stirring body 31 than the discharge port 313, whereby the flow path 315 connecting them reaches from the suction port 314 to the discharge port 313. Therefore, it is inclined so as to be separated from the rotation shaft L1. Due to the relative positional relationship between the suction port 314 and the discharge port 313, when the stirring body 31 rotates, a difference in centrifugal force occurs between the suction port 314 and the discharge port 313, and soymilk is discharged from the suction port 314. At the same time as being sucked, it is discharged from the discharge port 313. The shape and number of the suction port 314 and the discharge port 313 are not particularly limited, and the flow path 315 is not limited to a linear shape but may be formed into a curved shape.

The angle formed between the straight line L2 connecting the center of the discharge port 313 to the center of the suction port 314 and the rotation axis L1 of the stirring body 31 is not particularly limited as long as a difference in centrifugal force due to rotation occurs. However, since it is related to the thickness of the stirring 31 and the opening diameters of the discharge port 313 and the suction port 314, it is preferably 10 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less, and more preferably 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. If it is less than 10 degrees, the centrifugal force becomes weak, and if it exceeds 60 degrees, it is necessary to thin the stirring body 31 itself to form the suction port 314 and the discharge port 313, which makes processing difficult. Further, the material of the stirring body 31 is not particularly limited, but stainless steel is preferable from the viewpoint of operating conditions.

Further, the stirring body 31 of the present invention may be provided only once with respect to the shaft 32, but may be provided as a plurality of agitators 31 in multiple stages. In that case, it is preferable to provide an appropriate interval between the agitators 31 adjacent to each other on the upper and lower sides. By providing the stirring body 31 in multiple stages in this way, a further stirring and dispersing effect can be obtained.

The stirring body 31 rotates by the rotational force transmitted via the shaft 32 by the drive unit 34, and the rotational speed includes the processing speed, the opening diameters of the discharge port 313 and the suction port 314, the inner diameter of the flow path 315, and the angle. It is preferable to change the number depending on the number of discharge ports 313, suction ports 314 and flow paths 315, and the number of stirring bodies 31, and the range of 1,000 rpm to 2,000 rpm is particularly preferable. This is slower than the in-line high speed high shear stirrer from 3,500 rpm to 6,000 rpm.

Further, the shaft 32 may be formed in a hollow shape, and an air discharge hole (not shown) may be provided in the vicinity of the suction port 314 of the stirring body 31. Air is sent through the hollow portion of the shaft 32 to send air through the air discharge hole. Air can also be mixed when the soymilk is agitated. This makes it possible to manufacture fried tofu and the like.

The function of the stirrer 3 of the present invention is as follows. First, the soymilk to which the coagulant is added is sent into the casing 33 from the attachment port 331. The soymilk taken into the inside is sent toward the stirring body 31 through the opening 352 of the bearing member 35. Since the stirring body 31 is rotated by the driving unit 34, the soymilk that has reached the stirring body 31 is sucked from the suction port 314 by the centrifugal force brought about by the rotation of the stirring body 31, passes through the flow path 315, and is discharged. It is discharged from 313. At that time, the soymilk and the coagulant are sufficiently stirred and dispersed, and finally discharged from the attachment port 332 to the supply line 7.

Further, in the stirring device of the present invention, when producing tofu or immediately before that, the required amount of bittern for emulsification is appropriately produced, stored directly in the tofu production line or once in a dedicated tank, and then pumped as needed. May be supplied. When the emulsified bittern is stored in a dedicated tank, it is preferably kept at room temperature within 1 day, although it depends on the emulsified state. Hereinafter, the configuration of the emulsifying bittern production line will be described with reference to FIG.

The emulsifying shaving manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes an aqueous phase tank 101 for containing an aqueous phase, an oil phase tank 102 for containing an oil phase, an emulsifying machine 103, an aqueous phase supply line 104, an oil phase circulation line 105, and an emulsifying shaving. It includes a discharge line 106, an aqueous phase supply pump 107, an oil phase circulation pump 108, an emulsifying shaving tank 109, and a circulation / discharge switching valve 110. The oil phase circulates from the oil phase tank 102 through the emulsifier 103 through the oil phase circulation line 105, and the water phase is supplied from the water phase tank 101 in the 105 line. Then, it is emulsified into a water-in-oil type by an emulsifier 103 (for example, a pipeline homomixer (manufactured by Plymix)), returns to the oil phase tank 102 through the circulation line 105, and goes to the next circulation. The inside of the oil phase circulation line 105 of the second circulation is the water-in-oil type and the outer phase is the oil phase, and the mixing with the water phase in the line works for the water-in-oil type, so the supply amount of the water phase can be maximized. It can be planned. After the water phase supply is completed, the liquid passage / oil phase circulation of the emulsifier is continued until the desired aqueous phase particle size is reached, and after the desired aqueous phase particle size is reached, the circulation / discharge switching valve 110 is moved to the discharge side. It can be switched and supplied directly to the soymilk line, or it is placed in an emulsified tank 109, stored once, and then quantitatively supplied to the soymilk line.

In this way, since the emulsified bittern produced by the emulsified bittern production line provided separately from the tofu production line can be directly supplied to the tofu production line, an emulsifier for stabilizing the water-in-oil type is not always required, and the tofu flavor is achieved. Can be maintained and improved. In addition, since the aqueous phase is supplied to the oil phase circulation line through which the emulsifier passes, the aqueous phase (inorganic salt) / oil phase ratio can be maximized, and the aqueous phase particles are further increased according to the number of oil phase circulation passes. Since the diameter can be controlled and the oily film can be optimized, the dispersibility of emulsification and the control of the release of inorganic salts due to the destruction of the oily film bring about homogeneity and densification in the formation of soybean protein coagulation structure. In particular, an effective emulsifying bittern can be supplied to a disperser having a low shearing force.

The emulsifying bittern used in the method for producing tofu by the agitator of the present invention and the continuous production apparatus for tofu provided with the agitator is not particularly limited. Generally used emulsifying sardines use vegetable edible oils and fats as the oil phase and an aqueous solution of an inorganic salt such as magnesium chloride as the aqueous phase. It is a water-in-oil emulsification that uses a lot of condensed ricinoleic acid ester. The purpose of using this emulsifier is to keep an aqueous phase with a high salt concentration in oil in a uniformly dispersed state for a long period of time. Therefore, emulsifying bittern that does not need to be produced and stored for a long period of time does not necessarily require an emulsifier.

The emulsified bittern used in the method for producing tofu by the agitator of the present invention and the continuous production apparatus for tofu provided with the agitator is a low shearing force which is one of the requirements of the method for producing tofu of the present invention. , A form that can contribute to the dispersibility in soymilk by a stirrer having high dispersion performance is preferable. Further, it is more preferable that the aqueous phase (inorganic salt) / oil phase ratio can be maximized and the aqueous phase particle size can be controlled according to the number of oil phase circulation passes by the method for producing emulsified bittern described above. As a result of various studies from such a background, the method for producing tofu of the present invention is useful by using an emulsifying bittern having a vegetable liquid oil in which oil-soluble microcrystals having a high melting point are dispersed and suspended as an oil phase. ..

Example of emulsifying sardine production by the emulsifying sardine manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention 60 kg of an aqueous magnesium chloride solution prepared by dissolving 42 kg of magnesium chloride (product name: Crystalline (manufactured by Ako Kasei Co., Ltd.)) in 18 kg of water is placed in an aqueous phase tank 101. 80 kg of suspended fat and oil in which 1 and 2 kg of fine powder crystals (manufactured by Yokoseki Yushi Kogyo Co., Ltd.) are dispersed in 38.8 kg of salad oil (manufactured by Nisshin Oillio) and rice wax (product name: Rice wax S-100 (manufactured by Yokoseki Yushi Kogyo Co., Ltd.)) A pipeline mixer (manufactured by Primex) is used as the emulsifier 103. The mixer starts stirring at 2000 rpm, and at the same time, the oil phase circulation of the oil phase circulation pump (P9) is 30 L / min. As soon as the oil phase circulation becomes steady, the water phase supply to the oil phase circulation line 105 is started at the water phase supply speed of 8 L / min of the water phase supply pump (P108). Water is started in about 4 minutes. The phase supply is terminated, and then the oil phase circulation is continued for 24 minutes. This corresponds to the number of passing passes of the pipeline mixer 8. At the same time as the circulation is terminated, the circulation / discharge switching valve 110 is switched to discharge, and the purpose is 100 kg of emulsified sardine (aqueous phase particle size: 22 μm) was obtained.

Hereinafter, an aspect of producing tofu from soymilk by using a stirrer 3 to which the stirrer 31 according to the present invention is attached and using a slow-acting emulsifying bittern will be described according to the tofu manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG.

First, soymilk heated to 70 to 85 ° C. is placed in the soymilk tank 1, and the slow-acting emulsified bittern is placed in the coagulant tank 2. Then, the soymilk is supplied from the soymilk tank 1 to the stirrer 3 via the supply line 5, and the coagulant is added to the soymilk flowing in the supply line 5 from the coagulant tank 2 via the supply line 6. The amount of emulsified bittern having a delayed effect may be appropriately set according to the concentration of soymilk and the type of tofu to be produced. The emulsified bittern added in the supply line 5 is sent into the stirrer 3 together with the soymilk, and when it passes through the stirrer 3, it is stirred and dispersed in the soymilk by the stirrer 31. After that, it is continuously discharged onto the molding belt 4 via the supply line 7 or into the mold box arranged on the molding line. After that, it is aged for about 20 minutes to complete the coagulation of soymilk, and tofu is molded and produced.

The tofu thus obtained has a much glossier, more elastic and textured texture than the tofu produced by dispersing emulsified bittern containing a conventional emulsifier into soymilk with a conventional high shearing force stirrer. It has excellent smoothness, and the taste and aroma of soybeans are strongly felt.

Example of tofu production by the tofu production apparatus according to the present invention A stirrer 31 having an outer diameter of 42 mm, a thickness of 15 mm, and an opening diameter of 8 mm (manufactured by SUS) was attached to the stirrer 3. Soymilk (solid content concentration: Brix12) squeezed from domestic soybean (Fukuyutaka) is put into soymilk tank 1 and the temperature is adjusted to 80 ° C. The emulsified bittern prepared in the above-mentioned production example of emulsified bittern is put into the coagulant tank 2. The supply rate for supplying soymilk to the supply line 5 is set to 30 kg / min (P8), and the supply rate for supplying emulsified bittern to the supply line 6 is set to 250 g / min (P9). This setting is the addition of 0.36% by weight of an inorganic salt (magnesium chloride hexahydrate equivalent) to soymilk. The rotation speed of the stirrer 31 attached to the stirrer 3 is set to 1800 rpm. The supply of soymilk and emulsified bittern is started at the same time, and the soymilk in which the emulsified bittern is dispersed passes through the stirrer 3 and is continuously discharged onto the molding belt 4 through the supply line 7. A mold box was placed on the belt line to check the quality and sampling was performed. Coagulation of soymilk was started 30 seconds after sampling, and sufficient dispersibility and delayed effect were confirmed. The tofu that had been aged for 20 minutes and completely solidified was taken out of the mold box. A tofu with a fine coagulation structure, gloss, and excellent elasticity was obtained. In the taste evaluation, a smooth texture and a faint sweetness and aroma peculiar to Fukuyutaka were felt. In addition, the production under the above-mentioned production conditions can correspond to the continuous production of the industrial production scale at 1800 kg / hr (4500 pieces (400 g per piece) per hour) as the production amount of tofu.

The inventions described in the claims at the time of filing the original application of the present application are added below.
[Appendix 1]
The stirrer includes a step of adding bittern to the soybean milk and a step of stirring and dispersing the soymilk and the emulsified bittern by a stirrer provided in a supply line through which the emulsified bittern is distributed, and the stirrer can be rotated by a drive unit. It is provided with a suction port provided on the bottom surface of the stirring body and a discharge port provided on the top surface thereof, and a flow path connecting the suction port and the discharge port, and the suction port is more than the discharge port. A method for continuously producing tofu, which is characterized by being formed near the axis of rotation of the stirrer.
[Appendix 2]
The soymilk is formed by the stirrer formed so that the angle formed between the straight line connecting the center of the discharge port and the center of the suction port and the rotation axis of the stirrer is 10 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. The method for continuously producing tofu according to Appendix 1, wherein the emulsified bittern is stirred and dispersed.
[Appendix 3]
The method for continuously producing tofu according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the soymilk and the emulsified bittern are agitated and dispersed by a plurality of the stirrers provided in multiple stages with respect to the shaft connected to the drive unit. ..
[Appendix 4]
The shaft connected to the drive unit is formed in a hollow shape, and an air discharge hole is provided in the vicinity of the suction port of the stirrer in the shaft, air is sent through the hollow portion of the shaft, and the air is sent from the air discharge hole. The method for continuously producing tofu according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to 3, wherein air is mixed when the soymilk is agitated by discharging the soymilk.
[Appendix 5]
An emulsifying sardine production line provided separately from the tofu production line gradually adds an aqueous phase to the oil phase circulating in the line through which the emulsifier passes to emulsify, and further circulates until the desired average particle size of the aqueous phase is reached. The method for continuously producing tofu according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to 4, wherein the emulsified tofu produced by emulsifying into a water-in-oil mold is supplied to a tofu production line.
[Appendix 6]
A stirrer provided in a supply line through which soymilk flows, and a flow connecting the suction port provided on the bottom surface of the stirrer and the discharge port provided on the top surface thereof, and the suction port and the discharge port. A stirrer including a path, wherein the suction port is formed closer to the rotation axis of the stirrer than the discharge port.
[Appendix 7]
Appendix 6 characterized in that the angle formed between the straight line connecting the center of the discharge port to the center of the suction port and the rotation axis of the stirring body is 10 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. The stirrer according to.
[Appendix 8]
A continuous production apparatus for tofu provided with a stirrer according to Appendix 6 or 7 in a supply line through which soymilk is distributed.
[Appendix 9]
The continuous production apparatus for tofu according to Appendix 8, further comprising a plurality of the agitators provided so as to have a plurality of stages with respect to a shaft connected to a drive unit.
[Appendix 10]
The continuation of tofu according to Appendix 8 or 9, wherein the shaft connected to the drive unit is formed in a hollow shape, and an air discharge hole is provided in the vicinity of the suction port of the stirrer in the shaft. manufacturing device.
[Appendix 11]
Separately from the tofu production line, an aqueous phase is gradually added to the oil phase that circulates in the line through which the emulsifier is passed to emulsify, and further circulation is performed until the desired average particle size of the aqueous phase is reached. The continuous production apparatus for tofus according to any one of Supplementary note 8 to 10, further comprising a line for producing an emulsified sardine emulsified in.

The stirrer of the present invention and the continuous production apparatus for tofu provided with the stirrer are used for producing tofu dough such as fried tofu, ganmodoki, and fried tofu in addition to tofu such as silk tofu, cotton tofu, and filled tofu. It can be used and can be continuously processed and manufactured in large quantities by frying it in oil. For example, if tofu is continuously coagulated with an automatic coagulation molding machine and then fried in oil, fried tofu with good flavor and structure can be efficiently mass-produced.

1 ……… Soymilk tank 2 ……… Coagulant tank 3 ……… Stirrer 4 ……… Molded belt 5 ……… Supply line 6 ……… Supply line 7 ……… Supply line 8 ……… Supply pump 9 ……… Supply pump 31 ……… Stirrer 32 ……… Shaft
33 ……… Casing 34 ……… Drive unit 35 ……… Bearing member 36 ……… Pedestal 101 ……… Aqueous phase tank 102 ……… Oil phase tank 103 ……… Emulsifier 104 ……… Aqueous phase supply line 105 ……… Oil phase circulation line 106 ……… Emulsifying shaving supply line 107 ………… Aqueous phase supply pump 108 ………… Oil phase circulation pump 109 ………… Emulsifying shaving tank 110 ……… Circulation / discharge switching valve 311 ……… Top surface
312 ……… Bottom 313 ……… Discharge port 314 ……… Suction port 315 ……… Flow path 316 ……… Hole 351 ……… Hole 352 ……… Opening L1 ……… Rotating shaft L2 ……… From the center of the discharge port to the suction port Straight line connecting the centers

Claims (6)

It is a stirrer provided in a supply line through which soymilk flows, and the stirrer is formed in a columnar or disk shape having a predetermined thickness, and a shaft is inserted into a hole formed in the center thereof. A suction port provided on the bottom surface of the stirring body and a discharge port provided on the top surface thereof, which is attached to the shaft, and a flow path for linearly connecting the suction port and the discharge port are provided, and the suction port is provided. The port is formed closer to the rotation axis of the stirring body than the discharge port, and the flow path is inclined so as to be separated from the rotation axis from the suction port to the discharge port. Stirrer. The claim is characterized in that the angle formed between the straight line connecting the center of the discharge port and the center of the suction port and the rotation axis of the stirring body is 10 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. The agitator according to 1. A continuous production apparatus for tofu provided with the stirrer according to claim 1 or 2 in a supply line through which soymilk is distributed. The continuous production apparatus for tofu according to claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of the agitators provided so as to have a plurality of stages with respect to a shaft connected to a drive unit. The tofu according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the shaft connected to the drive unit is formed in a hollow shape, and the shaft is provided with an air discharge hole in the vicinity of the suction port of the stirrer. Continuous manufacturing equipment. Separately from the tofu production line, an aqueous phase is gradually added to the oil phase that circulates in the line through which the emulsifier is passed to emulsify, and further circulation is performed until the desired average particle size of the aqueous phase is reached. The continuous production apparatus for tofus according to any one of claims 3 to 5 , further comprising a line for producing an emulsified sardine emulsified in.

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