摘要:
Provided is a method for producing a frozen soft vegetable food material which is suitable as a food for the aged, whose original shape is not damaged even in the circulation process, which has uniform softness even in the interior thereof and which can maintain its original shape.The method comprises steps of: (1) a step for freezing a vegetable food ingredient and then thawing the food ingredient to thus form a thawed food ingredient; (2) a step for immersing the thawed food ingredient in a dispersion containing a pectin-decomposition enzyme or a cellulose-decomposition enzyme under reduced pressure to form an enzyme-processed vegetable food ingredient; (3) a step for removing the enzyme-processed vegetable food ingredient from the enzyme-containing dispersion; (4) a step for subjecting the enzyme-processed vegetable food ingredient separated in the preceding step to a low temperature processing carried out at a temperature ranging from 0 to 10° C. for 8 to 24 hours to thus prepare a low temperature-processed vegetable food ingredient; (5) a step for heating the low temperature-processed vegetable food ingredient at a temperature and for a time sufficient to inactivate the foregoing pectin-decomposition enzyme or the cellulose-decomposition enzyme; and (6) a step for freezing the heat-treated vegetable food ingredient. Moreover, the thawing treatment in the foregoing step (1) may be carried out simultaneously with the enzyme-impregnation treatment carried out under reduced pressure in the subsequent step.