Currently, the production method used for packed tofu (soybean curd) needs a lot of energy for heating and cooling. Therefore, the production method of tofu using high-pressure to reduce thermal energy was examined. The textural and structural qualities of high-pressure-induced tofu (HP-tofu) were compared to heat-induced tofu (H-tofu) and Market tofu (M-tofu). The mixture, including soymilk (300 g) and a coagulant (4 g or 6 g) was vacuum packed, then pressurized at 400, 500 and 600 MPa and at 25°C or 50°C for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 min (HP-tofu) or heated for 30, 40 and 60 min at 88°C (H-tofu). As both pressure and temperature increased, the firmness of HP-tofu became harder. The HP-tofu, using the same amount of coagulant (4 g) as M-tofu, was softer than M-tofu, but HP-tofu with 6 g of coagulant became harder, so it was evaluated as too hard and lacked smoothness. Also, H-tofu became spongy and the appearance became worse as heating time increased. Thus, HP-tofu with 4g of coagulant pressurized at 50°C for 60 min at 500 MPa or for 30 min at 600 MPa was preferred by a sensory test. This HP-tofu was softer and the taste was better because there were smaller air bubbles.
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