flash freezing demonstration mugwort ohagi

Following on from the previous ``Dango'' experiment, this time we will be experimenting with the same Japanese sweet, `` Ohagi,'' from freezing to thawing.

>>Click here for the article about flash freezing demonstration of “Dango”

We asked our customers to bring their ohagi to us and compared the freezing time and quality of the Artlock freezer depending on the surrounding environment of the food during freezing.

The ohagi we will be experimenting with this time has rice on the outside, red bean paste wrapped inside, and mugwort powder sprinkled around it.

Ingredient selection: Ohagi

Freezer: Artlock Freezer

Artlock freezer settings: Setting A, Setting B

Surrounding environment of food during freezing: Environment A, Environment B

Storage conditions: 1 and a half months / -20℃ with DF

Defrosting method: Microwave 500W, 1 minute 30 seconds

frozen

The handmade mugwort ohagi we frozen this time each have a different shape.

For freezing, we will use the Art Lock Freezer again this time!

There is no need to vacuum beforehand, and the Ohagi can be placed in the Artlock freezer immediately after production, making operation easier.

Also, since it can be packaged and vacuumed after being frozen, there is no need to worry about it collapsing even if you apply a strong vacuum.

Freezing time

	Surrounding environment A	Surrounding environment B
Setting A	18 minutes	28 minutes
Setting B	half an hour	36 minutes

The results showed that the pattern that froze with setting A and ambient environment A was the fastest to freeze, and the pattern with setting B and ambient environment B had a difference of about 18 minutes.

This freezing time is just a guideline, but I realized once again that the freezing time can vary depending on the settings and surrounding environment.

Thawing

The defrosting method is microwave 500W for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

I was able to thaw it evenly by turning it over once every 45 seconds.

You can see that even after freezing and thawing, it retains the same moisture content as before freezing.

The way Ohagi is made, the mix of rice, steaming, and crushing differs depending on the store and region, so if you would like to know more about how to freeze high-quality rice, such as detailed machine settings and throughput, please contact us.

sensory evaluation

After thawing, the appearance was almost the same as before freezing.

The sensory evaluation was based on surface texture, dryness, and texture.

This table summarizes the results.

setting	surrounding environment	Dryness	Hardness	texture
A	A	somewhat dry	Slightly hard	Feels rough or grainy
A	B	Doesn't feel particularly dry	Slightly soft	smooth
B	A	Doesn't feel particularly dry	Slightly hard	smooth
B	B	Doesn't feel particularly dry	Slightly soft	smooth

Setting A and ambient environment A felt the most rough and grainy, and considering the difference in ambient environment, B felt slightly softer than A.

Conclusion

<Differences in Art Lock Freezer settings>

〇Setting A: Can be frozen quickly, but the moisture tends to evaporate and the texture tends to be dry and rough.

〇Setting B: Because it freezes slowly, it has a smooth texture and does not feel dry.

<Differences in the surrounding environment of food during freezing>

〇Ambient environment A: tends to be somewhat hard

〇Ambient environment B: tends to be slightly soft

In this verification, we were able to verify the difference between the settings of the Artlock freezer and the surrounding environment of the food during freezing.

When comparing four different conditions: two settings and two surrounding environments, the results were that those frozen in setting B and environment B were the most moist and soft.

However, when we tried it alone, under all conditions, it was so delicious that you couldn't even tell it was frozen, so don't worry about that! !

At Daybreak, we conduct this kind of research every day.

We believe that our customers have various objectives, such as ``I want to freeze high-quality foods'' or ``I want to freeze them in a systematic way.''

In addition to installing a refrigerator, we would like to work with our customers to find the best way to use it.

Please feel free to contact Daybreak.