PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a freezing method of cooked rice, capable of retaining deliciousness, i.e., all of flavor, chewability and taste, substantially equal to those of cooked rice just after cooking.SOLUTION: A freezing method of cooked rice includes: a rice cooking step of cooking rice 2 from polished rice and water a subdividing step of separating the cooked rice 2 by every prescribed amount and putting into a plurality of containers 1 with prescribed stiffness followed by sealing 3 a freezing step of freezing the cooked rice 2 in the container by cool air at -30°C or less and a packing step of taking out the frozen cooked rice from the container 1 and packing in a resin sheet bag 4. The freezing step of the cooked rice 2 obtained in the rice cooking step is started via the subdividing step of selecting the size of the container 1 and the amount of the cooked rice 2 so that the temperature of the center part of the cooked rice 2 becomes 0°C or less within 7 minutes after heating completion in the cooking step and within 5 minutes after freezing step start, and in the packing step, the resin sheet bag 4 where the frozen cooked rice 2 is put is sucked so as to have substantially no air in the inside, and sealed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2COPYRIGHT: (C)2017,JPO&INPIT【課題】炊きたて直後の米飯と実質的に同等のおいしさ、すなわち香り、歯ごたえ、味を全て維持することができる米飯の冷凍保存方法の提供。【解決手段】精白米と水とから米飯2を炊く炊飯工程と、米飯2を所定量ずつ取り分けて複数個の所定の剛性を備えた容器1に入れて密封3する小分け工程と、容器入りの米飯2を-30℃以下の冷気で冷凍する冷凍工程と、冷凍された米飯を容器1から取り出して樹脂シート製袋4によりパッキングするパッキング工程とからなり、炊飯工程により得られた米飯2は、炊飯工程の加熱完了後7分以内に冷凍工程開始後5分以内に米飯2’の中心部の温度が0℃以下となる様容器1の大きさと米飯2の量とを選定しての小分け工程を経て、冷凍工程を開始するようにし、パッキング工程は冷凍された米飯2’が入れられた樹脂シート製袋4を内部の空気が実質的になくなるように吸引後シールする、米飯の冷凍方法。【選択図】図2
