PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a canned food including noodles only, in which no seasoning liquid such as soup or broth is encapsulated together.SOLUTION: Boiled noodles are washed with water, dewatered to have a water content of 90 to 105%, and packed in a can. Can seaming is performed under a vacuum of -92 kpa or more. Commercially sterile conditions are achieved by heat sterilization corresponding to the degree of vacuum during can seaming. After cooling, the canned noodles are stored at normal temperature for 3 days or more. The can seaming and the heat sterilization are applied to the noodles having a relatively low water content due to a substantially shortened boiling time compared to the necessary boiling time for eating, preventing the noodles from sticking to each other to form into a rice cake form or dumpling form. The internal part of the can is filled with water vapor generated during heat sterilization under high vacuum, so that the moisture moves gradually from a site with high water content to a site with low water content in the noodles due to diffusion. Consequently, although a part of noodles in contact with the inner surface of the can is hard and dry immediately after heat sterilization, the whole has a uniform, good texture after storage at normal temperature for 3 months or more.COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】スープやつゆなどの調味液を一緒に封入しない麺のみの缶詰を製造する。【解決手段】麺を茹でた後に水洗いおよび水切りして麺に対して90~105%の含水率を有する状態として缶に充填し、-92kpa以上の真空度で巻締を行い、巻締時の真空度に応じた条件で加熱殺菌を行って商業的無菌状態とし、冷却後、常温で3日間以上保存する。食べ頃となる茹で時間より大幅に短い茹で時間として含水率を比較的低い状態で巻締および加熱殺菌を行うことにより、麺同士がくっつき合って餅状ないし団子状になることを防止する。高真空度での加熱殺菌により生じた水蒸気が缶の内部に充満し、拡散作用で麺の水分量の多いところから少ないところへと徐々に水分移動が行なわれるので、加熱殺菌直後は缶の内面に触れる部分が乾燥して硬くなっていても、3ヶ月以上の常温保存により全体が均一に食感の良いものとなる。【選択図】なし
