PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low-cost freezing method for attaining freshness retention close to live fish because squids rapidly develop a red color in the outer layer of the skin after death, then become cloudy with the lapse of time and develop again the red color with the further lapse of time, but are not suitable for eating after the second red color development, and to provide frozen squids obtained by the method.SOLUTION: The squids are rapidly frozen at an eutectic point of salt water of -21.1°C or lower in a state of being immersed in sterilized salt water 3 with approximately the salinity of seawater. The width of a maximum ice crystal generation zone is thereby narrowed to suppress the growth of crystal of body water. The squids are confined in ice to prevent the squids from coming in direct contact with outside air. Freezer burn and drying marks during cryopreservation can thereby be prevented to maintain the texture and taste equivalent to live fish after thawed. An inexpensive freezer mass-produced for the preservation of frozen tuna or the like at about -50°C, is used as a freezer.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】イカ類は死後急速に表皮が赤色発色し、その後時間の経過とともに白濁し、さらに時間が経過すると再び赤色発色するが、2度目の赤色発色以降は生食に適さなくなる。そこで、活魚に近い鮮度維持を達成するための、安価な凍結方法およびそれにより得られる冷凍イカを提供する。【解決手段】イカ類2を滅菌処理した概略海水の塩分濃度の塩水3に浸漬した状態で、塩水の共晶点-21.1℃の以下で急速凍結させることで最大氷結晶生成帯の幅を狭くし、体内の水分の結晶が成長するのを抑制する。また、イカを氷中に閉じ込めることで外気とイカが直接触れ合うことがないために、冷凍保存中の冷凍焼けや乾燥後が防止ができて、解凍後も活魚と変わらない食感と食味を維持できる。冷凍機は、冷凍マグロの保存などのために量産されている-50℃前後の安価なフリーザーが使用できる。【選択図】図1
