Reduced Cooking Time Research Articles

English

This study uses a choice experiment method to quantify farmers’ valuation of key bean variety attributes under different climatic conditions of Kenya and assess their willingness to pay or accept for changes in those attributes. The study also tests for the gender related heterogeneity in attribute preferences at individual and household level while accounting for differences in production scenarios to understand when and where men and women preferences begin to diverge or converge. The key common bean attributes were: yield, tolerance to environmental stresses (intermittent drought and root rot), early maturing, taste and reduced cooking time. Choice data was collected from random selected 504 households from purposively selected districts of high drought prone areas and high rainfall parts of Kenya. A random parameter logit model with interactions that accounts for random heterogeneity and conditional heterogeneity was used to derive unbiased estimates. Results indicate that all attributes are important but farmer derive higher utility from changes in consumption and post-harvest attributes compared to those in production attributes. Farmer valuation of the changes in yield, tolerance to environmental stresses and cooking time are heterogeneous, partly explained by size of the household, gender, risk aversion and market access. Men generally are likely to derive higher values from improvements in these attributes than women. Results have important implications for breeding priority setting, seed dissemination and integration of gender into bean improvement research. Key word: Choice experiment, bean attributes, gender, Kenya.

Piloting Improved Cookstoves in India

Despite the potential of improved cookstoves to reduce the adverse environmental and health impacts of solid fuel use, their adoption and use remains low. Social marketing—with its focus on the marketing mix of promotion, product, price, and place—offers a useful way to understand household behaviors and design campaigns to change biomass fuel use. We report on a series of pilots across 3 Indian states that use different combinations of the marketing mix. We find sales varying from 0% to 60%. Behavior change promotion that combined door-to-door personalized demonstrations with information pamphlets was effective. When given a choice amongst products, households strongly preferred an electric stove over improved biomass-burning options. Among different stove attributes, reduced cooking time was considered most valuable by those adopting a new stove. Households clearly identified price as a significant barrier to adoption, while provision of discounts (e.g., rebates given if households used the stove) or payments in installments were related to higher purchase. Place-based factors such as remoteness and nongovernmental organization operations significantly affected the ability to supply and convince households to buy and use improved cookstoves. Collectively, these pilots point to the importance of continued and extensive testing of messages, pricing models, and different stove types before scale-up. Thus, we caution that a one-size-fits-all approach will not boost improved cookstove adoption.

Effects of combined traditional processing methods on the nutritional quality of beans.

Consumption of dry beans is limited by long cooking times thus high fuel requirement. The bioavailability of nutrients in beans is also limited due to presence of antinutrients such as phytates and tannins. Little research has been done on combined processing methods for production of nutritious fast cooking bean flour and the effect of combined treatments on nutritional quality of beans has not previously determined. The aim of this study was to reduce cooking time and enhance the nutritional value of dry beans. Specifically to: develop protocols for production of fast cooking bean flours and assess the effect of processing on the nutritional characteristics of the flours. Dry beans (K131 variety) were soaked for 12 h; sprouted for 48 h; dehulled and steamed for 25 and 15 min for whole and dehulled beans respectively or roasted at 170°C for 45 and 15 min for whole and dehulled beans respectively. Dehulling eliminated phytates and tannins and increased protein digestibility. In vitro protein digestibility and mineral (iron and zinc) extractability were negatively correlated with tannin and phytate content. Total available carbohydrates were highest in moist heat-treated bean flours. Overall, combined processing of beans improved the nutritional quality of dry beans and the resulting precooked flours need less cooking time compared to whole dry beans.

Process optimization for the manufacture of Kheer Mohan employing Response Surface Methodology

Kheer Mohan is a famous, Chhana (soft cottage cheese) based Indian sweetmeat. Traditional method of its manufacturing, adopted by unorganized sector is cumbersome, highly time-consuming, energy and labour intensive. Present investigation was undertaken to optimize its production process employing Response surface methodology for its standardized large scale production in organized sector. Effect of four independent variables viz., sugar syrup concentration (°Brix), semolina (% by weight of Chhana ), cooking time (min) and weight of Chhana balls (g) on sensorial attributes, color (L*, a*, b*) and hardness (N) values of Kheer Mohan was studied. Process optimization resulted in about 61% reduction in cooking time, 60% reduction in weight of product ball and 5% reduction in sucrose content of optimized product compared to most preferred market sample. It had 66.18% total solid content, 6.22% fat, 49.32% sucrose, 1.28% lactose, 8.34% protein and 1.02% ash.

Infrared Assisted Microwave Cooking of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

In this study, infrared–microwave combination heating was used to cook Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) samples, and the optimum cooking conditions in infrared-microwave combination oven were determined. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to identify optimum values of cooking time (4, 5, 6 minutes), halogen lamp power level (80%, 90%, 100%), and microwave power level (20%, 30%, 40%) regarding of four responses – internal temperature, cooking yield, L* and b* values. A three-factors modified Box–Behnken design was carried out to estimate the model coefficients. The derived secondorder polynomial models sufficiently represented the experimental data. Optimum conditions were predicted as 5 minutes of cooking time, 100% halogen lamp power level, and 30% microwave power level by using the target values obtained in conventional cooking (at 200°C for 15 minutes). This study showed that infrared assisted microwave cooking is a promising alternative method for fish and other seafoods with reduced cooking time and color formation on the surface of salmon.

Processing parameter optimization for obtaining dry beans with reduced cooking time

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of processing beans by soaking and blanching in salt solutions on the quality parameters of the common bean and, in order to obtain a dry product with a reduced cooking time using experimental design techniques. A Plackett and Burman design was used to evaluate the effects of nine factors, soaking, blanching and drying under different conditions, in bean processing. A central composite rotational 23 design was used with the factors of soaking time, concentration of NaHCO3 and drying temperature. An increase in the concentration of NaHCO3 from 0 to 4 g.100−1 mL reduced the cooking time by 10 min. However, increasing the NaHCO3 concentration increased the level of damage to the product and darkened the bean seed coat, producing greater color differences in the processed bean. The selected conditions for the production of dry quick cooking beans was a time of 13.1 h, a concentration of NaHCO3 in the soaking solution of 2.3 g.100 mL−1 and a drying temperature of 50 °C. Under the select conditions, it was possible to reduce the cooking time by 53%, with of 5.36 g.100 g−1 of damaged grains and color difference of 8.39.

Design of a sustainable packaging in the food sector by applying LCA

The choice of a sustainable packaging alternative is a key issue for the improvement of the environmental performances of a product, both from a production perspective and end-of-life management. The present study is focused on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of two packaging alternatives of a poultry product, in particular a polystyrene-based tray and an aluminum bowl (70 wt% primary and 30 wt% secondary aluminum) were considered. The LCA was performed according to ISO 14040-44 and following a “from-cradle-to-grave” perspective. The following stages were considered: production, use phase (i.e., cooking), and end-of-life. Different end-of-life scenarios were hypothesized. Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Cumulative Energy Demand, and ILCD midpoint method were used in the impact assessment (LCIA). The aluminum bowl was carefully designed in order to allow its use during the cooking stage of the poultry product in the oven and to reduce the cooking time (40 min instead of 50 min needed when using a conventional bowl) at 200 °C: cooking time reduction allows electric energy savings equal to 0.21 kWh (1.38 kWh instead of 1.59 kWh). Electric energy savings become of primary importance to reduce overall emissions, in particular CO2 eq emissions, especially in those countries such as Italy and Germany where there is a predominance of fossil fuels in the electric energy country mix. Over the entire life cycle of the two alternatives considered (taking into account production, transport, cooking, and end-of-life), cooking stage has the most impact; so, the specific design of the packaging bowl/tray can allow significant lowering of the overall CO2 eq emissions. In addition, when designing an aluminum-based packaging, the content of the secondary material can be significantly increased in order to reach higher sustainability during the production stage.

IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY AND COOKING CHARACTERISTICS OF BROWN RICE USING ULTRASONIC TREATMENT

Ultrasonic technology has promising potentials in terms of improving the sensory characteristics, cooking and nutritional properties of brown rice. The rice samples (variety M202) were treated with an ultrasonic system with frequencies of 16 and 20 kHz for four exposure durations, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min at water temperature of 25 and 40°C. Optimum cooking time, water uptake ratio, length expansion ratio and volume expansion ratio and microstructure were evaluated for treated samples and compared with untreated samples. The microstructure of the treated brown rice surface was examined using Scanning Electron Micrograph. Results indicated that the natural morphology of rice bran layer was changed by dynamic mechanical deformation action of ultrasonic waves. This led to improve the cooking quality and reduce cooking time of brown rice. The optimum cooking time of treated brown rice ranged from 24 to 28 min and from 22 to 24 min at water temperature of 25 and 40oC, respectively. Meanwhile the optimum cooking time of white rice and untreated brown rice were 22 and 48 min, respectively. High correlations were found between the cooking time and cooked rice percentage under tested conditions. It has been concluded that ultrasonic treatment could be used to shorten the cooking time and improve cooking properties and quality of brown rice.

A cyclically pressurised soaking process for the hydration and aromatisation of cannellini beans

Hydrating beans before cooking reduces cooking time, increases their tenderness and weight and improves their appearance after cooking. In this paper, we describe a process of cyclically pressurised soaking for the rapid hydration of cannellini beans at room temperature. This hydration process is approximately ten-fold faster than the traditional soaking procedure, and the microbial load developed by the end of this process is much lower compared to that obtained using the traditional process. This bean hydration process was achieved with a new extraction technique using the Naviglio extractor, which subjected the water containing the beans to cycles of pressurisation in which the pressure values ranged between 0 (atmospheric pressure) and 10bar. This innovative hydration process (I) reduced the time required for the complete hydration of the beans to approximately 60min and produced a product saturated with the same final amount of moisture as the product obtained from the conventional soaking process (T) that lasts 12–20h. The numerical simulation of the hydration process (I) has provided useful indications on how the diffusion of humidity inside the beans occurred during the pressurised soaking process. The treated beans were packaged, and organoleptic tests, including taster panel tests, were conducted. Finally, the aromatisation of the legumes was conducted in conjunction with the hydration process to introduce flavouring elements used in some famous traditional recipes for Italian cuisine.

Variability and correlation studies for nutritional and cooking quality traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.)

Thirty genotypes of chickpea were studied to find out the variability for seed characters, nutritional components and seed yield. Interrelationships have also been found for these physico-chemical traits and seed yield to help breeders to find suitable strategy for quality improvement in chickpea. “Kabuli” types had highest mean of 100-seed weight (32.62 g), 100-seed volume (25.1 ml), solid dispersion after cooking (21.4%), hydration capacity (0.33 g/seed), hydration index (1.02), swelling capacity (0.32 ml/seed) over “desi” chickpea groups. However, highest seed yield (2038.9 kg/ha) and tryptophan (0.54 g/100 g protein) were recorded in “desi” medium bold group. “Desi” bold (23.7%) and “kabuli” types (23.3%) were on a par in protein content. Correlation analysis revealed that, irrespective of any group, an increase in 100-seed weight reduced cooking time and increased seed volume, hydration capacity, hydration index, swelling capacity and swelling index while an increase in hydration capacity and swelling capacity significantly decreased seed yield in kabuli chickpea. The study revealed significant variation for physico-chemical, nutritional and cooking quality attributes.

Path analysis of iron and zinc contents and others traits in cowpea

The objective of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect effects of agronomic and culinary traits on iron and zinc contents in 11 cowpea populations. Correlations between traits were estimated and decomposed into direct and indirect effects using path analysis. For the study populations, breeding for larger grain size, higher number of grains per pod, grain yield, reduced cooking time, and number of days to flowering can lead to decreases in the levels of iron and zinc in the grain. Genetic gains for the iron content can be obtained by direct selection for protein content by indirect effects on the number of grains per pod, 100-grain weight and grain yield. The positive direct effect of grain size and protein content on the zinc content indicates the possibility of simultaneous gain by combined selection of these traits.

Hemicellulose extraction from aspen chips prior to kraft pulping utilizing kraft white liquor

Pre-extraction of hemicelluloses before commercial pulping processes such as kraft pulping has been considered as one potential approach to generate fermentable sugars as feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. In this study kraft white liquor with 18% active alkali and 25% sulfidity was used to partially extract xylan from commercial aspen chips. Reaction temperatures of 70–90 °C and reaction times of 1–4 h were explored. Amount of xylan extracted increased with increasing time and temperature. The extracted xylan was recovered using ultrafiltration. We were able to recover xylan at levels of up to 48 g kg−1 of dry original chips. Pre-extracted chips were used for subsequent kraft pulping. The ultrafiltration permeate was utilized as cooking liquor without any additional processing and without additional chemical addition. Due to the pre-extraction the lignin removal in subsequent kraft processes was significantly faster; offering the option of reducing cooking time and increasing mill throughput. Pulp yield remained in the same range as the control. Physical properties of pulps made from pre-extracted aspen chips showed similar strength properties as the control runs if compared at given lignin content. Pre-extraction of aspen chips using existing kraft white liquor appears to be a viable approach in an attempt to produce a side stream of fermentable sugars in an existing pulp mill.

Effect of processing methods on nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factors in lentils (Lens culinaris)

The effects of microwave cooking and other traditional cooking methods such as boiling and autoclaving on the nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factors of lentils were studied. Cooking treatments causing decrease in carbohydrate fractions was completely eliminated after cooking treatments, antinutritional factors (trypsin inhibitor, tannins and phytic acid) and minerals. Cooking treatments decreased the concentrations of lysine, tryptophan, total aromatic and sulfur-containing amino acids. The losses in minerals in lentils cooked by microwaving were smaller than those cooked by boiling and autoclaving. Based on these results, microwave cooking is recommended for lentil preparation, not only for improving nutritional quality, but also for reducing cooking time.

Carotenoids retention and in vitro iron bioavailability of traditional cowpea leaf dishes of rural Tanzania

Food preparation methods play a role in micronutrient retention and ultimately intake. Analyses for carotenoids retention and in vitro iron bioavailability of five cowpea leaf dishes prepared according to the traditional methods of rural Tanzania were carried out. All the five dishes are commonly eaten as relishes for staple meals of maize or rice. Laboratory analyses were carried out at the Nutrition Laboratory of the World Vegetable Centre in Taiwan. Carotenoids were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography while iron bioavailability was analysed by an in vitro method. Results showed that traditional cowpea leaf dish consisting of sunflower oil, onion, tomatoes and coconut milk cooked for 30 min had the highest retention of β-carotene (40.83 ± 7.00%) and lutein (34.60 ± 3.30%) compared to other traditional recipes (p < 0.05). The highest iron bioavailability (10.04 ± 0.49%) was observed in the traditional recipe which involved boiling fresh cowpea leaves for 15 min. Although recipe variation can affect carotenoids retention and iron bioavailability, simple practices such as reduced cooking time and avoiding direct sun drying also need to be promoted.

Effect of Flour‐Blasting Brown Rice on Reduction of Cooking Time and Resulting Texture

ABSTRACTLong‐grain nonparboiled, long‐grain parboiled, and American basmati‐type brown rice were bombarded with parboiled rice flour particles to create microperforations on the water‐resistant outer layer of the kernels. These microperforations in the treated rice significantly increased the rate of hydration. Optimum conditions to produce microperforations without removal of the bran included air pressure maintained at 413 kPa and a parboiled rice flour average particle size of 124 μm. The optimum blasting time was 40–60 sec, depending on the type of rice. The relative hardness of the fully cooked flour‐blasted rice was the same at half the cooking time of the untreated brown rice but % water absorption of the untreated flour‐blasted brown rice was higher because it required longer time to cook. Overall, untreated brown rice was ≈4.7% higher in % water absorption due to longer cooking time in comparison with the treated counterpart. The blasting treatment resulted in shorter cooking time and firmer and less gummy cooked rice as compared to freshly cooked untreated brown rice.

Introducing a sustainable soil fertility system for chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.)

In order to introduce a sustainable soil fertility system for chickpea, field experiments were carried out in 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Experiments were arranged in split-split plot arrangements with three replications. Main plots consisted of (G 1 ): establishing a mixed vegetation of vetch and barley, (G 2 ): without green manure. Also, five strategies for obtaining the base fertilizer requirement including (N 1 ): farm manure; (N 2 ): compost; (N 3 ): triple super phosphate; (N 4 ): farm manure + compost and (N 5 ): farm manure + compost + triple super phosphate. Four levels of biofertilizers consisted of (B 1 ): Phosphate solubilizing bacteria; (B 2 ): Trichoderma harzianum ; (B 3 ): Phosphate solubilizing bacteria + T. harzianum ; and (B 4 ): without biofertilizers were arranged in sub-sub plots. Results showed that green manure increased pod number and number of fertile pods per plant. Integrating biofertilizers (B 3 ) and green manure (G 1 ) produced the highest pod number per plant and grain yield. The highest amounts of yield and yield components were obtained in G 1 N 5 treatment. Comparison of 3-way interactions showed that G 1 N 5 B 3 was the best treatment. Significant increase of N, P, K, Fe and Mg content in leaves and grains emphasized on superiority of mentioned treatment because each one of these nutrients has an approved role in chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis ability of the crop. The N 5 treatment in addition to having the highest yield had the best grain quality due to high protein, starch and total sugar contents, low crude fiber and reduced cooking time. Key words : Biofertilizer, chickpea, compost, farm manure, soil fertility system.

Performance evaluation of a powered charcoal stove using different biomass

A powered stove was designed to effectively utilized biomass, quickly start and maintain fire and reduce cooking time. The stove consists of a blower with hand winder and a fuel carrier. Performance evaluation carried out show that boiling time decreased with increased volumetric air flow rate for all the biomass used. Comparing the three biomasses, it took longer time to bring water to boiling point using charcoal followed by wood and corn cobs in that order. The percentage heat utilized and fuel efficiency increased with increase in the volumetric air flow rate. There was no significant difference (p=0.05) in the heat utilization and fuel efficiency of wood, corn cobs and charcoal. Results also show that the specific fuel consumption decreased with air flow rate when yam, rice and beans were cooked. On the other hand, time spent for cooking the items increased significantly (p<0.05). Also in comparison, the specific charcoal consumption for cooking yam, rice and beans was less followed by wood and corncobs. On the other hand the time spent for cooking the food items was longer using charcoal followed by wood and corncobs. The results show that when powered the stove performed much better than under natural air flow condition and its efficiency increased with increase in volumetric air flow rate. Corncobs were more suitable replacer of wood for domestic cooking followed by charcoal. The popularization of this stove will alleviate the problem of starting and maintaining fire and reduce over dependence on wood. Key words: Stove, biomass, wood fuel, corncobs, charcoal, airflow rate

Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment of Brown Rice at Different Temperatures on Cooking Properties and Quality

ABSTRACTThis research studied developing quick cooking brown rice by investigating the effect of ultrasonic treatment at different temperatures on cooking time and quality. The medium grain brown rice was ultrasonically treated in water at temperatures of 25, 40, and 55°C for 30 min and then dried by air at 25°C to its initial moisture content (11.0 ± 0.6%, wb) before cooking. The microstructure of rice kernel surface, chemical composition, and optimal cooking time of treated brown rice were determined. The pasting and thermal properties and chemical structure of flour and starch from treated brown rice were also examined. The results showed that the optimal cooking times were 37, 35, and 33 min after treatment at 25, 40, and 55°C, respectively, compared to the control of 39.6 min. The ultrasonic treatment resulted in a loss in natural morphology of rice bran, allowing water to be absorbed by a rice kernel easily, particularly at high‐temperature treatment. Even through rice flour still maintained an A‐pattern in the pasting properties, the crystallinity significantly increased after treatment at 55°C. Ultrasonic treatment increased the peak, hold, and final viscosities and decreased the onset temperature (To) and peak temperature (Tp), significantly. Thus, ultrasonic treatment could be used for reducing cooking time of brown rice.

Concentrações salinas combinadas com tempos de hidratação: efeito no tempo de cocção em feijão

Este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar o efeito da adição de diferentes doses de NaCl na água de hidratação, durante diferentes tempos, buscando uma redução no tempo de cocção. O Brasil, embora seja considerado um grande produtor e um dos maiores consumidores de feijão, está reduzindo gradativamente o consumo. Sendo assim, é necessário dispor de técnicas que facilitem o preparo do feijão, podendo dessa forma reverter a tendência de consumo e como consequência incentivar a produção. O experimento foi conduzido na área experimental do Instituto de Melhoramento e Genética Molecular da UDESC - IMEGEM, em Lages - SC. Foram avaliados os efeitos de três concentrações de NaCL (0, 50 e 125 g.L-1) em dois genótipos de feijão (Pérola e IPR Uirapuru) hidratados durante três tempos (0,5, 9 e 18 horas). Os resultados revelaram um efeito significativo das doses de NaCl na redução do tempo de cocção. A adição de 56,50 g.L-1 de NaCl foi suficiente para reduzir significativamente o tempo de cocção. A hidratação dos grãos de feijão propiciou a redução no tempo de cocção, sendo necessárias 12,5 horas para a máxima hidratação, independente dos genótipos avaliados.

즉석 백설기 제조시 인삼분말 첨가가 백설기의 품질에 미치는 영향

즉석 백설기 제조 시 인삼분말 첨가가 백설기 품질 특성에 미치는 영향을 살펴본 결과 저장 24시간째에 수분함량이 인삼분말을 첨가하지 않았을 때는 감소한 반면, 인삼분말을 첨가한 처리군에서는 수분함량을 초기 백설기 수분함량을 그대로 유지시켜 주는 것으로 나타났다. 색도는 인삼 분말을 첨가함에 따라 L값은 낮아지고, a, b값은 점점 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 조직감에서는 인삼 분말을 첨가하지 않았을 때는 0, 24시간째에 hardness와 gumminess, chewiness가 가장 큰 유의적인 차이를 보였으나, 인삼 분말을 2%, 3% 첨가했을 때는 모든 군에서 유의적인 차이를 보이지 않았다. 마지막으로 관능평가 결과 인삼분말을 첨가한 경우 수분을 보유하여 주기 때문에 첨가하지 않은 경우보다 촉촉함과 전반적인 기호도에서 높은 점수를 받았다. 이로 인해 인삼분말을 첨가하였을 때 수분을 유지시켜 주고, 색과 조직감을 변하지 않게 해 준다는 것을 본 연구를 통해 확인할 수 있었다. 결론적으로 인삼분말 첨가가 즉석 백설기의 수분을 유지시켜 주는 것으로 확인할 수 있었고, 떡의 품질을 나타내는 척도인 hardness의 변화를 적게 하여 인삼분말 첨가군이 무첨가군에 비해 떡의 노화 억제에 효과가 있는 것을 알 수 있었다. 즉석 백설기 제조 시 인삼분말 첨가는 초기 백설기의 수분, 색, 조직감을 유지시켜주는 것으로 확인되었고 이는 인삼분말 첨가량이 증가하면서 백설기 구성 성분 내에 인삼에 기인한 섬유질 함량의 증가로 수분결합력이 높아 떡의 질감에 영향을 주어 전반적 기호도에 영향을 준 것으로 사료된다.