Fresh noodles

Fresh noodles are available commercially either frozen or vacuum packed. Fresh or raw noodles are sold without any further processing and contain about 35% moisture.

They usually have a thin cross section, which allows them to cook rapidly, and are made from relatively strong flour that imparts a chewy texture when cooked.

The most important quality characteristics of these noodles are good color and smooth surface. Generally, the thicker sizes are used in soups.

For good consumer acceptance they must be white or light yellow, depending on references in different regions.

The main disadvantages if fresh noodles is their relatively short shelf life, ranging from one to several days depending on the packaging and storage conditions.
Fresh noodles

Water Absorption Index (WAI)

Noodle cooking quality is an important aspect in assessing processing quality of fresh noodles. The cooked noodle normally is evaluated for diameter; water absorption index; solid loss; hardness.

What is Water Absorption Index? WAI measures the volume occupied by the starch after swelling in excess water, which maintains the integrity of starch in aqueous dispersion.

According to one study increasing feed moisture significantly increased value of WAI of wheat flour extrudates; however, an increase in barrel temperature was observed to cause a significant decreased in values of WAI of the extrudates (J.Food Eng. 73:142-148).

The water absorption test is based on cooked noodle weight. Low cooked noodle weight indicates low noodle water absorption and high noodle cooking quality.

Pasta water absorption decreased as amylose content increased.
Water Absorption Index (WAI) 

Bacterial contamination in noodles

The noodles due to their higher moisture contents are more susceptible for microbial spoilage. Although, one or two outbreaks are due to noodles but still the frequency is far less as compared to fast foods.

Dry pasta and noodles are extruded and dried below pasteurization temperatures, therefore pathogens may survive in the final products.

Salmonella from egg ingredients have been especially troublesome. Although levels of salmonella are reduced during processing, significant numbers survive if the original contamination is high. In Korean, Bacillus cereus was found to be the main spoilage bacteria in wet noodles.

For fresh raw and wet noodles, the moisture content or water activity level is very high and if they are not thermally processed; the microorganisms can grow very fast at proper temperature if enough oxygen is present inside the package.

Vacuuming eliminates most of the oxygen from the package and slows down the growth of microorganisms, thus extending the shelf life of the fresh noodles.

Several methods have proved to be successful in eliminating and preventing microbial contamination. These methods include irradiation, chemical fumigation, sterilizing with ethylene oxide and heat treatment.

Mixing noodles with very hot (90-100 °C) soup decreased the number of bacteria by 1/1000 as compared to that mixed with warm (60-70 °C) soup.
Bacterial contamination in noodles

Chilled and frozen noodles

Quick freezing is necessary to produce good quality frozen noodles.

The texture of boiled noodles deteriorates very fast after cooking. By applying quick-freezing technology, the fresh quality of boiled noodles can be preserved and extended for up to 1 year if they are properly stored in a freezer.

It is quickly freezing fresh raw noodles to -15 ° C before packaging and then products are stored in a freezer. The freezing step preserves the fresh taste of boiled noodles for a long time period and has been applied to udon and ramen.

Noodles of this type are sold mostly from a central factory to noodle restaurants where they are thawed in a specially designed boiling pot and immediately served to guests, thus saving time and labor cost.

After thawing, frozen raw materials should retain quality characteristics similar to fresh raw noodles.

Frozen boiled noodles require a very short time less than 2 minutes to thaw and cook in boiling water, which allows restaurants to serve tasty noodles conveniently and efficiently.

Frozen noodles are easy to overcook. It is better to make sure all parts of the recipe ready first, then cook the noodles as a last step and serve immediately.
Chilled and frozen noodles

Fresh rice noodles

Fresh rice noodles, made from ground rice and water, are sold in various thicknesses. They are either by turning rice noodles into a dough, then extruding and steaming the dough, or making a rice flour batter and steaming it into sheets.

Considerable amounts of fresh rice noodles are produced for the retail market, restaurant trade, and household market, especially for breakfast.

Come in a variety of widths and lengths, they are best bought fresh off the shelf in Asian grocery stores and used within seven days. Cut them into narrow strips and pour boiling water over them in a colander or steam gently for a few minutes to heat through.

Rinse briefly in warm water to separate. Cook for only a few minutes to heat through.

The shelf life of fresh rice noodles is less than 24 hours in summer and 48 hours in winter, so noodles are fresh and their mouthfeel is the best.
Fresh rice noodles

Manufacture of Fresh Asian Wheat and Rice Based Noodles

Manufacture of Fresh Asian Wheat and Rice Based Noodles
Considerable amounts of fresh Asian (oriental) noodles are produced for retail market, restaurant trade, and a household.

Wong Ton Mien is one of the alkaline wheat based noodles produced for a fresh retail markets common in Taiwan.

Similar products are also produced elsewhere.

The production steps are similar to production of dry white-slated noodles, with basic mixing, sheeting, rolling, and cutting steps.

It should be noted that a differently shaped product called “pian er mien” (sheeted mien) is produced by similar procedures with or without alkaline salts; instead of cutting the dough sheets into thin stripes, the sheets are cut into about 1 inch squares.

Also, the fresh Won Ton Mien can be dried into dry Won Ton Mien, like other wheat-based “mien.”

Fresh oily wheat based “mien” are unique, in that oil is added to the cooked “mien” or “fen” to provided a special mouth feel and al dente.

They are common in southern China and southeastern Asian countries.

The oily, alkaline wheat based “mien” are sometimes called Hokkien-type noodles. The procedures of preparing the raw “mien” are essentially the same as other alkaline wheat based “mien.”

They are then boiled once or twice, or steamed until they are completely cooked before coating with oil and food coloring.

Another oily product is the Cantonese oily rice based “ho-fen” (rice stripes).

It is produced first by preparing a rice slurry from rice flour, followed by steamed a thin layer of the slurry on an oil coated stainless tray or bamboo sheet.

The gelatinized “fen” is then folded into layered slabs followed by cutting of the slabs into stripes.

These noodles are much thicker and broader than the Chinese “hand-cut mien” or Japanese “udon.”

Oily rice based “ho-fen” is very soft and smooth in texture.

The granular size of rice flour used has a definite effect on the quality of the final product, as the difference in granular size can be detected easily.

The original “ho fen” as made with wet-milled rice flour with a very fine texture. However, it is much more costly to make, and has the liquid waste disposal problem similar to dry rice noodles.
Manufacture of Fresh Asian Wheat and Rice Based Noodles