Claims
- 1. A process for preparing parfried and frozen potato strips for subsequent reconstitution for consumption by finish frying in hot oil in a reduced finish fry time period, said process comprising the steps of:
- blanching the potato strips cut from raw potatoes to a generally translucent state;
- drying the blanched strips to remove moisture from the strips and thereby reduce the weight thereof by about 20 percent to about 35 percent from the raw state;
- parfrying the dried strips in hot oil at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F. and for about 15 seconds to about 60 seconds;
- freezing the parfried strips;
- subjecting the parfried and frozen strips to an air impingement step including exposure to a flow of hot air at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. and a flow rate substantially greater than about 500 feet per minute for about 1 minute to about 9 minutes to texturize the outer skin surfaces of the strips and to remove moisture from the strips and thereby reduce the weight of the strips by about 5 percent to about 36 percent from the parfried and frozen state; and
- refreezing the air impinged strips, said freezing, air impingement, and refreezing steps proceeding in sequence without further parfrying of the strips between said parfrying and refreezing steps.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the strips have a moisture content of about 64 percent by weight in the parfried and frozen state after said parfrying and freezing steps.
- 3. The process of claim 2 wherein the strips have a moisture content about 55 percent by weight after said refreezing step.
- 4. The process of claim 1 including the step of cutting the strips to have a generally square cross-sectional shape of about 0.25 to about 0.3 inch per side and a length distributed within the range of about 2 inches to about 6 inches.
- 5. The process of claim 4 wherein the potato strips are cut from Russet Burbank potatoes.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the flow rate of the hot air impingement flow is on the order of about 2,000 feet per minute.
- 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the flow rate of the hot air impingement flow is substantially in excess of a flow rate required to fluidize a thin substantially monolayer distribution of the strips.
- 8. The process of claim 1 wherein said blanching step includes water blanching the strips.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein said blanching step includes steam blanching the strips.
- 10. The process of claim 1 wherein said drying step comprises subjecting the strips to a flow of warm air at a temperature of from about 180.degree. F. to about 230.degree. F. at a flow rate of about 400 feet per minute and for a time from about 6 minutes to about 10 minutes.
- 11. The process of claim 10 further including the step of allowing moisture equilibration of the strips between said drying and said parfrying steps.
- 12. The process of claim 13 wherein said equilibration step includes maintaining the strips in ambient air for about 6 minutes.
- 13. The process of claim 1 wherein said parfrying step comprises frying the strips in hot oil at a temperature of about 355.degree. F. for about 40-45 seconds.
- 14. The process of claim 1 wherein said air impingement step comprises subjecting the strips to generally opposed, generally balanced air flows.
- 15. The process of claim 14 wherein the opposed air flows have a temperature of about 350.degree. F. adjacent the strips and a flow rate of about 2,000 feet per minute, and the strips are subjected to said opposed air flows for about 6 minutes to about 7 minutes to reduce the weight of the strips from the parfried and frozen state by about 23 percent.
- 16. The process of claim 15 wherein the strips are conveyed through an air impingement oven having the opposed air flows therein in a generally vertical orientation, said strips being conveyed through the oven upon perforate support means.
- 17. The process of claim 1 further including the step of reconstituting the refrozen strips by finish frying in hot oil at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F. for about 45 seconds to about three minutes.
- 18. The process of claim 17 wherein said finish frying step comprises frying the strips in hot oil at about 340.degree. F.
- 19. The process of claim 18 wherein said finish frying step comprises frying the strips in hot oil for about 90 seconds to about 120 seconds.
- 20. In a process for preparing parfried and frozen potato strips for subsequent reconstitution for consumption by finish frying in hot oil in a reduced finish fry time period, said process including the steps of partially cooking, parfrying a single time, and then freezing the strips, the improvement consisting of the steps of:
- subjecting the frozen strips to an air impingement step including exposure to a flow of hot air at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. and a flow rate substantially greater than about 500 feet per minute for about 1 minute to about 9 minutes to texturize the outer skin surfaces of the strips and to remove moisture from the strips and thereby reduce the weight of the strips by about 5 percent to about 36 percent from the frozen state; and
- refreezing the air impinged strips.
- 21. The process of claim 20 wherein said air impingement step comprises subjecting the strips to generally opposed, generally balanced air flows.
- 22. The process of claim 21 wherein the opposed air flows have a temperature of about 350.degree. F. adjacent the strips and a flow rate of about 2,000 feet per minute, and the strips are subjected to said opposed air flows for about 6 minutes to about 7 minutes to reduce the weight of the strips from the frozen state by about 23 percent.
- 23. The process of claim 20 further including the step of reconstituting the refrozen strips by finish frying in hot oil at a temperature of 300.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F. for about 45 seconds to about three minutes.
- 24. A process for preparing parfried and frozen potato strips for subsequent reconstitution for consumption, said process comprising the steps of:
- blanching the potato strips;
- parfrying the potato strips;
- freezing at least the outer skin surfaces of the parfried strips;
- subjecting the parfried and frozen potato strips while substantially in a frozen state to an air impingement step including exposure to a flow of hot air at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. and a flow rate on the order of about 2,000 feet per minute for a period of time sufficient to reduce the weight of the strips by moisture removal approximately 20 percent to about 25 percent by weight; and
- refreezing the air impinged strips, said air impingement and refreezing steps proceeding in sequence substantially without further parfrying of the strips subsequent to said parfrying step.
- 25. The process of claim 24 further including the step of partially dehydrating the strips between said blanching and parfrying steps.
- 26. The process of claim 24 further including the step of reconstituting the refrozen strips by finish frying in hot oil at a temperature of 300.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F. for about 90 seconds to about 120 seconds.
- 27. A process for preparing parfried and frozen potato strips for subsequent reconstitution for consumption, comprising the steps of:
- cutting the potato strips from raw potatoes to have a generally square cross-sectional shape of about 0.25 to about 0.3 inches per side and a length distributed within the range of about 2 inches to about 6 inches;
- partially cooking and parfrying the strips to a moisture content of about 64 percent by weight;
- freezing the parfried strips;
- subjecting the frozen strips without further parfrying to an air impingement step including a flow of hot air at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. and a flow rate on the order of about 2,000 feet per minute for a period of time sufficient to reduce the moisture content of the strips to about 55 percent by weight; and then
- refreezing the strips without further parfrying.
- 28. The process of claim 27 further including the step of reconstituting the refrozen strips by finish frying in hot oil at a temperature of 300.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F. for about 90 seconds to about 120 seconds.
- 29. The process of claim 27 further including a drying step before said parfrying step for reducing the weight of the strips by about 20 percent to about 35 percent from the raw state.
- 30. The process of claim 27 wherein an air impingement step is continued for a period of time sufficient to reduce the weight of the strips by about 20 percent to about 25 percent from the frozen state.
- 31. A process for preparing parfried and frozen potato strips for subsequent reconstitution for consumption by finish frying in hot oil in a reduced finish fry time period, said process comprising the steps of:
- cutting the potato strips from raw potatoes to have a generally square cross-sectional shape of about 0.25 to about 0.3 inches per side and a length distributed within the range of about 2 inches to about 6 inches;
- blanching the potato strips in water at a temperature of about 195.degree. F. for about 3 minutes;
- drying the blanched strips in warm air at a temperature within the range of about 180.degree. F. to about 230.degree. F. and a flow rate of about 400 feet per minute for a time period of about 6 minutes to about 10 minutes;
- allowing the dried strips to equilibrate in ambient air for a short time period;
- parfrying the strips by immersing the strips in hot oil at a temperature of about 355.degree. F. for about 40-45 seconds;
- removing the strips from the hot oil at the conclusion of said parfrying step;
- freezing the parfried strips;
- subjecting the frozen strips to generally opposed and substantially balanced air flows of hot impingement air at a temperature of about 350.degree. F. at flow rates of about 2,000 feet per minute for about 6 minutes to about 7 minutes; and then
- refreezing the strips, said strips remaining removed from immersion in the hot oil throughout said freezing, air impingement, and refreezing steps.
- 32. The process of claim 31 further including the step of reconstituting the refrozen strips by finish frying in hot oil at a temperature of 300.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F. for about 90 seconds to about 120 seconds.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 767,529, filed Aug. 20, 1985, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 693,806, filed Jan. 23, 1985 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (30)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
806128 |
Sep 1969 |
CAX |
900266 |
May 1972 |
CAX |
900267 |
May 1972 |
CAX |
996813 |
Sep 1976 |
CAX |
2078081 |
Jul 1982 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
767529 |
Aug 1985 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
693806 |
Jan 1985 |
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