METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF INSTANT STIR-FRIED POTATO STRINGS

• US 20160331008A1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HZPC Holland BV (Vereniging Hettema-Zpc)
• Original Assignee: HZPC Holland BV (Vereniging Hettema-Zpc)
• Inventors: VAN DOORN, Johannes Elisabert
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/14 Original non-roasted or non-fried potato pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/18 Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Abstract

Described is a method for the preparation of instant stir-fried potato strings having a refrigerated shelf life before stir-frying, comprising the steps of providing potatoes, cutting the potatoes in strings having a cross-sectional area of 25 mm² or less, heating the potato strings, blast chilling the heated potato strings and packaging and storing the potato strings at a refrigerated temperature, the method being free of contacting the potato strings with oil.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. Method for the preparation of pre-packaged instant stir-friable potato strings having a refrigerated shelf life before stir-frying, comprising the steps of:

a. Providing potatoes,

b. Cutting the potatoes of step a) in strings having a cross-sectional area of 25 mm² or less,

c. Heating the potato strings of step b) to a temperature of 140°

C. or less,

d. Blast chilling the heated potato strings of step c) to 10°

C. or less,

e. Packaging the potato strings after step b), c) or d) or during step d), the method being free of contacting the potato strings with oil.

43. Method according to claim 42, wherein the potato strings in step b) are cut to a cross-sectional area of 20 mm².

44. Method according to claim 42, further comprising, after step d), a step f) of storing the potato strings at a temperature at or below 10°

C.

45. Method according to claim 42, wherein in step c) the heating is chosen such, that a texture measurement on the heated potato strings after step c) according to the following protocol:

i. loading 160 g of heated potato strings having a cross sectional area of 2.5×

2.5 mm, of which at least 90% has a length of 30-150 mm, directly after the said step c) in a chamber having a top and a bottom wall, a height of 40 mm, a length of 100 mm and a width of 70 mm, which top wall has 3 slits, each having a length of 65 mm and a width of 5 mm, the slits having a distance of 2 cm to one another and oriented in parallel to one another, and perpendicular to the axis of the chamber,

ii. closing the chamber,

iii. moving sequentially through each slit in vertical direction towards the bottom wall of the chamber with a speed of 1.0 mm/s over a distance of 24 mm, a probe cutting blade having a lower cutting portion 31 having length of 60 mm and a height of 5.7 mm between a lower side and an upper side thereof, at said lower side a lower sharp cutting edge being arranged having a length of 53 mm, flanked by rounded edges, the upper side of the cutting portion being adjacent to a lower side of a blade portion 3 the length thereof rejuvenating over a height of 34 mm to an upper side having a length of 46 mm and a thickness at the upper side of 2 mm, the thickness of the blade portion 3 rejuvenating from the upper side thereof with an angle of 1°

between the front and back side thereof towards the cutting portion, said cutting portion rejuvenating from the upper side thereof with an angle of 6°

between the front and back side thereof to the lower sharp cutting edge with a calibrated sharpness of 2.08-2.44 N,

iv. during said moving, measuring the resistance force exerted on the blade as soon as the said force exceeds a threshold of 0.49 N, steps i-iv being performed at 60°

C.,

v. repeating steps i.-iv., resulting in 6 measurements,

vi. calculating the parameters Fmax (maximum average resistance force) and SA (average surface area, defined as the surface under a graph, reflecting the resistance force curve in time during each measurement of steps iv.) from the 6 measurements wherein outlier values outside the 95% confidence interval by variance analysis (ANOVA) are excluded from the calculation, results in an Fmax of at least 12 N above the threshold, and SA of at least 130 Ns.

46. Method according to claim 45, wherein the time T to reach the first peak on the time-force curve is 14-21 s.

47. Method according to claim 45, wherein the time T to reach Fmax is 15-24 s.

48. Method according to claim 42, wherein the potato strings in step c) are heated to temperatures between 70°

C. and 120°

C.

49. Method according to claim 42, wherein in step c) the heating time is 30-180 s.

50. Method according to claim 42, wherein step d) is performed for 10 minutes or less.

51. Method according to claim 42, wherein in step d) the heated potato strings are blast chilled to 7°

C. or less.

52. Method according to claim 42, wherein in step d) the heated potato strings are blast chilled to a temperature between −

10°

C. and −

25°

C.

53. Method according to claim 42, wherein in step d) the heated potato strings are flash cooled to a temperature below the freezing point of water, and further dried to a dry matter content of at least 90 w/w %.

54. Method according to claim 42, wherein in step e) the potato strings are packaged and sealed in plastic containers.

56. Method according claim 42, wherein the potatoes of step a) have a dry matter content, expressed as specific gravity, of between 1,040 and 1,080 g/ml.

57. Method according to claim 42, wherein the potatoes of step a) have a value of 1-4 on the 1-7 waxy/floury scale.

58. Method according to claim 42, wherein the potatoes of step a) or A)

originate from a variety, chosen from the group, consisting of Amandine (EU2504), Annabelle (EU6935), Franceline (EU175), Marilyn (EU17273), and varieties derived therefrom.

59. Method for the determination of suitability of a batch of potatoes for use in the method according to claim 42, comprising the following steps:

A) providing peeled potatoes,

B) cutting the peeled potatoes in strings with a cross sectional area of 2.5×

2.5 mm, of which at least 90% has a length of 30-150 mm,

C) blanching the said potato strings in boiling water during 3 minutes,

D) loading 160 g of the blanched potato strings in a container having a top and a bottom wall, a height of 40 mm, a length of 100 mm and a width of 70 mm, which top wall has 3 slits, each having a length of 65 mm and a width of 5 mm, the slits having a distance of 2 cm to one another and oriented in parallel to one another, and perpendicular to the axis of the chamber,

E) closing the chamber,

F) moving sequentially through each slit in vertical direction towards the bottom wall of the chamber with a speed of 1.0 mm/s over a distance of 24 mm, a probe cutting blade having a lower cutting portion 31 having length of 60 mm and a height of 5.7 mm between a lower side and an upper side thereof, at said lower side a lower sharp cutting edge being arranged having a length of 53 mm, flanked by rounded edges, the upper side of the cutting portion being adjacent to a lower side of a blade portion 3 the length thereof rejuvenating over a height of 34 mm to an upper side having a length of 46 mm and a thickness at the upper side of 2 mm, the thickness of the blade portion 3 rejuvenating from the upper side thereof with an angle of 1°

between the front and back side thereof towards the cutting portion, said cutting portion rejuvenating from the upper side thereof with an angle of 6°

between the front and back side thereof to the lower sharp cutting edge with a calibrated sharpness of 2.08-2.44 N, during said moving, measuring the resistance force exerted on the blade as soon as the said force exceeds a threshold of 0.49 N, steps D)-F) being performed at 60°

C.,

G) repeating steps D)-G), resulting in 6 measurements,

H) calculating the parameters Fmax (maximum average resistance force) and SA (average surface area, defined as the surface under a graph, reflecting the resistance force curve in time during each measurement of steps G) from the 6 measurements wherein outlier values outside the 95% confidence interval by variance analysis (ANOVA) are excluded from the calculation,

I) determine the potatoes as suitable if the Fmax is at least 12 N above the threshold, and the SA is at least 130 Ns.

J)

60. Method according to claim 59, wherein the time T to reach the first peak on the time-force curve is 14-21 and the time T to reach Fmax is 15-24 s.

61. Potato strings, obtainable by the method according to claim 42.