Process for simultaneous roasting of nutmeats and pellicle removal

A process for the removal of pellicle from pellicle-covered kernels of nuts selected from the group consisting of Corylus americana, Corylus rostrata, Bertholletia excelsa and cultivars thereof having a moisture content of from about 5% to about 10% by weight, said process consisting essentially of:

• (a) slowly heating said pellicle-covered kernels by immersion in a vegetable oil at a temperature less than or equal to about 235.degree. F. for a contact time of sufficient duration to draw only a portion of said moisture from the body of said kernels to the region of each said kernel at the surface thereof beneath said pellicle, with substantially no roasting of said kernels,
• (b) draining and cooling said pellicle-covered kernels to approximately ambient temperature,
• (c) rapidly heating said pellicle-covered kernels by immersion in a vegetable oil at a temperature of from about 340.degree. F. to about 360.degree. F. to vaporize substantially all of said moisture from said surface regions and detach said pellicle from said kernels,
• (d) draining and cooling said pellicle-covered kernels to a temperature below about 180.degree. F.,
• (e) abrading said pellicle-covered kernels to form a mixture comprising pellicle fragments and pellicle-free kernels, and
• (f) recovering said pellicle-free kernels from said mixture.

A process for the simultaneous roasting and removal of pellicle from pellicle-covered kernels of nuts selected from the group consisting of Corylus americana, Corylus rostrata, Bertholletia excelsa and cultivars thereof having a moisture content of from about 5% to about 10% by weight, said process consisting essentially of :

• (a) slowly heating said pellicle-covered kernels by immersion in a vegetable oil at a temperature of from about 205.degree. F. to about 210.degree. F. for from about 8 to about 10 minutes.
• (b) draining and cooling said pellicle-covered kernels to approximately ambient temperature,
• (c) rapidly heating said pellicle-covered kernels by immersion in a vegetable oil at a temperature of from about 350.degree. F. to about 360.degree. F. for from about 1 to about 3 minutes,
• (d) draining and cooling said pellicle-covered kernels to a temperature below about 180.degree. F.,
• (e) abrading said pellicle-covered kernels to form a mixture comprising pellicle fragments and pellicle-free kernels, and
• (f) recovering said pellicle-free kernels from said mixture.