Internally flavored hulled cereal grain and process for preparation
OwnerWilliam A. Mayinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Internally flavored hulled cereal grain, especially popcorn is provided along with a method for the preparation of same.
Claims33
A process for introducing an organic flavorant into hulled cereal grain comprising the steps of contacting such grain with said flavorant under aqueous liquid phase conditions while maintaining said liquid phase at a temperature in the range from about 60.degree. to 200.degree. F. for a time at least sufficient to introduce into the endosperm of such hulled cereal grain at least an organoleptically detectable taste of said flavorant without substantial change in hull structure, said flavorant containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule, and, when said flavorant contains at least one carboxyl group per molecule, then said flavorant has a dissociation constant in water which is less than about 1.times.10.sup.-5 whereby, when such grain's hull is separated from such grain's germ and endosperm, the flavor associated with such flavorant material is organoleptically detectable in such germ and endosperm.
A process for producing internally flavored popcorn comprising the steps of:
- (A) contacting popcorn with an aqueous organic flavorant composition at a temperature ranging from about 70.degree. to 130.degree. F. for a time sufficient to introduce into such popcorn a quantity of said flavorant which is at least sufficient to produce therein an organoleptically detectable taste which is excessive compared to the characteristic taste of a given natural material containing a flavor like that of said flavorant without any substantial change in popcorn pericarp, said flavorant containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule, and, when said flavorant contains at least one carboxyl group per molecule, then said flavorant has a dissociation constant in water which is less than about 1.times.10.sup.-5,
- (B) washing the resulting so contacted popcorn with water to remove therefrom residual such flavorant from surfaces thereof, and
- (C) drying said washed popcorn until the moisture content thereof is reduced to a sufficient level where the resulting dried popcorn is poppable.
A process for introducing an organic flavorant into hulled cereal grain comprising the steps of contacting such grain with an aqueous liquid phase composition comprising on a 100 weigth percent total basis.
- (A) from about 0.5 to 45 weight percent of substantially completely dissolved said flavorant,
- (B) from about 1 to 10 weight percent of at least one dissolved edible ionic salt, and
- (C) from about 55 to 99.5 weight percent of an aqueous carrier,
- while maintaining a temperature in the range from about 60.degree. to 200.degree. F. for a time at least sufficient to introduce into such hulled cereal grain at least an organoleptically detectable taste of said flavorant without substantial change in hull structure, said flavorant containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule, and, when said flavorant contains at least one carboxyl group per molecule, then said flavorant has a dissociation contant in water which is less than about 1.times.10.sup.-5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.