Process for making microwavable shaped rice products
OwnerHarold W. Zukerman, Rachel B. Zukermaninventors
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Abstract
A microwavable shaped rice product made with limited amounts of water, producing cooked rice grains with centers that are not fully hydrated. These shaped rice products are held in frozen storage and prior to serving they are reheated in a microwave oven. When the shaped rice products are microwave reheated from the frozen state, a portion of their water that was originally bound with the rice grain structure, is released. During this microwave reheating, this released water becomes very hot, both cooking and being absorbed by the not fully hydrated rice grain centers. When microwavable shaped rice products are later served, they have a crust and their overall inner texture is soft and firm, but not soggy.
Claims14
A process for making a microwavable shaped rice product, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) partially cooking 100 lbs. of raw, hard, whole or broken grain dry rice with 100 lbs. to 350 lbs. of water at 170.degree. F. to 212.degree. F.;
- (b) combining one or more of a plurality of flavors with the partially cooked rice;
- (c) removing the partially cooked rice from the hot water prior to the center of the rice becoming fully cooked;
- (d) conveying the partially cooked rice on a horizontal belt through an enclosed environment at a temperature above 160.degree. F. whereby the rice and flavor continue to cook, leaving the center of the rice grains not fully cooked and not fully hydrated;
- (e) shaping the cooked rice with low-shear, multiple-deposit, multiple-extrusion and multiple-cutting devices to form a shaped rice product;
- (f) forming a crust on the shaped rice product surface by floating the shaped rice product in a fat fryer;
- the floating of the product being related to its density;
- and
- (g) freezing the rice product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.