Process of preparing cereal-coated dried fruit
AssigneeNabisco Brands, Inc.
InventorsMichele Blanthorn, Glen Labaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coated dried fruit piece is prepared by applying a coating of a melted fat or oil followed by a dusting of a dry particulate coating. The steps may be repeated as desired to build a coating of a desired thickness. The dry particulate coating includes a cereal component, such as wheat germ or shredded wheat fines, a sweetener and preferably a nut meal. The cereal component has a particle size sufficiently large to form a coating with crunchy particulates over the soft dried fruit. The particle size of the cereal component is sufficiently small to ensure the particles will adhere to the dried fruit pieces.
Claims31
A process for producing a coated fruit having a substantially continuous coating enrobing the fruit, wherein the coating has a crunchy texture, the process comprising:
- (a) coating dried fruit pieces with a liquid coating comprising at least one melted fat which is solid or semi-solid at room temperature and is capable of inhibiting moisture migration from the fruit pieces;
- (b) coating the dried fruit pieces of step (a) with a dry particulate coating of at least one particulate cereal component capable of producing a crunchy texture to the coating, and at least one sweetener;
- (c) alternately repeating steps (a) and (b) to form a coated fruit piece with a coating having a predetermined thickness;
- (d) cooling the coated fruit pieces thereby forming a coated fruit having a soft moisture migration inhibiting coating with crunchy cereal particulates.
A coated dried fruit having a substantially continuous moisture resistant coating containing a crunchy particulate cereal component, wherein the coating comprises:
- (a) at least one substantially uniform first coating of a fat component on the dried fruit, wherein the fat is a solid or semi-solid at room temperature;
- and
- (b) at least one second coating on the first coating of fat, wherein the second coating comprises at least one crunchy particulate cereal component capable of producing a crunchy texture to the moisture resistant coating, and a sweetener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.