Separately milling nut solids and particulate water soluble solids to reduce stickiness and improve flavor intensity of nut spreads
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsVincent York-Leung Wong, Richard Joseph Sackenheim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Nut spreads, especially peanut butters, having a relatively low viscosity of about 2000 centipoise or less that have significantly reduced stickiness and increased nut flavor intensity. These nut spreads are obtained by milling a mixture of nut solids, oil, particulate water-soluble solids such as sugar and salt, optionally but preferably nut butter stabilizer and emulsifier, such that the water soluble solids have a mean particle size of about 20 microns or less to reduce grittiness. This milled mixture is combined with a nut paste prepared without excessively reducing the particle size of the nut solids.
Claims9
A premix useful in making nut spreads, which comprises:
- a. up to about 15% nut solids;
- b. from about 5 to about 75% oil;
- c. from about 5 to about 75% of a particulate water-soluble component having a mean particle size of about 20 microns or less and selected from the group consisting of flavorants, flavor enhancers, bulking agents and mixtures thereof.
A process for making a nut spread, which comprises the steps of:
- a. forming a mixture consisting essentially of:
- (1) up to about 15% nut solids;
- (2) from about 5 to about 75% oil;
- and
- (3) from about 5 to about 75% of a particulate water-soluble component selected from the group consisting of flavorants, flavor enhancers, bulking agents and mixtures thereof;
- b. milling the mixture of step (a) such that the water soluble component has a mean particle size of about 20 microns or less;
- and
- c. combining the milled mixture of step (b) with a nut paste having particle size distribution such that:
- (1) from about 3 to about 10% of the nut solid particles are greater than about 38 microns;
- (2) from about 1 to about 7% of the nut solid particles are greater than about 75 microns;
- (3) from about 0.3 to about 6% of the nut solid particles are greater than about 150 microns;
- (4) from about 0.1 to about 3% of the nut solid particles are greater than about 250 microns;
- wherein the weight ratio of nut paste to milled mixture is from about 3:1 to about 7:1 to provide a nut spread having a viscosity of about 2000 centipoise or less (measured at 6.8 sec.sup.-1).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.