Method for processing oat groats to enhance desired maillard products to promote desired toast flavor in the groats and products made by the methods

A method for processing oat groats wherein the groat has an initial water content of about 7% to about 15% comprising:

• soaking the groats at a temperature below their gelatinization temperature;
• and,
• increasing the moisture content of the groats to a level sufficient to solubilize at least a sufficient amount of simple sugars present in the groat to yield, after Maillard reaction and drying to a desired storage moisture content, an MRP ≧ about 34 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 value ≧6.0 and to bring the total water content to within a range of about 18% to about 40%.

A method of processing oat groats wherein the groat has an initial water content of about 9% to about 13% comprising:

• soaking the groats at a temperature below their gelatinization temperature;
• and,
• increasing the moisture content of the groats to a level sufficient to solubilize at least a sufficient amount of simple sugars present in the groat to yield, after Maillard reaction and drying to a desired storage moisture content, an MRP ≧ about 34 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 value ≧6.0 and to bring the total water content to within a range of about 30% to about 40%.

A method of processing oat groats comprising:

• exposing the groats to vapor phase water at a temperature below their gelatinization temperature;
• and,
• increasing the moisture content of the groats to a level sufficient to solubilize at least a sufficient amount of simple sugars present in the groat to yield, after Maillard reaction and drying to a desired storage moisture content, an MRP ≧ about 34 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 value ≧6.0.

A method of processing oat groats comprising:

• soaking the groats at a temperature below their gelatinization temperature;
• and,
• increasing the moisture content of the groats to a level sufficient to solubilize at least a sufficient amount of simple sugars present in the groat to yield, after Maillard reaction and drying to a desired storage moisture content, an MRP is within a range of about 100-2300 ppb and the (MRP/LOP)×100 is in a corresponding range of about 11-500.

An oat groat having an MRP ≧ about 34 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 value ≧6.0 and the groat being sufficiently non-gelatinized that it is suitable for further conventional groat processing.

An oat groat having an MRP value within a range of about 100-2300 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 having a corresponding range of about 11-500 and the groat being sufficiently non-gelatinized that it is suitable for further conventional groat processing.

A method for processing oat groats having an initial water content of about 7% to about 15%, comprising:

• soaking the groats at a temperature below their gelatinization temperature and thereby increasing the moisture content of the groats to a total water content to within a range of about 15% to about 40%;
• and,
• conducting Maillard reactions within the groat, and thereby producing an MRP ≧ about 34 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 value ≧6.0.

A method for processing green oat groats having an initial water content of about 7% to about 15%, comprising:

• soaking the groats at a temperature below their gelatinization temperature and thereby increasing the moisture content of the groats to a total water content to within a range of about 15% to about 40%, and the simple sugars present in the groat yielding, after Maillard reaction and drying to a desired storage moisture content, an MRP ≧ about 34 ppb and an (MRP/LOP)×100 value ≧6.0;
• and,
• the groats are initially impregnated with one or more of non-native reactants for Maillard reaction and a pH modifier.