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AssigneeBasic American, Inc.
InventorsMarlin G. Herrick, J. Layne Anderson, Gary R. Eversoll, Kern L. Cooper, Ronald L. Luedeman, Gordon Ching
Estimating the term…
A method for making dehydrated, shelf-stable, puffed, rapidly-rehydratable, vegetable or fruit food pieces by puffing and drying moist food pieces (e.g. potato shreds) by conveying them in a bed through an impingement drying zone maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure in which streams of pressurized heated gas in a plurality of spaced fluid conduits exit from the conduits in spaced impinging streams at a velocity in excess of about 1,000 feet per minute are directed against the moist food pieces to cause the pieces to be suspended in a fluidized bed. In one case, the heated gas causes the moisture content of the moist food pieces to be reduced rapidly to puff them into porous pieces which exit the impingement drying zone having a moisture content of at least about 4% with a texture and appearance suitable for use as a rehydratable food piece.
A method for making shelf-stable, dehydrated vegetable or fruit food pieces, said method comprising drying moist vegetable or fruit food pieces with a thickness of at least about 0.09 inch by continuously conveying them in a bed through an impingement drying zone maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure in which streams of pressurized heated gas in a plurality of spaced fluid conduits having outlets exit from the outlets of said conduits in spaced impinging streams at a velocity in excess of about 3,000 feet per minute and are directed against said food pieces, suspending said food pieces in a fluidized bed, said heated gas causing the moisture content of said moist food pieces to be reduced to a level of at least about 4%, said dried food pieces, if subjected to further dehydration but not to a level below a moisture content of about 4%, being rehydratable in hot water to food pieces with a palatable texture.
A method for making shelf-stable, dehydrated potato shreds, said method comprising drying moist potato shreds by continuously conveying them in a bed through an impingement drying zone maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure in which streams of pressurized heated gas in a plurality of spaced fluid conduits having outlets exit from the outlets of said conduits in spaced impinging streams at a velocity in excess of about 3,000 feet per minute and are directed against said potato shreds, suspending said potato shreds in a fluidized bed, said heated gas causing the moisture content of said moist potato shreds to be reduced to a level of at least about 4%, said dried potato shreds, if subjected to further dehydration but not to a level below a moisture content of about 4%, being rehydratable in hot water to potato shreds with a palatable texture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.