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US 8,771,776 B2Granted
Method to produce, transport, and utilize flour and flour blends
OwnerTodd W Gocha, Joseph Dileonardoinventors
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Abstract
A method to produce a food product comprises the steps of providing a plurality of flint corn kernels; drying the flint corn kernels; popping the flint corn kernels; cooling the porous, airy, elastic foam particles produced during popping; cutting with a moving blade said porous, airy foam particles into pieces having a width greater than 0.005 inches to produce an elastic, air entrained popcorn flour occupying a volume; and, vacuum packaging the elastic popcorn flour to reduce the volume occupied by the popcorn flour.
Claims20
A method for producing a food product, flour comprising the steps of
- (a) providing a plurality of flint corn kernels;
- (b) drying the flint corn kernels to a moisture content in the range of 12% to 16% by weight;
- (c) popping said flint corn kernels by heating said kernels to
- (i) produce in said kernels a temperature greater than 275 degrees F. and a pressure greater than 100 psi,
- (ii) gelatinize and soften the starch in the kernel,
- (iii) rupture the hulls of said flint corn kernels to produce a sudden drop in pressure inside the kernel to permit a rapid expansion of the steam to expand the starch and proteins of the endosperm into porous, airy, elastic foam particles;
- (d) cooling said porous, airy, elastic foam particles;
- (e) cutting with a moving blade said porous, airy foam particles into pieces having a width greater than 0.005 inches to produce an elastic, air entrained popcorn flour occupying a volume;
- (f) vacuum packaging said elastic popcorn flour to reduce the volume occupied by said popcorn flour.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.