GB978818A - Improvements in or relating to potato products - Google Patents

Abstract

A potato product is produced by reducing the particle size of raw potatoes to form a mixture of finely divided solids and liquid, increasing the viscosity of the mixture, forming the mixture into shaped bodies and subsequently cooking the shaped bodies. A crisp, friable potato chip containing up to 10% by weight of moisture and up to 50% of fat, may be obtained by reducing the particle size of raw potatoes to form a pulp (preferably of moisture content as low as about 55%), heating the pulp to a temperature of from about 65 DEG C. to 100 DEG C. to gelatinize at least 80% by weight of the starch, cooling to a temperature within the range of from about -1 DEG C. to 38 DEG C, forming the pulp into chips, dusting the chips with flour, drying to bring their solids content up to from 50 to 90% by weight, and subsequently deep frying the dried chips in frying oil (specified). The viscosity of the finely-divided potato solids and liquid may alternatively by increased by separating 40-80% by weight of the solids and liquid, and forming an admixture of the finely divided solids with up to 10% of their weight of a gelling agent such as methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, pregelatinized wheat starch, waxy maize starch, agar or mixtures of these. Proteins may be recovered from the separated liquid as by heat coagulation and returned to the solids phase. Before any separated liquid is returned to the solids phase, its content of reducing sugars and amino acids is removed by fermentation or enzymatic oxidation and ion exchange, respectively. Spices, seasonings and flavourings such as sugars, salt, gluten, hydrogenated vegetable protein, soy flour, monosodium glutamate, lecithin, fats and barbecue seasoning may be included in the mixture. The potato pulp may be shaped by extrusion or by rapidly cooling it to about -2 DEG C. and slicing the mass into pieces of the desired shape and size. According to an example, discs of raw potato of about 6.4 mm. thickness were treated with aqueous sodium bisulphite solution and put through a high speed cutting mill to produce a pulp having a viscosity of 7 x 104 c.p.s. This pulp was heated for 5 minutes in a scraped-surface heat exchanger to a temperature of 93 DEG C. to gel at least 80% of the starch in the pulp. After coling, the pulp of viscosity of 2 x 106 c.p.s. was extruded through an orifice of varying width into elliptical-shaped chips. The chips were heated in a hot air oven and then fried by submerging them for 5 seconds in fat at 193 DEG C.