Dehydrated potato processes and products

Abstract

A dehydrated potato product yielding rapidly upon reconstitution pieces resembling pieces of fresh potato suitable for frying, as for instance hash brown potatoes, formed by preparing an aqueous dough of about 23 percent solids, not less than about 80 percent of which are undamaged potato cells and the balance of which includes conventional additives and not less than about 6 percent extracellular starch in a form to provide sufficient soluble edible adhesive, forming pieces of the desired size, and drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 71/2 percent.

We claim: 
     
       1. A process for producing a reconstituted dehydrated cooked potato strip or piece suitable for use, without loss of piece identity, in the preparation of dishes as a substitute for a like strip or piece of natural cooked potato comprising the steps of: a. producing an aqueous dough with a solids content on the order of 25 percent, said solids comprising not less than 80 percent undamaged separated previously dehydrated cooked potato cells and a maximum of 20 percent ungelatinized raw starch added in an amount sufficient after subsequent gelatinization to give the required adhesive character to the dough to impart to the eventual dehydrated strip or piece a texture to allow reconstitution and pan frying without loss of piece identity;   b. subjecting said dough to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the ungelatinized starch without drying;   c. forming said heat-treated dough while still hot into pieces or strips about one-eighth to one-fourth inch in thickness, suitable for eventual dish preparation;   d. predrying said pieces or strips out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering to one another;   e. finally drying said pieces or strips immediately following the predrying to prevent diffusion of moisture to their surface to a moisture content on the order of 71/2 percent; and   f. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity for use in dish preparation.   
     
     
       2. A process for providing a reconstituted dehydrated cooked potato strip or piece suitable for use, without loss of identity, in the preparation of dishes as a substitute for a like strip or piece of natural cooked potato comprising the steps of: a. producing an aqueous dough of 17 to 50 percent solids, by mixing not less than 80 percent undamaged separated previously dehydrated cooked potato solids with ungelatinized starch to give total extra cellular raw starch content of 6 to 20 percent of the total solids content;   b. subjecting said dough to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the raw starch without drying;   c. forming said heat-treated dough while still hot into pieces or strips about one-eighth by one-fourth inch in thickness, suitable for eventual dish preparation;   d. predrying said pieces or strips out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering to one another,   e. finally drying said pieces or strips, immediately following the predrying to prevent diffusion of moisture to their surface to a moisture content of the order of 71/2 percent; and   f. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity for use in dish preparation.   
     
     
       3. A process for producing a reconstituted dehydrated cooked potato strip or piece suitable for use, without loss of piece identity, in the preparation of dishes as a substitute for a like strip or piece of natural cooked potato comprising the steps of: a. producing an aqueous dough containing on the order of 25 percent solids consisting of undamaged separated previously dehydrated potato granules and a quantity of added raw starch, said starch being in the range of from about 6 to about 9 percent of the solids;   b. subjecting said dough to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the ungelatinized starch without drying;   c. forming said heat-treated dough while still hot into pieces or strips suitable for dish preparation, about one-eighth to one-fourth inch in cross section;   d. predrying said pieces or strips out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering to one another;   e. finally drying said pieces or strips, immediately following the predrying to prevent diffusion of moisture to their surface to a moisture content on the order of 71/2 percent, and   f. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity for use in dish preparation.   
     
     
       4. A process for producing a reconstituted and fried, previously dehydrated, potato strip comprising the steps of: a. admixing undamaged separated previously dehydrated potato granules with raw starch, said starch being in the range of about 6 to 9 percent;   b. producing a dough of about 25 percent solids with said mixture;   c. subjecting said dough to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the ungelatinized starch without drying;   d. forming said heat-treated pieces while still hot into pieces about one-eighth to one-fourth inch in thickness suitable for rehydration and frying;   e. predrying said pieces out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering one to another;   f. finally drying said pieces by following the predrying to prevent diffusion of the moisture to their surface, to a moisture content on the order of 71/2 percent;   g. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity; and   h. frying said rehydrated pieces to produce permanently agglomerated previously separated and dehydrated intact hash brown potato.   
     
     
       5. A process for producing a reconstituted dehydrated cooked potato strip or piece suitable for use without loss of piece identity in the preparation of dishes as a substitute for a like strip or piece of natural cooked potato comprising the steps of: a. producing an aqueous dough with a solids content on the order of 25 percent, said solids comprising not less than 80 percent undamaged separated previously dehydrated cooked potato cells and a maximum of 20 percent ungelatinized raw starch added in an amount sufficient after subsequent gelatinization to give the required adhesive character to the dough to impart to the eventual dehydrated strip or piece a texture to allow reconstitution and pan frying without loss of piece identity;   b. forming said dough into pieces or strips about one-eighth to one-fourth inch thick, suitable for eventual dish preparation;   c. subjecting said pieces or strips to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the ungelatinized starch without drying;   d. predrying said pieces or strips out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering to one another;   e. finally drying said pieces or strips immediately following the predrying to prevent diffusion of moisture to their surface to a moisture content on the order of 71/2 percent; and   f. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity for use in dish preparation.   
     
     
       6. A process for producing a reconstituted dehydrated cooked potato strip or piece suitable for use, without loss of piece identity, in the preparation of dishes as a substitute for a like strip or piece of natural cooked potato comprising the steps of: a. producing an aqueous dough of 17 to 50 percent solids, by mixing not less than 80 percent undamaged separated previously dehydrated cooked potato solids with ungelatinized starch to give total extra cellular raw starch content of 6 to 20 percent of the total solids content;   b. forming said dough into pieces or strips about one-eighth to one-fourth inch thick, suitable for eventual dish preparation;   c. subjecting said pieces or strips to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the ungelatinized starch without drying;   d. predrying said pieces or strips out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering to one another;   e. finally drying said pieces or strips, immediately following the predrying to prevent diffusion of moisture to their surface to a moisture content on the order of 71/2 percent; and   f. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity for use in dish preparation.   
     
     
       7. A process for producing a reconstituted dehydrated cooked potato strip or piece suitable for use, without loss of piece identity, in the preparation of dishes as a substitute for a like strip or piece of natural cooked potato comprising the steps of: a. producing an aqueous dough containing on the order of 25 percent solids consisting of undamaged separated previously dehydrated potato granules and a quantity of added raw starch, said starch being in the range of from about 6 to about 9 percent of the solids;   b. forming said dough into pieces or strips about one-eighth to one-fourth inch thick, suitable for eventual dish preparation;   c. subjecting said pieces or strips to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize the ungelatinized starch without drying;   d. predrying said pieces or strips out of contact with one another to remove the surface moisture to prevent them from adhering to one another;   e. finally drying said pieces or strips, immediately following the predrying to prevent diffusion of moisture to their surface to a moisture content on the order of 71/2 percent; and   f. reconstituting said pieces with water without loss of piece identity for use in dish preparation.