Fried potato pieces

Abstract

Fried potato pieces (4), prepared using: a. Providing cut potato pieces (1); b. Blanching the cut potato pieces (1) to produce blanched potato pieces (2); c. Air drying of the blanched potato parts (2) comprising passing the blanched potato parts (2) through an air drying system (6) by means of a conveyor belt system with one or more perforated conveyor belts (9a,b) to produce dried potato parts (3); wherein the air drying of the blanched potato parts (2) comprises at least one first drying step (7), wherein the first drying step (7) has a first drying temperature between 60 °C and 90 °C and a drying interval of 60 s to 600 s, and wherein optionally the air drying of the blanched potato parts (2) comprises a second drying step (8) following the first drying step (7), wherein the second drying step (8) has a second drying temperature between 50 °C and 80 °C and a drying interval of 90 s to 1000 s; d. Equalizing the water distribution in the dried potato parts (3) comprising transporting the dried potato parts (3) on a conveyor belt outside the air drying plant (6) to a fryer (13), wherein the transport on the conveyor belt is carried out within a rest interval and at an ambient temperature below the first drying temperature, and the rest interval is between 60 s and 1000 s, preferably 75 s to 600 s; e. Frying the potato pieces obtained in step d. in the fryer (13) to produce fried potato pieces (4).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of food processing and concerns fried potato parts as well as packaged potato parts. State of the art

[0002] Fried potato pieces, such as French fries, typically undergo several preparatory steps before frying, including cutting and blanching the potato pieces. Since the potato pieces are moist after blanching, they are usually dried before frying. One problem with conventionally fried potato pieces is their often insufficient sensory quality. This can be attributed to uneven drying depending on the potato pieces' position in the drying system, leading to blistering, uneven browning during frying, and varying textures. Uneven moisture distribution within a single potato piece is also problematic, as excessive drying of the surface can result in undesirable crust formation during frying.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for improved fried potato products that overcome the above disadvantages completely or partially, for example by offering improved sensory properties and / or avoiding the undesirable formation of a crust. Description of the invention

[0004] According to the invention, this problem is solved by deep-fried potato pieces as per claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims and the overall disclosure.

[0005] The invention is produced by providing cut potato pieces. In some embodiments, potatoes are first provided and / or peeled and / or cut into potato pieces. Depending on their shape, the fried potato pieces can be, for example, French fries, potato wedges, potato lattice, or potato wedges. Advantageously, however, the fried potato pieces are French fries. It is understood that the term "cut potato pieces" refers to potato pieces that have been cut into smaller pieces. Typically, the cut potato pieces can have a substantially rectangular cross-section.

[0006] The fried potato pieces are produced by blanching the cut potato pieces. During blanching, the cut potato pieces are preferably precooked in a water bath or with steam. The temperature of the water bath and / or steam is usually above room temperature (e.g., 23 °C), and preferably between 70 °C and 120 °C. This advantageously removes undesirable reducing sugars from the potatoes. Optionally, the blanched or cut potato pieces are also sorted, removing pieces that are too small or defective. This ensures consistent quality of the potato pieces. After blanching, the potato pieces are moist or wet due to the water bath, which is disadvantageous for frying.

[0007] Air drying is used to produce dried potato pieces from blanched potato pieces. Those familiar with the process understand that "dried potato pieces" means they have a lower water content than before air drying, for example, than the cut potato pieces. In air drying, the blanched potato pieces pass through an air drying system via a conveyor belt system. This system includes one or more perforated conveyor belts, such as those with holes at regular intervals. This allows air to flow through the perforated conveyor belt(s). Air drying can be based on hot air drying, in which air at a temperature above the room or ambient temperature (which is, for example, the first or second drying temperature) is blown over or between the blanched potato pieces.The blanched potato pieces are then exposed to this airflow. This is made particularly easy by the perforated conveyor belts. During air drying, the blanched potato pieces can be dried, for example, by one or more air streams, with a first air stream having the first drying temperature and a second air stream having the second drying temperature.

[0008] The air drying of the blanched potato parts includes at least one initial drying step. In this initial drying step, the potato parts are dried at a temperature between 50 °C and 100 °C, for example, between 60 °C and 90 °C. The duration of the air drying in this initial drying step is determined by a drying interval, e.g., a first drying interval, which is between 60 s and 1000 s, for example, between 60 s and 600 s, preferably between 75 s and 600 s, or more preferably between 75 s and 500 s. After this first drying interval, the initial drying step is complete.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air drying of the blanched potato parts may include a second drying step following the first. This second drying step, which typically follows directly after the first, can dry the potato parts at a second drying temperature between 50 °C and 80 °C, for example, between 60 °C and 70 °C. The duration of the second drying step is determined by a drying interval, i.e., a second drying interval, which can be between 90 s and 1000 s, for example, between 105 s and 900 s. Optionally, the second drying step can also be carried out at room temperature, for example, between 18 °C and 24 °C.

[0010] Dividing air drying into two drying steps has the advantage of removing water bound to different degrees within the potato pieces. The first drying step is suitable for drying the surface of the potato pieces and removing loosely bound water. The drying interval and temperature of the first drying step are chosen so that the surface of the potato pieces does not become sealed, for example, completely dry out, which would lead to crust formation and prevent the interior of the potato pieces from drying. The second drying step, on the other hand, typically operates at lower drying temperatures than the first. In this step, more tightly bound water, typically from the interior of the potato pieces, diffuses to the surface and dries there.The drying interval and drying temperature of the second drying step are suitable to prevent the surface of the potato parts from sealing, which would impair the drying process from the inside of the potato parts.

[0011] The choice of drying temperature and drying interval for the two drying steps is therefore essentially a technical consideration of the process duration, and thus process costs, and the quality of the potato parts.

[0012] The duration of the intervals between the steps described herein can be defined, for example, by the speed of the conveying system and / or the conveyor belts. This allows, for instance, the throughput time of the potato parts to be regulated by a suitable system, such as an air drying unit.

[0013] The fried potato pieces are further produced by equalizing the water distribution within the dried potato pieces. This equalization process balances the water distribution within each potato piece. In other words, the potato pieces are given time to allow water to be transported from the interior or core to the exterior. This reduces the water content in the interior or core and increases the water content in the outer layer of the potato pieces. This equalization process involves transporting the potato pieces, particularly the dried potato pieces, on a conveyor belt, for example, a transport conveyor, outside the air-drying unit to a fryer. The transport on the conveyor belt is carried out within a resting interval of between 60 s and 1000 s, preferably 75 s to 600 s, and even more preferably 80 s to 520 s.The resting interval refers to the duration during which the dried potato pieces are conveyed on the conveyor belt, for example, from the air drying unit to the fryer. Transport on the conveyor belt takes place at ambient temperature. The term "ambient temperature" refers to the temperature of the surroundings, e.g., the room, outside the air drying unit. The ambient temperature is below the first and / or second drying temperature or the temperature inside the air drying unit, for example, between 18°C ​​and 40°C, particularly between 18°C ​​and 35°C, and especially between 18°C ​​and 30°C.

[0014] The duration of the resting interval is preferably chosen so that the water present in the dried potato pieces after air drying can distribute itself evenly throughout each piece. During this time, the dried potato pieces can relax, thus equalizing any mechanical and / or chemical imbalances, for example, through water diffusion. This prevents the surface of the potato pieces from drying out during frying.

[0015] Furthermore, fried potato pieces are produced by deep-frying the potato pieces in a deep fryer. Deep-frying typically involves immersing the potato pieces (e.g., after equalizing the water distribution) in a bath of oil. The oil bath is at a temperature suitable for deep-frying. The potato pieces usually pass through the deep fryer, or rather the oil bath, via a conveyor belt. Such a conveyor belt can enter the oil bath at one end and exit it at another.

[0016] In preferred embodiments, where air drying comprises the first and second drying steps, the blanched potato pieces can be turned and / or mixed between the first and second drying steps, particularly during the transition from the first to the second drying step. This results in more uniform drying of the potato pieces. Furthermore, it prevents or at least reduces the sticking of the potato pieces. The turning or mixing can be accomplished, for example, by a stage in the conveyor belt system. Thus, the first drying step can take place on at least one perforated conveyor belt, and the second drying step on another perforated conveyor belt.The stage in the conveyor belt system can be designed such that, for example, the conveyor belts of the two drying steps are arranged offset from each other in the direction of gravity; in particular, the perforated conveyor belt of the first drying step can be positioned higher than the perforated conveyor belt of the second drying step. This allows the potato pieces at the end of the first drying step to fall onto the perforated conveyor belt of the second drying step, where they are turned or mixed.

[0017] In preferred embodiments, in which air drying comprises the first and second drying steps, the first drying temperature can be higher than the second drying temperature.

[0018] In some embodiments, air can flow through perforations in one or more perforated conveyor belts onto the blanched potato pieces for air drying. The perforated conveyor belts can exhibit high air resistance. In particular, the air resistance of the perforated conveyor belts can be higher than the air resistance of the blanched potato pieces, for example, at least twice as high. In other words, the air resistance of the potato pieces, for example, on the perforated conveyor belts, can be negligible compared to the high air resistance of the perforated conveyor belts. This high air resistance can be determined, for example, by selecting the perforation pattern of the conveyor belts.

[0019] In some embodiments, one or more perforated conveyor belts may have an open area formed by perforations in the one or more perforated conveyor belts of 20% to 25% of the total area.

[0020] The perforation of the conveyor belts can, for example, consist of perforations in the form of holes, such as holes with a diameter of 3 mm to 8 mm, preferably 4 mm to 6 mm, for example 5 mm. The holes typically have a circular cross-section. The distance between the holes, measured from the edge of each hole, can be greater than or equal to the diameter of the holes. The holes are typically round, e.g., circular. This allows, for example, a majority (i.e., > 50%) of the conveyor belt area to remain unperforated. For example, 10% to 30%, 15% to 25%, or 20% of the conveyor belt area can be perforated and / or permeable to air. This significantly increases the air resistance of the conveyor belts. This has the advantage that the air flowing through the conveyor belts is distributed evenly across the surface of the conveyor belts, regardless of the position of the potato pieces on the conveyor belt.This ensures that all parts of the potato are dried evenly.

[0021] In some versions, the air drying system can cover 30,000 m³. 3 up to 175000 m 3 Circulate air per hour, for example 90000 m³ 3 up to 150,000 m 3 This allows the airflow to travel 30,000 m through the perforated conveyor belts. 3 up to 175000 m 3 per hour, for example 90000 m 3 up to 150,000 m 3 per hour.

[0022] Furthermore, in the first drying step, two fans arranged in series can circulate air and / or generate airflows to dry the potato pieces. "Arranged in series" here means along one or more perforated conveyor belts, or in the direction of travel. The blanched potato pieces are, for example, first exposed to air from the first fan and then to air from the second fan. The air from the two fans can have different temperatures, such as drying temperatures, and / or different flow rates and / or different air volumes.

[0023] In embodiments where air drying additionally includes a second drying step, three fans arranged sequentially can circulate air in the second drying step. The first fan (i.e., the one the potato pieces pass through first in the second drying step) can, for example, dry the surfaces of the potato pieces that are exposed by turning or mixing them after the first drying step. The second and third fans in the second drying step can then subsequently dry more tightly bound water, which typically diffuses from the interior of the potato pieces to the surface.In the second drying step, the fans can also be set so that the air from the three fans can have different temperatures, for example drying temperatures, and / or different flow rates and / or different air volumes.

[0024] In preferred embodiments, the transport of the dried potato parts on a conveyor belt outside the air drying plant to a fryer, in particular the resting interval, can be configured in such a way that a uniform water distribution in the potato parts is achieved before frying.

[0025] Furthermore, the invention relates to packaged potato pieces produced from fried potato pieces according to the first aspect of the invention. For this purpose, the fried potato pieces are packaged, for example, in potato portions with predefined sizes and / or weights. The fried potato pieces can be frozen before packaging. Brief explanation of the characters

[0026] Aspects of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures and the accompanying description.

[0027] They show: Fig. 1 A flowchart of the production of one embodiment of fried potato pieces and optionally packaged potato pieces; Fig. 2 A schematic top view of an embodiment of the plant in which fried potato pieces can be produced. Ways to implement the invention

[0028] Fig. Figure 1 shows a flowchart for the production of one embodiment of fried potato pieces and packaged potato pieces. In the first step, S1, cut potato pieces are provided. These pieces can be, for example, cut from potatoes. In the next step, S2, the cut potato pieces are blanched. Blanching can take place in a water bath. In step S3, the blanched potato pieces are dried in an air-drying system with perforated conveyor belts. The blanched potato pieces undergo, for example, two drying stages: first at 60 °C to 85 °C for 150 s to 300 s, and then at 60 °C to 70 °C for 200 s to 450 s, depending on the cut potato pieces and the desired end product. After drying, in step S4, the dried potato pieces are transported on a conveyor belt outside the air-drying system to a fryer.This step takes at least 70 seconds. In step S5, the potato pieces are deep-fried to obtain fried potato pieces. The subsequent step S6, in which the fried potato pieces are packaged, produces packaged potato pieces from the fried potato pieces, which can, for example, also be deep-frozen.

[0029] Fig.Figure 2 shows a schematic top view of an embodiment of the system in which fried potato pieces can be produced. In this embodiment, the blanching bath 12, the air drying system 6, and the fryer 13 are connected to each other via conveyor belts. The cut potato pieces 1 are located upstream of the blanching bath 12. Between the blanching bath 12 and the air drying system 6, blanched potato pieces 2 are located on a transport system, for example, configured as a pumping section in water. The air drying system 6 comprises a conveyor belt system with perforated conveyor belts 9a and 9b, as well as a first area in which the first drying step 7 is carried out and a second area in which a second drying step 8 is carried out. The first and second drying steps each have specific drying intervals and drying temperatures. Between the two drying steps, or rather,A stage 10 of the conveyor system is provided between conveyor belts 9a and 9b. The transport conveyor belt 11 is located between the air drying unit 6 and the fryer 13. The length and speed of this transport conveyor belt are designed so that the dried potato pieces have enough time to relax during transport and, for example, to distribute their water evenly through diffusion. The resulting potato pieces are then fed directly to the fryer 13 and continuously fried. The even water distribution in the potato pieces results in high-quality fried potato pieces 4. List of reference symbols 1 sliced ​​potato pieces 2 blanched potato pieces 3 dried potato pieces 4 fried potato pieces 5 pre-packaged potato pieces 6 Air drying system 7 First drying step 8 second drying step 9 a, b perforated conveyor belts 10th stage in the conveyor belt system 11 Transport conveyor belt 12 Blanchier bath 13 Deep fryer S1 Providing cut potato pieces S2 Blanching the cut potato pieces S3 Air drying of the blanched potato parts S4 Transport of the dried potato parts S5 Deep frying the dried potato pieces S6 Packing the fried potato pieces

Claims

[1] Fried potato pieces (4), prepared using: a. Providing cut potato pieces (1); b. Blanching the cut potato pieces (1) to produce blanched potato pieces (2); c. Air drying of the blanched potato parts (2) comprising passing the blanched potato parts (2) through an air drying system (6) by means of a conveyor belt system with one or more perforated conveyor belts (9a,b) to produce dried potato parts (3); wherein the air drying of the blanched potato parts (2) comprises at least one first drying step (7), wherein the first drying step (7) has a first drying temperature between 60 °C and 90 °C and a drying interval of 60 s to 600 s, and wherein optionally the air drying of the blanched potato parts (2) comprises a second drying step (8) following the first drying step (7), wherein the second drying step (8) has a second drying temperature between 50 °C and 80 °C and a drying interval of 90 s to 1000 s; d. Equalizing the water distribution in the dried potato parts (3) comprising transporting the dried potato parts (3) on a conveyor belt outside the air drying plant (6) to a fryer (13), wherein the transport on the conveyor belt is carried out within a rest interval and at an ambient temperature below the first drying temperature, and the rest interval is between 60 s and 1000 s, preferably 75 s to 600 s; e. Frying the potato pieces obtained in step d. in the fryer (13) to produce fried potato pieces (4). [2] Fried potato pieces (4) according to claim 1, wherein the air drying comprises the first (7) and second (8) drying step and the blanched potato pieces (2) are turned and / or mixed during a transition from the first (7) drying step to the second drying step (8), optionally by a stage in the conveyor system. [3] Fried potato pieces (4) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air drying comprises the first (7) and second (8) drying step and wherein the first drying temperature is higher than the second drying temperature. [4] Fried potato pieces (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for air drying air is supplied through perforations in the one or more perforated conveyor belts through the one or more conveyor belts onto the blanched potato pieces (2), and wherein optionally an air resistance of the perforated conveyor belt (9a,b) is so high that an air resistance of the blanched potato pieces (2) is negligible. [5] Fried potato pieces (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more perforated conveyor belts have an open area formed by perforations in the one or more perforated conveyor belts of 20% to 25% of the total area of ​​the one or more conveyor belts. [6] Fried potato pieces (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the air drying system (6) is configured to 30000 m 3 up to 175000 m 3 To circulate air per hour. [7] Fried potato pieces (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the first drying step (7) two fans arranged in succession circulate air and, if the air drying additionally comprises the second (8) drying step, in the second drying step (8) three fans arranged in succession circulate air. [8] Packaged potato pieces made from fried potato pieces (4) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fried potato pieces are packaged, and wherein optionally the fried potato pieces (3) are frozen prior to packaging.

Images