KR20000065080A - Oven-baked French fries with deep-fried flavor and texture - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to French fried potatoes made in an oven, close to the features and characteristics of French fries finished by deep fat frying. The oven-finished french fries of the present invention have indistinguishable properties from deep-fryed french fries, in particular in the combination of bulk moisture, total fat, internal moisture, surface moisture activity and tissue value, It can be distinguished from commercial and prior art oven frying. Oven-finished French fries have about 32% to about 50% bulk moisture, about 8% to about 25% total fat, about 55% to about 80% internal moisture, about 0.55 or more surface moisture activity, and about 200 The above tissue value, where the tissue value is the maximum force (g) or area (g seconds) under the force deformation curve during the initial third of the compression test.

Description

Oven-baked French Fries with Dip-Fried Flavor and Tissue

The present invention relates to French fried potatoes, which are baked in an oven. More specifically, the present invention relates to oven-finished French fried potatoes, which approximates the characteristics and characteristics of French fries that are finished by deep fat frying. .

French fries potatoes are one of the most popular convenience foods, whether made at home or purchased at fast food restaurants. Deep-fried French fries are particularly preferred by their tissue nutrients. This textural nutrient is evident in the product itself with a very crunchy exterior and a soft, moist interior. The dip-frying method has been found to be a particularly suitable method for imparting desired tissue nutrients to French fried potatoes.

Attention has recently been paid to the use of ovens for making French fries from a partially fried (hereinafter, par-fried) frozen state. Oven-finished products of the prior art are not equivalent to deep-fried French fries. This is because, during the oven-finish, moisture moves from the inner core to the crust part outward. This keeps the oven-finished French fries wet, ie the frying surface is not crunchy.

Attempts to improve tissue by longer heating times, higher oven temperatures, rapid heating (eg, microwaves), and the like, generally could not provide the desired balance of moist interior wrapped in low humidity crunchy crust. In general, French fries made are tough, dry and hard. When manufacturing French fries with poor tissue quality (e.g., dry internal and tough, wet external crusts) in oven-finishes or oven-reheats, some methods of changing the par-fries and / or fully cooked fries Examples of methods to do this can be found in the prior art (see US 5,000,970 (Shanbhag et al.), US 5,302,410 (Calder et al.), US 3,865,964 (Kellermeier) and US 5,242,699 (Bednar et al.)). Poor tissue quality affects the palatability of the oven-finished product. Thus, there is a great need today for French fried potatoes that have the color, texture, texture, and flavor of an oven-finished, ready-to-eat deep fried french fries.

The oven-finished french fries of the present invention provide one or more advantages in organoleptic properties, in particular the crunchyness of the crust and the moisture of the inner core. The oven finished frying has a nutrient equivalent to the texture of the deep fried frying. The outer surface (eg crust) is usually crunchy, not overly greasy, and the inner part (ie the core) is well cooked, soft, powdery, moist but not damp.

The oven-finished French fries of the present invention are French fries that are deep-fried with a combination of their properties, in particular bulk moisture, total fat, internal moisture content, surface water activity (Aw) and texture value (Texture Value). In practically indistinguishable, it can be distinguished from commercial and prior art oven-finished French fries. Oven-finished French fries of the present invention can be distinguished from commercial oven fries based on a major assessment (ie, a professional sensory panel).

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is significantly preferred over commercial and prior art oven finished products on the basis of flavor / satisfaction, and provides an oven-finished french fries in which the flavor matches the deep fried french fries. will be.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an oven-finished French fries that are substantially indistinguishable from deep-fat fried French fries that can be purchased at fast food stores.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an oven finished French fries having a moist interior surrounded by a crunchy and smooth outer surface.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the present specification.

All percentages refer to% by weight unless otherwise noted.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed to an oven-finished French fries potato product comprising:

a) about 32% to about 50% bulk moisture;

b) about 8% to about 25% of total fat;

c) internal moisture content of about 55% to about 80%;

d) up to about 0.55 surface water activity (Aw); And

e) about 200 or more tissue titers, where the tissue titer is the maximum force (g) or area (g seconds) under the force strain curve during the initial third of the pressure test.

Oven Finney the swing French fry has a tissue that can not be distinguished from the commercially available french fries is substantially produced by the deep-fat Flower Ying, such as M ^c Donald's ^TM French fries.

The present invention mainly relates to the properties of oven finished French fries. The present invention additionally relates to oven-finished French fries which are ready to eat and are substantially indistinguishable from deep-fried French fries.

Justice

As used herein, the term "deep fried french fries" refers to potato strips cooked in ready-to-eat form by dipping in hot oil.

As used herein, the term "far-fried" or "far-fried" refers to potato strips that perform one or more frying processes (eg, dip-frying) but are not fully cooked.

As used herein, the term “oven-finish” means toaster, toaster oven, forced air convection oven, high speed air oven, hot air capture oven, infrared oven, convection / infrared combination oven, microwave oven, microwave / convection combination oven or By converting the product into ready-to-eat form by cooking in a normal household oven. Typically, cooking involves reducing the water content of the food.

The term "fat" or "oil" as used herein refers to natural or synthetic fats and triglycerides such as, for example, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, fish oil, lard and tallow, and the like. Refers to a general edible fatty substance comprising the essential oil, which means that it can be partially or fully hydrogenated or modified, and refers to a nontoxic fatty substance having properties similar to triglycerides, wherein the fatty substituents will be partially or completely undegradable. Can be. The terms "fat" and "oil" are used interchangeably.

As used herein, the term “finished” refers to a product that has been converted into a ready-to-eat form by performing a cooking process.

As used herein, the term "conditioned oil" refers to the oil previously used to fry for a time sufficient to develop a frying scent.

As used herein, the term “oven finished” refers to a product that has been converted to ready-to-eat form by performing an oven baking process.

The term “oven baking” as used herein refers to a combination of forced convection ovens, hot air capture ovens, infrared ovens, combinations of infrared and convection ovens, toasters, toaster ovens, microwave ovens, microwave and forced air convection ovens or conventional It means baking in an oven, such as a home oven.

As used herein, the term "organizer" is the maximum force (g) or area (g seconds) under the force deformation curve recorded for one third of the compression test (see analytical test methods for details).

Oven Finished French Fries

The main features of the present invention are the tissue, bulk moisture, internal moisture content, surface Aw, and amount of fat present in the oven-finished product. It is important to distinguish the present invention from commercially available and prior art oven-finished fries, and a combination of these properties, which is not one characteristic that is substantially indistinguishable from a deep fried frying.

A distinctive feature of the present invention lies in part in the recognition of the decisive physical and thermal properties of par-fry, where these relationships are oven-finished French with moist internal and crunchy crusts during various different oven-finishing processes. Used to secure a fry. More specifically, the present invention recognizes that for oven-finished french fries, a range of surface Aw values and tissue values are required for optimal taste.

One aspect of the invention is a par-fryed potato strip, which may be prepared by processing steps known in the art. Far-fry may be prepared from a variety of live potatoes known to be suitable for making French fries. Preferably, the par-fried potato strips are made from Russet Burbank, Shepody or Katahdin species. The frying strips can be of various shapes and sizes. However, relatively thin, long potato strips such as "shoestrings" are preferred. The potato strip, referred to herein as the potato strip, is one having a cross section of about 3/16 to about 5/16 inches square and a length of about 2.5 to about 5 inches. Coarse cutting potato strips; That is, "wrinkle cut" strips, straight cuts (known as "normal cuts") coarse potato strips, and "steak fry" cuts can also be used here.

Potato strips are blended according to conventional methods known in the art. Following the blending step, the potato strips can be further processed as is known in the art. For example, potato strips can be treated with the chelating agent, sodium pyrophosphate (SAPP), used to prevent discoloration of the strip. Dextrose (corn syrup) may also be applied to the surface of the strip in order to obtain the desired level of browning progression in a continuous process. In addition, the potato strips may optionally be partially dried to reduce its moisture content. The potato strip is then subjected to one or more frying processes at an oil temperature between about 270 ° F. (132 ° C.) and about 385 ° F. (196 ° C.). This frying process may include immersion of the potato strip in oil, heated oil spray surrounding the potato strip with hot oil, or frying with oil bubbles. In a preferred embodiment, the blanched potato strips contain at least about 30% to about 58% of moisture at an oil temperature of about 270 ° F. (132 ° C.) to about 335 ° F. (about 168 ° C.) to prepare par-fry. After frying for a sufficient time, the moisture content is reduced by at least 60%. After frying, the par-fry is immediately cooled or frozen. Refrigeration or freezing of par-fry may be carried out by methods known in the art. Multiple frying, refrigeration and / or freezing steps may be used during the processing of the par-fry. Par-fry may also be treated with various surface treatments (eg, oiling; application of hydrocolloid coatings; application of water, aqueous or aqueous dispersions, etc.) before or after cooling or freezing. Pa-fri may be stored frozen at a temperature of about -70 ° F (-57 ° C) to about 20 ° F (-6.7 ° C).

The moisture, fat content and thermal properties of par-fry are important for the preparation of oven baked fry of the present invention. Of particular importance is the distribution and storage of moisture in the far fryer and the regulation of moisture movement from the inner core to the crust portion during oven-finishing. During storage and oven-finishing, by controlling the migration of moisture from the inner core to the crust portion, ready-to-eat oven-baked French fries can be prepared to have a very scented moist interior surrounded by a low moisture crunchy crust portion. Can be. The textural nutrients that produce the oven-finished French fries are very similar to those present in the French Fries that are finished by dip-frying.

During freezing storage, the movement of moisture from the inner core to the crust portion can be partially controlled by frying potato strips, the bulk moisture being preferably at least about 40%, more preferably at least about 42%, and most preferred Makes it about 44% or more. Moisture transfer can also be minimized by reducing or eliminating the Aw gradient between the inner core and the crust, which is the driving force for moisture transfer, by hydrating the crust portion prior to freezing storage to increase the crust Aw. Hydration of the crust portion can be performed by applying water, a water fog, an aqueous solution or an aqueous dispersion to the par-fry surface. Preferably spraying is used to hydrate the crust portion of the par-fry.

Moisture transfer from the inner core to the crust portion of the oven-finish can be minimized by using oven-finishing conditions that rapidly and / or preferentially dry the surface of the french fries. This can be achieved by selecting oven conditions (temperature, air velocity) which yield a relatively high surface heat transfer coefficient at the oven temperature. Higher surface heat transfer coefficients are preferred because they result in faster cooking times and more pronounced, crunchy, low moisture crust portions. Preferred surface heat transfer coefficients at oven temperatures are about 50 to about 400 watts / m 2. Prior drying of the par-fry surface can also be achieved by coating the par-fry with edible fats or oils, which increases the conduction of heat from the ambient air to the frying surface during oven baking. The desired thermal conductivity at the oven temperature of the crust portion of the par-fry is from about 0.1 to about 0.3 watts / m ° C. The desired thermal conductivity of the high humidity inner core is about 0.4 to about 0.7 watts / m ° C. Coating the par-fry with fats or oils serves the purpose of providing a barrier to moisture loss from the inner core, such as the oil being partially absorbed by the crust outer portion during baking. The par-fry surface can also be modified to improve the absorption of radiant heat from the oven. A typical way to do this is to change the color, porosity and / or reflectivity of the par-fry surface.

Thermal conductivity and surface heat transfer coefficient can be calculated as follows.

Surface heat transfer coefficient

General formulas for heat transfer through an interface are known:

Q _t = UA (T ₂ -T ₁ )-ΔH _w + Q _r

Where Q _t = heat transfer through the boundary (watts or equivalent energy unit);

U = surface heat transfer coefficient (watts / m 2 ° C or equivalent energy unit);

A = surface area of the boundary (m 2 or equivalent energy unit);

T ₂ = temperature on the hot side of the boundary (° C. or equivalent energy unit);

T ₁ = temperature on the cooler side of the boundary (° C. or equivalent energy unit);

ΔH _w = heat loss due to evaporation of water from the surface;

Q _r = radiant heat transfer = AFσ (T ₂ ⁴ -T ₁ ⁴ ), where F is a shape factor and σ is a Stefan-Boltzmann constant.

Careful measurement of the temperature versus time on one side of the boundary, and also the amount of water versus time on the other side of the boundary, and the temperature of any infrared heating source for the directly exposed surface, allow the surface heat transfer coefficient (U) to be calculated.

Thermal conductivity

Thermal conductivity for food materials with crust can be calculated once known U, T ₂ and T ₁ .

k = UL (T ₂ -T ₁ ) / (T ₁ -T _i )

k = thermal conductivity (W / m 2 ° C or equivalent energy unit);

L = crust thickness (m or equivalent energy unit);

T _i = reference temperature.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, prior art oven frying is a finished oven with par-fry properties (moisture; fat; surface fat; thermal properties) and an internal and crunchy low-humid crust with a moist interior and moist-finish conditions. Since it is not optimized for producing frying, it is believed that the desired tissue nutrients are lacking in connection with high quality deep-fried French fries. For example, many commercial or prior art par-frys have a high moisture content such that oven-finished French fries may not have a sufficiently low bulk moisture content or a crunchy surface texture for recommended oven baking. It is not dehydrated enough to yield. Using more stringent oven conditions can remove water from the frying surface and can improve the crunchyness of the crust, while excessive internal moisture migration from the inner core to the surface occurs simultaneously, resulting in one or more of the following tissue drawbacks; Tough surface tissue; Interior perceived as overdrying; And / or oven-finished french fries having at least one whole tissue or the like that is overly crisp, etc. (ie, oven-finished fries do not have the desired tissue nutrients associated with deep-fried french fries. ).

Other methods can also be used to control the moisture transport and moisture distribution of the par-fry. However, as noted above, preferred methods include adjusting the bulk moisture and thermal properties of the par-fry (ie, the thermal conductivity of the high humidity inner core, the thermal conductivity of the crust portion, and the surface heat transfer coefficient). The bulk moisture of par-fry is determined by the processing conditions used to make the par-fry; That is, the conditions used for dewatering the potato strips before frying; Par-frying conditions; And when hydrating par-fry. The thermal properties of the par-fry may likewise be modified and further modified by the application of various components (ie oiling; coating with hydrocolloids, etc.) on the surface of the par-fry.

Fa-fris useful in the present invention have a bulk moisture of greater than about 30%. Typically, the bulk moisture is about 38% to about 58%, preferably about 40% to about 56%, more preferably about 42% to about 54% and even more preferably about 44% to about 50%.

The bulk moisture and thermal properties of the par-fris provide a method of controlling the moisture loss from the par-fried potato strips in an oven-finish so that the resulting french fries have substantially the same textural nutrients as the deep fried french fries. to provide. In addition, the bulk moisture and thermal properties of Far-Fry indicate how the Far-Frying processing conditions and the Oven-Finishing conditions can be altered to establish optimal textural properties within the oven-finished French Fries.

Another embodiment of the present invention is an oven-finished French fries. The oven-finished french fries of the present invention may be a forced air convection oven, hot air capture oven, infrared oven, infrared radiation and convection combination oven, toaster, toaster oven, microwave oven, microwave and forced air convection combination oven, or conventional It can be baked in a variety of ovens, including household ovens. The baking time is about 15 minutes or less, preferably about 10 minutes or less, more preferably about 5 minutes or less, and most preferably about 3 minutes or less. Upon removal from the oven, the baked frying may be optionally coated with oil to further enhance flavor and texture. Preferably the oil used in the coating of the baked fry is a flavored or conditioned oil. Oils may be prepared by methods known in the art; That is, it may be applied to the surface of the baked fry by a method such as spraying the warmed oil on the surface or rapidly immersing the fry in a warmed oil bath. Oven-finished French fries of the present invention are characterized in that they are substantially indistinguishable from French fries that are finished by deep-fat frying, in particular the combination of tissue, bulk moisture, internal moisture, surface Aw and total fat. It can be distinguished from the commercial and prior art French fries in that it has. In addition, the oven-finished french fries of the present invention can be distinguished from commercially available and prior art oven-finished french fries based on major assessments (eg, professional sensory panels).

Organizer

An important feature of the present invention is the texture value of the oven-finished French fries. This value depends on the combination of factors such as moisture content, crunchy crust, degree of dehydration of the crust, and other physical properties of the frying. The tissue value is measured using a texture analyzer equipped with a right angled thick steel plate probe. As the steel plate compresses the French fries, a compression test is performed to measure the resistance (see Analytical Test Method for details). Plot the force (g) versus time (second) data to create a force strain curve. Two tissue parameters obtained from the force deformation curve are used to characterize the tissue of French fries, the average maximum force (g) and the average area (g seconds) during the initial third of the compression test. We found that both of these parameters corrected the crispness of French fries, one of which could be defined as an organizer. The high quality oven-finished French fries of the present invention exhibit distinct textural nutrients and are characterized by at least about 200 tissue values (ie, maximum force or area). Preferably the tissue number is from about 210 to about 1000, more preferably from about 220 to about 600, even more preferably from about 240 to about 500. In addition, the oven-finished French fries of the present invention have an average of at least about 1.0, preferably at least 1.04, more preferably at least 1.08, even more preferably at least 1.12, and most preferably at least 1.16. Has an area ratio. Commercial oven-finished fries made according to the manufacturer's oven usage lack the nutrient compositional properties as found in the fries of the present invention. Typically, the average maximum force (g) and average area (g seconds) for commercial and prior art oven fry are less than 200, and the average area for average maximum force is about 1.0 or less.

An overcooked commercial oven fryer may exhibit an average maximum force or area of about 200 or more. However, the oven-finished fry of the present invention can be distinguished from commercially cooked oven fry that is overcooked in terms of bulk and / or internal moisture, and the ratio of the average area to the average maximum force of the overcooked commercial fry fry is general. About 1.0 or less.

Bulk moisture

Another important characteristic of the present invention is the bulk moisture content of the oven-finished French fries. Bulk moisture is the total amount of moisture in the fries of the present invention. The oven-finished french fries of the present invention have a bulk moisture of about 32% to about 50%. The cut, oven-finished french fries of the present invention have a bulk moisture of about 32% to about 46%. Preferably the bulk moisture of the cut oven finished French fries should be about 33% to about 44%, more preferably about 34% to about 40%. The coarse cut oven-finished French fries (eg, regular cut, wrinkle cut and steak fried) of the present invention typically have a bulk moisture of about 35% to about 50%. Preferably the coarse cut oven-finished French fries have a bulk moisture of about 38% to about 48%, and more preferably about 40% to about 46%. The bulk moisture of the product here can be measured using known techniques and commercial instruments. Oven-finished French fries with more than about 50% bulk moisture do not have a structure that is crunchy enough to obtain the desired tissue nutrients (ie, fries lack crunchyness). Oven-finished fries with less than about 32% bulk moisture become too dry. Maintaining the bulk moisture of the oven-finished frying of the present invention from about 32% to about 50% enables the production of an oven fry having both a high humidity inner core as well as a low humidity crunchy crust portion.

Internal moisture

Internal moisture content is also an important characteristic of the present invention. The internal moisture content of the oven-finished French fries is the moisture content of the internal starch matrix. As mentioned above, the inner portion (ie the core) is well cooked, soft, powdery, moist but not damp. The oven-finished french fries of the present invention have an internal moisture of about 55% to about 80%, preferably about 60% to about 77%, more preferably about 63% to about 75%.

Surface Aw of Crust

A distinctive characteristic of the oven-finished frying of the present invention is the external crust. The outer crust consists of dehydrated gelatinized starch and oil or fat. Preferably, the outer crust has a composition that is substantially the same as the crust of deep-fried French fries made from live potatoes. However, the crust may contain ingredients that are typically applied to the surface of potato strips, such as starch, hydrocolloids, gums, spices, and the like.

It is important that the outer crust part is crunchy and has a relatively low water activity (Aw). Tissues of fried and baked food are known to be partially related to the Aw of the product. Crunchy tissue is generally associated with an Aw value of about 0.55 or less. Surface Aw is the water activity value of the crust portion of the oven-finished French fries (see Analytical Test Methods for more details on surface Aw measurement). The surface Aw is equal to the vapor pressure of water in the outer crust part divided by the vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature.

The oven-finished french fries of the present invention have a surface Aw of about 0.55 or less, preferably about 0.10 to about 0.52, more preferably about 0.15 to about 0.5, even more preferably about 0.2 to about 0.45.

Total fat

Natural or synthetic edible oils are generally present in and on the crust portion of the oven-finished french fries of the type disclosed herein. Edible oils contribute to the aroma, lubricity and texture of the oven-finished oils. Edible oils or fats present in and on the crust portion of oven-finished French fries are known to those of skill in the art and include beef tallow, lard, cottonseed oil, canola, soybean oil, corn oil, palm oil, fish oil. Composed triglycerides containing a combination of rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, medium chain triglycerides, short or medium chain fatty acids and long chain fatty acids (e.g. caprenin, etc.) or combinations thereof It includes, but is not limited to. The oil may be conditioned or flavored (see Flavored Vegetable Oils as a Substitute for Beef Tallow in Deep Frying Applications, Food Technology, pp 90-94 (1989) and US Patent 5,104,678 (Yang et al.)).

The oil may be partially or fully hydrogenated or modified. Additionally, similar to triglycerides such as sucrose polyester and Olean ^™ (the Procter and Gamble Company) and calorie reduced fats, polyol fatty acid polyesters and various esterified polyol polyesters or combinations of common fats and fat substituents Non-toxic, fatty materials with properties may also be present in and / or on the crust portion of the oven-finished French fries.

Preferred oils are soybean oil and corn oil. The total amount of oil or fat present in the oven-finished french fries of the present invention is about 8% to about 25%. The French fries of the invention typically have a total fat of about 12% to about 25%, preferably about 13% to about 23%, and more preferably about 14% to about 20%. Coarse cut oven-finished French fries (eg, regular cuts, wrinkle cuts, and steak fries) typically have a total fat mass of about 8% to about 22%. Preferably the coarse cut oven-finished French fries have a total fat mass of about 10% to about 20%, more preferably about 12% to about 18%.

The edible fats or oils present in and on the crust portion of the oven-finished french fries of the present invention preferably have an amount of free fatty acids of about 0.8% or less.

Additional ingredient

Spices such as salt, pepper, butter, onions or garlic can be added to the par-fry or oven-finished fried oil to enhance the flavor or modify the flavor to the desired flavor. Those skilled in the art have already studied the aforementioned spices, but this is only a suggestion for a broad range of additives suitable for use in the practice of the present invention.

Other ingredients known in the art can be added to the edible fats and oils used for frying and / or enrobing the par-fried potato strips, which are chelating agents, such as antioxidants such as TBHQ and citric acid. And antifoaming agents such as dimethylpolysiloxane.

Oven-finished fries of the present invention can also be distinguished from commercial and prior art oven fries, based on sensory evaluation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images. Sensory evaluation indicates that the oven-finished French fries of the invention have the desired tissue nutrients (ie, crunchy surfaces surrounding the moist interior) typically associated with deep-fried French fries. Commercial and prior art fries typically do not exhibit the desired tissue nutrients. The NMR phase provides a cross section that depicts the moisture and fat distribution in the frying. The high quality oven finished French fries of the present invention are characterized by an NMR phase that appears qualitatively similar to that of a deep-fried French fries, i.e., by the low moisture content of the crust portion, both products containing fat. It is characterized by a phase representing an inner core surrounded by a high moisture content. In contrast, the NMR phases of commercial oven fries typically appear qualitatively different; That is, the nutrient features surrounding the low moisture content crust surrounding the high moisture content core are not readily apparent.

Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects, but are not limited to such. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims below.

Analytical Assay

A number of parameters can be used to characterize the elements of the par-fryed potato strips and oven-finished french fries of the present invention. They are measured by special experimental analysis procedures. These procedures are all described in detail below:

Bulk moisture content test

The moisture content of the par-fryed potato strips and the finished french fries is measured by a hard air oven method as follows:

1. Homogeneously grind sample samples of potato strips or French fries in a blender or conventional food processor.

2. Attach about 5 g of the ground sample (weight "A") to a metal pan or dish that has previously weighed the vessel and weigh correctly.

3. The metal dish containing the sample is placed in a forced air convection oven at 105 ° C. for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours, the metal dish containing the dried sample is taken out and cooled to room temperature with a desiccant such as anhydrous calcium sulfate in a drier.

5. Weigh the dish containing the dried sample again and calculate the weight (weight "B") of the dried sample by weighing the previously weighed dish.

6. Calculate the% moisture content of the sample as follows:

% Moisture Content = [(A-B) / (A)] x 100

French Fry Organizer Exam

The histogram of the finished French fry, correlated with the crunchy fry, is measured with a TA-XT2 tissue analyzer (version 05.16 with 25-1 load cell, from Texture Technologies, Scarsdale, NY). The tissue analyzer is connected to a standard personal computer (eg IBM 433DX) that records data through a software program called XT.RA Dimension (version 3.7 H, manufactured by Texture Technologies, Scarsdale, NY).

The tissue analyzer consists of a rectangular blunt steel sheet probe (2.5-3.0 mm thick, 70 mm wide, 90 mm long) that is fixed perpendicular to the main arm. A “compression test” is performed on a single French fries, plotting force (g) versus time (seconds), from which the tissue value is obtained.

Tissue Analyzer Setup and Calibration Procedures

Set up the tissue analyzer as follows:

Method: Force measurement during compression

Optional (optional): Return to the beginning

Force unit: grams (g)

Time unit: seconds

Distance Format: Strain

Pre-test speed: 2.0 mm / sec

Probe Test Speed: 1.0 mm / sec

Post-test speed: 10 mm / sec

Strain: 85.0%

Trigger Form: Automatic 10

2. Set the organization method as follows:

Graph form: force vs time

Auto-scaling: off

Max force scaling: 5000 g

Minimum force scaling: 0 g

Peak Check: On

Strength threshold: 20 grams (g)

File form: Lotus 1-2-3

Display and Export: Plotted Points

Contact area: 1.00 mm ²

Contact force: 5.0 g

3. Place the 5 kg weight on the calibration bench and calibrate the force by pressing the "calibrate" button on the tissue analyzer keypad.

4. Calibrate the probe distance with the substrate, with the probe starting distance from the 10 mm plate of the shredded frying (in the case of coarse cut or steak fried, increase the probe starting distance to 15 mm). The bottom surface of the probe is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

Sample measurement

1. Immediately after removing the finish-cooked French fries from the fryer (for deep frying) or the oven (for oven-baking), place the frying batch under the heat lamp one minute before starting tissue analysis. The air temperature under the heat lamp is about 130 to about 180 ° F. (about 54.3 to about 82.2 ° C.).

2. After a one minute hold time has elapsed, place a single French fries flat on the substrate of the tissue analyzer (which is perpendicular to the probe width). The compression test is started (1.0 mm / sec probe speed), while manually holding the end of the french fries with the base plate facing straight.

3. The force (g) versus time (seconds) data obtained are saved for later analysis. Nine additional fried samples from the same batch are tested in the same manner. Ten samples from each batch are randomly selected. Tissue analysis of 10 fried samples should be completed within 3-4 minutes (after step 1, 3-4 minutes).

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for each new batch of french fries. Generally 5 to 10 batches of each type of French fries are evaluated by this method.

Data analysis

1. Evaluate the “force versus time” plot for each individual French fries so that:

-Maximum force within the initial 1/3 of the test (g)

-Area under the curve that is within the initial 1/3 of the test (g seconds).

(E.g., if the compression test takes 6 seconds to complete, obtain the maximum force and area from 0 to 2 seconds).

2. Analyze "force versus time" data for all 10 French fries selected from a given batch and average 10 maximum force values and average 10 area values. A computer program written in Excel analyzes the force versus time data for each frying sample and automatically performs the task of averaging the maximum force and area of each frying batch.

3. Analyze remaining batches of a particular French fried form in a similar way (test 5-10 batches; analyze 10 fried / batch). The maximum force and area values of each batch are then averaged to find the overall average maximum force (g) and area (g seconds) of those in the particular frying form.

4. For the purposes of the present invention, one of the collective average maximum forces or areas may be designated as French fries “organizer”. Both histological measurements correlate with the crunchyness of the finished French fries.

Determination of Internal Moisture Content in French Fries

The internal moisture content of the finished French fries, ie the moisture content of the internal starch matrix, is determined as follows:

1. Immediately after removing the finish-cooked French fries from the fryer (for deep frying) or the oven (for oven-baking), the fryer is immersed in liquid N ₂ for 20 seconds to completely freeze the product , To stabilize the internal moisture distribution.

2. Store frozen French fries at about -112 ° F (-80 ° C) until analysis.

3. Remove some fries from the freezer and place them in a stainless steel tray. The fryer is warmed for a few minutes at room temperature to facilitate removal of the crust.

4. Using a razor blade, carefully cut and remove the crust on one side of each frozen fry. Rotate the fryer and repeat this process until the crust is removed from all four sides.

5. Collect the frozen internal starch matrix (white solidified material) and immediately place in sealed glass vials. Carefully collect only the internal starch matrix; Do not include any crust debris.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until about 5 g of frozen internal starch matrix is collected. This may require about 15-20 fry.

7. Accurately weigh approximately 5 g of the internal starch matrix (weight "A) into a previously weighed metal pan or dish.

8. The metal dish containing the internal starch matrix is left in a forced air convection oven at 105 ° C. for 2 hours.

9. After 2 hours, remove the metal dish containing the dried sample and cool to room temperature with a desiccant such as anhydrous calcium sulfate in the dryer.

10. Weigh the dish containing the dried sample again and calculate the weight of the dried sample (weight "B") by subtracting the pre-weighed dish weight.

11. Calculate the% moisture content of the internal starch matrix as follows:

% Moisture Content = [(A-B) / (A)] x 100

Measurement of Surface Water Activity of French Fries (Aw)

The surface Aw of the finished french fries is measured as follows:

1. Immediately remove the finish-cooked French fries from the fryer (deep-frying) or oven (oven-baking), then immerse the frying in liquid N ₂ for 20 seconds to completely freeze the product and Stabilize the distribution.

2. Store frozen French fries at approximately −112 ° F. (−80 ° C.) until analysis.

3. Move the French Fry Bag (˜0.5 to 1 lb.) from the −112 ° F. (−80 ° C.) freezer to the cooler containing dry ice; Make sure the frying is completely filled in dry ice to keep frozen at low temperatures.

4. Remove the french fries from the sample bag and quickly fry the frying surface with the razor blade on one blade. Surface debris is collected on a stainless steel tray and the debris is immediately transferred to a stoppered glass vial.

Be careful to only collect surface debris from the outer crust portion of the French fries; The crust is drilled so that the inner starch matrix core is not deep enough to expose.

5. Repeat step 4 until about 0.3-0.7 g of surface debris is collected; To do this, it is required to cut out about 10-20 frozen fry.

6. Measure the water activity (Aw) of the surface debris using a Rotronic Hygroskop Model DT relative humidity meter (Rotronic Instrument, Huntington, NY) as follows:

a. The surface debris is transferred to a plastic Aw dish (Rotronic Instrument).

b. The Aw dish containing surface debris is immediately placed in one of the humidity cells of the Higroscorp Model DT relative hygrometer and the cell cover tightly sealed.

c. Before recording the readings and temperature, allow the hygrometer readings to stabilize (wait at least 1 hour).

d. The stabilized hygrometer readings are converted to% relative humidity (RH) using a calibration graph (hygrometer readings vs.% RH) prepared in advance according to the following RH standard:

Standard solution of 11% RH lithium chloride (see Greenspan, L. 1977, J. Res. Natl. Bur.Stand., Section A, 81A: 89)

Standard solution from 35% RH Rotronic Instrument

Standard solution from 50% RH Rotronic Instrument

Standard solution from 65% RH Rotronic Instrument

e. % RH of surface debris is converted to surface Aw as follows:

Surface Aw = [% RH / 100]

Total fat content measurement

Total fat content is determined by solvent extraction method as follows:

Instrument

1. Soxtec HT6 extraction system; The apparatus includes a heating block and a cooling condenser.

2. Recirculation tank for cooling condenser

3. Recirculating Oil Tank for Heating Block

4. Extract Beaker

5. Extracting thimbles, 26 mm (Fisher TC1522-0018)

6. Nitrogen purging gas

7. Vacuum drying oven

8. Analytical Balance (4 Place)

9. Dispensing Pipette (50 ml)

material

Methylene chloride (Baker 9315-33)

2. Bogie (Chemware PTFE Fisher 09-191-20)

3.silicone oil (Fisher TC1000-2779)

4. glass wool (Fisher 11-390)

Way

1. Sample a sample of potato strips and ground uniformly in a blender or conventional food processor.

2. Accurately weigh one piece of glass (size enough to accommodate the sample piece in the tumble) and the extraction tumble (in four places); Record the weight of the thimble + glass surface (weight "A").

3. The crushed sample is added to the dimple, and the dipped dimple is closed with a piece of pre-weighed glass.

4. Weigh accurately (in 4 places) and record the weight of the ground sample, dumble, + glass surface (weight “B”).

5. Add two or more boiling stones to the extraction beaker and weigh (in four places) to record the weight of the extraction beaker + boiling (weight "C").

6. Place the loaded dimple into the extraction unit and raise the dimple to the cleaning position.

7. Pipette 50 ml of methylene chloride into each extraction beaker pre-weighed with boiling.

8. Set the heating oil bath to 110 ° C. and the cooling water bath to 28.3 ° C. and allow the temperature to equilibrate.

9. Lower the loaded dimple into an extraction beaker containing the solvent and boil the solvent for 60 minutes with the pet cock of the condenser open.

10. Raise the dimple to the cleaning position and clean for 60 minutes.

11. Turn the pet cock of the condenser to the closed position and evaporate the solvent for 60 minutes. Purge nitrogen to help evaporate.

12. Transfer the beaker to a vacuum oven preheated to 120 ° C. for 30 minutes at full vacuum (up to about 30 mmHg pressure).

13. Cool the beaker to room temperature and weigh (in four places); Record the weight of beaker + boiling rate + extracted fat (weight "D").

14. Calculate% total fat as follows:

% Fat = [(D-C) / (B-A)] × 100

Example 1

Two oven-finished French fries and one deep-fried French fries are prepared as follows:

A. Oven-finished French fries according to the present invention:

Frozen string-cut leek-fried potato strips are suitable raw materials (ie, Simplot par-fry; J.R. Simplot Co., Caldwell, ID). A typical processing process is peeled, washed, trimmed and axially cut into sliced strips (0.25 inch squared) with sorted luset burbank potatoes. The potato strips are blended in hot water or steam and partially dried with hot air to a extent that the potato strips are reduced by about 15% by weight. The partially dried strip is then frying at an oil temperature of about 375 ° F. (190.5 ° C.) for about 50 seconds in partially-hydrogenated soybean oil (iodine is about 67). The onion-fried potato strips are then cooled, frozen in a blower freezer at -30 ° F. (-34.4 ° C.) and packaged. The onion-fried potato strips have a moisture content of about 64% and a fat content of about 6%.

About 1 lb of frozen leek-fried potato strips. 45 lb. containing Primex 108 vegetable oil (a mixture of partially-hydrogenated soybean oil and corn oil, commercially available from the Procter and Gamble Co.). The additional processing is by deep-frying at a temperature of about 290 ° F. (143.3 ° C.) for about 3 minutes in an oil capacity commercial frying tube. The resulting par-fry is immediately frozen by soaking in liquid nitrogen for 20 seconds. The moisture content of the obtained par-fry is about 47% and the fat content is about 15%. Frozen par-fry is immediately enrobed by immersion in liquid vegetable oil (conditioned Primex 108) having a temperature of about 335 ° F. (˜168 ° C.) for about 1 to 3 seconds. The oil-coated par-fry obtained is frozen again by immersing in liquid nitrogen. Frozen par-fry is filled in a sealed foil-laminated bag and stored in a normal freezer at about 0 ° F. (−18 ° C.) to about −20 ° F. (−29 ° C.). Oil-coated par-fris contain about 9% surface fat by weight of par-fry. Total fat is about 22% and bulk moisture is about 43%.

About 128 g of the frozen oil-coated par-fry is laid in a layer on a coarse wire mesh oven tray, and then about 400 ° F. (204 ° C.) in a forced air convection oven (Wells Manufacturing Co., Model No.M42003S). Bake at about temperature for about 1 minute. The fries are then transferred in one layer to a solid stainless steel oven tray and further baked for 1.5 minutes. Hot air turbulence is present in the oven chamber. At the center of the oven chamber (just above the product bed), the air speed is about 900 feet per minute (274 meters per minute). Upon removal from the oven, the fry are immediately evaluated for various technical characteristics or salted to evaluate the fragrance and tissue by sensory examination.

B. Commercial Oven-Finished French Fries:

Frozen retail Ore-Ida ™ “vegetable” French fried potatoes (Ore-Ida Foods, Inc., Waz, ID) are purchased at a local grocery store. The frying contains about 63% moisture and about 6% fat. Fries are baked according to the following in a general household oven: about 8 oz. The frozen fries of are spread evenly in one layer on a 9 "x 13" solid cooking sheet and baked at a temperature of about 450 ° F. (232 ° C.) for about 10 minutes. Upon removal from the oven, the fry are immediately evaluated for various technical characteristics or salted and evaluated for fragrance and tissue by sensory inspection.

C. Deep-Fried French Fries (M _c Donald's ^TM French Fries; "gold standard"):

Dip the frozen vegetable-cut par-fried potato strips (ie, Simplot par-fry; JR Simplot Co., Caldwell, ID) used as raw material par-fry for the production of product "A" of this example. Further processing is performed by frying. The onion-fried potato strips have a moisture content of about 64% and a fat content of about 6%.

Frozen leek-fried potato strips Approximately 1.5 lb. After thawing at room temperature (70 ° F .; 21.1 ° C.) for about 1 hour, 45 lb. containing Primex 108 vegetable oil (a mixture of partially hydrogenated soybean oil and corn oil, commercially available from the Procter & Gamble Co.). Deep-fry at a temperature of about 335 ° F. (168 ° C.) for about 3 minutes in a commercial frying tube. After removal from the fryer, the deep-fried French fries are immediately assessed or salted with various technical properties so that the fragrance or tissue is assessed by sensory testing.

The French fried products (A, B and C) are evaluated for bulk moisture, total fat, internal moisture content, surface Aw and tissue value. The results are shown in the table below:

product Bulk moisture Total fat Internal moisture Surface Aw Force area Ratio of area to maximum force A Oven frying of the present invention 38% 18% 67% 0.3 205 g 243 g seconds 1.19 B Commercial Oven Fry 48% 9% 72% 0.6 133 g 113 g candles 0.85 C Deep-Fry Gold Standard 37% 17% 74% 0.4 243 g 294 g candles 1.21

The data show that the oven-finished French fries (A) according to the invention have very similar technical characteristics as the deep-fried French fries (C) which are regarded as the "gold standard". Commercial oven-finished French fries (B) are outside the desired range for surface Aw and tissue parameters (maximum force, area and ratio of maximum force to maximum force).

The French fried product is also evaluated for fragrance and tissue by sensory testing. Each of the trained ˜40 panels grades the product in grades 1-9 for various sensory characteristics. Two sensory tests are performed and each oven fryer product is evaluated against direct dip-fryed French fries. The following are sensory test results; Each figure is an average rating for a property.

Sensory test 1 Sensory test 2 product A C B C Oven frying of the present invention Deep-Fry Gold Standard Commercial oven fry Deep-Fry Gold Standard Default size 40 40 33 33 Potato flavor 5.2 5.5 5.1 ^A 6.3 ^B Fried food flavor 5.6 5.3 4.3 ^A 5.3 ^B Anomalous odor 1.5 1.5 3.7 ^A 1.4 ^B Crisp surface 5.5 5.7 2.7 ^A 5.8 ^B Moist inside 5.5 5.2 5.7 5.6 Overall satisfaction 6.0 6.6 3.3 ^A 7.0 ^B Note: Within each sensory test, the characteristic class with superscript is significantly different at 95% confidence.

The sensory test results indicate that the oven-finished French fries (A) according to the invention have very similar flavor and tissue properties as the deep-fryed French fries (C). In particular, the oven-finished French fries according to the present invention have the desired tissue nutrients, ie, moist internal and crunchy crusts, which are typically associated with deep-fried French fries. In contrast, commercial oven fry (B) does not have the desired tissue nutrients as indicated by the significantly lower surface crunchy grade.

Example 2

Two oven-finished French fries and one deep-fried French fries are made according to the following:

D. Oven-Finished French Fries According to the Invention:

Frozen raw-cut par-fried potato strips used as raw par-fry in Example 1A are suitable raw materials (ie, Simplot par-fris; J.R.Simplot Co., Caldwell, ID). The onion-fried potato strips have a moisture content of about 64% and a fat content of about 6%.

About 1 lb of frozen leek-fried potato strips. 45 lb. containing Primex 108 vegetable oil (a mixture of partially-hydrogenated soybean oil and corn oil, commercially available from the Procter & Gamble Co.). The additional processing is by deep-frying at a temperature of about 290 ° F. (143.3 ° C.) for about 3 minutes in an oil capacity commercial frying tube. The resulting par-fry is immediately frozen by soaking in liquid nitrogen for 20 seconds. The moisture content of the obtained par-fry is about 48% and the fat content is about 14%. Frozen par-fry is filled in a foil-laminated bag and stored at about 0 ° F. (−18 ° C.).

Frozen par-fries are baked in a dual collection oven equipped with a continuous conveyor (Wolverine Corporation, Merrimack, MA; Model 2.0 × 051 Pilot Plant Jetzone ^™ Oven). The par-fry is placed in one layer on a coarse wire mesh tray placed on an oven conveyor belt. Hot air carried from two banks of tubes located at the top and bottom of the conveyor belt collects on the product from both the top and bottom. The air velocity measured in the product bed is about 5,500 feet per minute (1,676 meters per minute). The air temperature in the oven chamber is 450 ° F. (232 ° C.) and the conveyor speed is adjusted such that the residence time in the oven is 1.25 minutes. Immediately after leaving the oven, the frying is lightly sprayed with warm (˜150 ° F.) conditioned Primex 108 vegetable oil; About 3% of the oil by weight of the fry is sprayed onto the surface. Immediately, the oven-finished frying is immediately evaluated for various technical characteristics or salted and tasted to taste and texture.

E. Commercial Oven-Finished French Fries:

^{Ore-Ida French Fry Vendor TM Ore} -Ida ( trade name) Vend Fry (TM) Frozen samples to be used for; the (while cutting Ore-Ida Foods, Inc., beuwa's, ID) to buy from downtown grocery store, Store below 0 ° F (-18 ° C). Frozen Ore-Ida ^™ Bend Fries are loaded into frozen fractions of an Ore-Ida Model 890 French Fry Vendor ^™ vending machine (Crane National Vendors, Division of Unidynamics Corp., Bridgeton, Mo.). Bend fried is baked in French Fry Vendor ^™ according to manufacturer's instructions: approx. 3.5 oz. The frozen bend fryer in the basket is placed in a rotating basket and then baked in the basket for about 40 seconds while blowing forced hot air at 465 ° F. (240 ° C.). At the completion of the baking cycle, the oven-finished French fries are automatically dispensed and then immediately evaluated for various technical characteristics or salted and tasted for flavor and texture.

F. Deep-Fried French Fries (M _c Donald's ^TM French Fries; "Gold Standard"):

Dip the frozen vegetable-cut par-fried potato strips (ie SImplot par-fry; JR Simplot Co., Caldwell, ID) used as raw material par-fry for the production of product “D” of this example. Further processing is performed by frying. The onion-fried potato strips have a moisture content of about 64% and a fat content of about 6%.

Approximately 1.5 lb of frozen green onion-fried potato strips. After thawing at room temperature (70 ° F .; 21.1 ° C.) for about 1 hour, 45 lb containing conditioned Primex 108 vegetable oil (a mixture of partially hydrogenated soybean oil and corn oil, commercially available from the Procter & Gamble Co.) . Deep-fry at a temperature of about 335 ° F. (168 ° C.) for about 3 minutes in a commercial frying tube. Upon removal from the fryer, the deep-fried French fries are immediately evaluated for flavor or tissue by evaluating various technical characteristics or salting and tasting.

The French fries products (D, E and F) are evaluated for bulk moisture, total fat, internal moisture content, surface Aw and tissue value. The results are shown in the table below:

product Bulk moisture Total fat Internal moisture Surface Aw Force area Ratio of area to maximum force D Oven frying of the present invention 42% 15% 73% 0.3 276 g 324 g candles 1.17 E Commercial Oven Fry 50% 11% 72% 0.6 191 g 185 g seconds 0.97 F Deep-Fry Gold Standard 39% 16% 76% 0.4 266 g 335 g seconds 1.26

The data show that the oven-finished French fries (D) according to the invention have very similar technical properties as the deep-fried French fries (F) which are regarded as the "gold standard". Commercial oven-finished French fries (E) are outside the desired range for surface Aw and tissue parameters (maximum force, area and ratio of area to maximum force).

The French fried product is also evaluated for flavor and texture by taste. Oven-finished French fries (D) according to the present invention have a similar aroma and texture to "gold standard" deep-fried French fries (F). In particular, the oven-finished french fries according to the present invention have the desired tissue nutrients, ie, moist internal and crunchy crusts, which are typically associated with deep fried frying. In contrast, commercial oven fry (E) lacks crunchyness and appears to have no desired tissue nutrients.

Example 3

Undegradable fat compositions are used in the preparation of the par-fryed potato strips in the examples below. The undegradable fat composition is Olean ^™ from the Procter & Gamble Company and contains a mixture of liquid and solid sucrose polyesters. Screening sorted Russet Burbank potatoes are cut into peels, washed, trimmed and shredded (0.25 inch squared). The potato strips are blunted in hot water or steam and partially dried with hot air to such an extent that the potato strips are reduced by about 15% by weight. The partially dried potato strips are then frying in Olean ^™ for about 60 seconds at an oil temperature of about 375 ° F. (190.5 ° C.). The onion-fried potato strips are then cooled, frozen and packaged in a -30 ° F. (-34.4 ° C.) blower freezer. The onion-fried potato strips have a moisture content of about 64% and a fat content of about 8%.

Packaging Approximately 1 lb of frozen green onion-fried potato strips. 45 lb. with Olean ^™ . The additional processing is by frying for about 3 minutes at a temperature of about 300 ° F. (149 ° C.) in an oil capacity commercial frying tube. The resulting onion-fried potato strips are immediately frozen by immersion in liquid nitrogen for about 20 seconds, packaged in foil stacking bags, and stored at a normal freezer temperature of about 0 ° F. (−17.8 ° C.). The onion-fried potato strips have about 46% moisture and about 20% fat.

About 128 g of frozen par-fry is placed in a single layer on a coarse mesh oven tray and then at a temperature of about 400 ° F. (204 ° C.) in a forced air convection oven (Wells Manufacturing Co., Model No. M42003S). Bake for 2.5 minutes. There is gas turbulence in the oven chamber and the air velocity at the center of the oven chamber just above the product bed is about 900 feet per minute (274 meters per minute). The fries are then moved in one layer to a coarse wire mesh basket, and the basket is placed in the processing zone of a high speed capture oven (manufactured by Industrial Combustion Services Inc., Tyrone, GA). At 375 ° F., hot air is directed to the surface of the fry at a rate of about 5,000 feet per minute (about 1,524 meters per minute). The fries are left in the capture oven for 15 seconds.

The reduced calorie oven finished French fries obtained have a texture and aroma very similar to the gold standard dip-fried French fries. The finished fries have a bulk moisture content of about 35%, a total fat content of about 15%, an internal moisture content of about 72%, a surface Aw of about 0.4 and a tissue value of about 250.

Example 4

Frozen raw cut par-fry potato strips used as raw par-fry in Example 1A are suitable raw materials of this example (Simplot par-fry; J.R. Simplot Co .; Caldwell, ID). The onion-fried potato strips have a moisture content of about 64% and a fat content of about 6%.

Packing Approximately 1 lb. of frozen potato strips. 45 lb. containing Primex 108 vegetable oil (a mixture of partially-hydrogenated soybean oil and corn oil, commercially available from the Procter & Gamble Co.). The additional processing is by frying at a temperature of about 335 ° F. (168.3 ° C.) for about 3 minutes in an oil capacity commercial frying tube. The resulting par-fry is immediately frozen by soaking in liquid nitrogen for about 20 seconds and equilibrated to about 0 ° F. (−17.8 ° C.). Pa-fry has a water content of about 38% and a fat of about 17%. The frozen par-fry is then surface hydrated by applying a fine water fog of ˜70 ° F. (21.1 ° C.) on the par-fri surface. During hydration processing, the frozen par-fry is tumbled to obtain a uniform application of moisture on the par-fry surface. Spraying of the water mist continues until about 7% (of par-fry weight) is applied to the surface of the par-fry. Frozen hydrated par-fry is stored at 0 ° F. (−17.8 ° C.) to 20 ° F. (−6.7 ° C.). Hydrated par-fria contains about 43% bulk moisture and about 15% total fat. Hydration of the par-fry surface increases the Aw of the crust portion, thereby reducing or eliminating the Aw gradient between the inner core and the crust portion, which is the driving force for moisture movement during freezing storage.

Approximately 128 g of frozen, hydrated par-fry are prepared for consumption by baking in a forced air convection oven (Wells Manufacturing Co., Model No. M42003S). The hydrated par-fry is placed in single layers on a coarse wire mesh oven tray and baked for 1.5 minutes at an air temperature of about 425 ° F. (218.3 ° C.). There is gas turbulence in the oven chamber. At the center of the oven chamber (just above the appliance), the air speed is about 900 feet per minute (274 meters per minute). Oven-finished French fries have the desired tissue nutrients: crunchy surface tissue and a moist interior. Finished fries have a bulk moisture content of about 39%, a total fat content of about 16%, an internal moisture content of about 72%, a surface Aw of about 0.4 and a tissue value of about 290 (maximum force = 237 g; area = 289 g sec; ratio of area to maximum force = 1.22).

Claims (9)

Oven-Finished French Fries Potato Products comprising: a) 32% to 50% bulk moisture; b) 8% to 25% total fat; And c) 200 or more tissues (where the tissue is the maximum force (g) or area (g seconds) under the force strain curve during the initial third of the compression test). The product of claim 1, wherein the oven-finished frying has 33% to 44% bulk moisture, 13% to 23% total fat and 210 to 1,000 tissue values. The article of claim 1, wherein the oven-finished french fries have a surface water activity of 0.55 or less and internal moisture of 55% to 80%. 4. The product of claim 3, wherein the oven-finished french fries are thin cut fries. The article according to claim 1, wherein the surface heat transfer coefficient at oven temperature is 50 to 400 watts / m 2 ° C. The article according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the crust portion at oven temperature is between 0.1 and 0.3 watts / m ° C. 6. The product according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the inner core is between 0.4 and 0.7 watts / m ° C. 8. 8. The article of claim 7, wherein the ratio of average area to average maximum force is at least 1.0 in the tissue value measurement. The article of claim 8, wherein the surface Aw is 0.55 or less.