US4879126A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for preventing distortion in the shape of fried strand-like expanded snacks
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-12-09
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Granted: 1989-11-07
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Expires: 2005-12-09
Abstract
Abstract A deep-fat fried expanded snack product is made from a moist dough according to a technique which prevents undue distortion of the snack during frying. The dough can include cooked potato solids, masa, and/or one or more cereal flours, with a moisture content of about 35% to 60% at the time of frying. An amount of ungelatinized starch can be present in the dough when fried. In one embodiment, the dough is extruded as a pair of separate long, thin strands which are formed into a composite dough piece by adhering the strands by surface contact along the long dimension of the strands. The two adherent strands can be straight solid dough pieces in side-by-side contact, or the strands can be twisted together to form a braid. In another embodiment, a sheeted dough piece can be slit lengthwise along its center and partially through the depth of the dough piece to form the equivalent of a pair of adhering strands. The composite dough piece is immediately fried following the forming step, producing an expanded finished snack that is essentially straight with a shape virtually free of distortion. The strands in the composite dough piece, when fried, also expand more than if each strand is fried singly.
Inventors
- 👤 Miles J. Willard
- 👤 Jane J. Arnold
- 👤 Veldon M. Hix
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 01:29
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23L; A23L19/00; A23L19/10; A23L19/12; A23L19/18; A23L19/19; A23L7/00; A23L7/10; A23L7/117; A23L7/13; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S426/00; Y10S426/808
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
A method for preventing distortion of an elongated, thin strand-like expanded fried snack product, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a dough from starch-containing cereal solids, potato solids, or mixtures thereof and sufficient water so that the dough contains from about 35% to about 60% moisture by weight of the dough, in which a portion of the starch contained in the dough is gelatinized and in which additional starch contained in the dough is ungelatinized; forming said dough into a composite dough piece comprising at least two elongated, thin strand-like dough pieces adhered to one another by point contact along the length of the dough strands; and frying said composite dough piece in hot cooking oil and at said 35% to 60% moisture content and with said combination of gelatinized and ungelatinized starches being contained in the dough piece at the time of frying to form a finished fried expanded snack product having a moisture content of about 2% or less, in which the strands of the finished composite product are joined along the point of adherence while maintaining their separate strand-like shape throughout the frying step for substantially reducing distortion of the composite fried snack product when compared with the same dough strand fried singly.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
207 words
A method for preventing distortion of an elongated, thin strand-like expanded fried snack product, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a dough from starch-containing cereal solids, potato solids, or mixtures thereof and sufficient water so that the dough contains from about 35% to about 60% moisture by weight of the dough, in which a portion of the starch contained in the dough is gelatinized and in which additional starch contained in the dough is ungelatinized; forming said dough into a composite dough piece comprising at least two elongated, thin strand-like dough pieces adhered to one another by point contact along the length of the dough strands; and frying said composite dough piece in hot cooking oil and at said 35% to 60% moisture content and with said combination of gelatinized and ungelatinized starches being contained in the dough piece at the time of frying to form a finished fried expanded snack product having a moisture content of about 2% or less, in which the strands of the finished composite product are joined along the point of adherence while maintaining their separate strand-like shape throughout the frying step for substantially reducing distortion of the composite fried snack product when compared with the same dough strand fried singly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the adherent dough strands are formed by extrusion and twisting of the extruded dough strands about one another to form a braid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the ungelatinized starch is selected from the group consisting of potato, corn and tapioca starch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the dough strands are formed by rolling the dough in sheet form, and forming the dough sheet into two adherent strands with a longitudinal knife cut extending partially through the depth of the dough sheet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the dough strands are extruded lengthwise through separate extruder die openings.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the ungelatinized starch is present in the dough either as a constituent of the starch-containing dough solids or is added separately to the dough as raw starch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1 in which each strand in the composite product expands a greater amount during frying than it does when fried singly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the cross section of the dough strand has a major diameter to minor diameter ratio from about 2:1 to about 1:1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the composite dough piece is fried at a temperature of about 350° F. for about 2 to 4 minutes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the formed dough strands are of generally rounded cross-sectional shape, and the rounded cross-sectional shape of each strand is present in the finished composite fried snack.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the dough strands expand from about 1.1 to about 1.5 times their original size during the frying step.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the dough strands are adhered along substantially the entire length of the composite product.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 1 in which the starch-containing solids are selected from the group consisting of cooked potato solids; ground precooked corn; cereal flours made from corn, rice, soy, barley, bulgur, oats and rye; or mixtures thereof.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
226 words
A method for preventing distortion of an elongated, thin strand-like expanded fried snack product, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a dough from starch-containing cereal solids, potato solids, or mixtures thereof and sufficient water to form a dough containing from about 35% to about 60% moisture by weight of the dough, in which a portion of the starch contained in the dough is gelatinized and in which additional starch contained in the dough is ungelatinized; forming said dough into a composite dough piece comprising at least two substantially solid, elongated, thin strand-like dough pieces adhered to one another by point contact along the length of the dough strands, the individual dough strands of the composite product having a thickness from about 0.125 to about 0.25 inch; and frying said composite dough piece in hot cooking oil and at said 35% to 60% moisture content and with said combination of gelatinized and ungelatinized starches being contained in the dough piece at the time of frying to form a finished fried expanded snack product having a moisture content of about 2% or less, in which the strands of the finished product are maintained in their separate strand-like shape while becoming integral with one another along their point of adherence for substantially reducing distortion of the composite fried snack when compared with the same dough strand fried singly.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
226 words
A method for preventing distortion of an elongated, thin strand-like expanded fried snack product, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a dough from starch-containing cereal solids, potato solids, or mixtures thereof and sufficient water to form a dough containing from about 35% to about 60% moisture by weight of the dough, in which a portion of the starch contained in the dough is gelatinized and in which additional starch contained in the dough is ungelatinized; forming said dough into a composite dough piece comprising at least two substantially solid, elongated, thin strand-like dough pieces adhered to one another by point contact along the length of the dough strands, the individual dough strands of the composite product having a thickness from about 0.125 to about 0.25 inch; and frying said composite dough piece in hot cooking oil and at said 35% to 60% moisture content and with said combination of gelatinized and ungelatinized starches being contained in the dough piece at the time of frying to form a finished fried expanded snack product having a moisture content of about 2% or less, in which the strands of the finished product are maintained in their separate strand-like shape while becoming integral with one another along their point of adherence for substantially reducing distortion of the composite fried snack when compared with the same dough strand fried singly.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 14 in which each strand in the composite product expands a greater amount during frying than it does when fried singly.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the adherent dough strands are extruded by twisting the strands about one another to form a braid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the strands are formed by rolling the dough in sheet form, and forming the dough sheet into two adherent strands with a longitudinal knife cut extending partially through the depth of the dough sheet.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the two adherent dough strands are extruded lengthwise through separate generally rounded extruder die openings to form strands of generally rounded cross-sectional shape.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the cross section of each dough strand has a major diameter to minor diameter ratio from about 2:1 to about 1:1.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the composite dough piece is fried at about 350° F. for about 2 to 4 minutes.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the dough strands expand from about 1.1 to about 1.5 times their original size during the frying step.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the dough strands are adhered along substantially the entire length of the composite product.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 14 in which the starch-containing solids are selected from the group consisting of cooked potato solids; ground precooked corn; cereal flours made from corn, rice, soy, barley, bulgur, oats and rye; or mixtures thereof.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
225 words
A method for preventing distortion of an elongated, thin strand-like expanded fried snack product, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a dough from starch-containing cereal solids, potato solids, or mixtures thereof and sufficient water so that the dough contains from about 35% to about 60% moisture by weight of the dough, in which a portion of the starch contained in the dough is gelatinized and in which additional starch contained in the dough is ungelatinized; forming said dough into a composite dough piece comprising at least two substantially solid, elongated, thin strand-like dough pieces adhered to one another by point contact along substantially the entire length of the dough strands; and frying said composite dough piece in hot cooking oil at said 35to 60% moisture content and with said combination of gelatinized and ungelatinized starches being contained in the composite dough piece at the time of frying to form a finished fried expanded snack product having a moisture content of about 2% or less, in which the dough strands expand from about 1.1 to about 1.5 times their original size during the frying step, and in which the dough strands are joined along their point of adherence while maintaining their separate strand-like shape throughout the frying step for substantially reducing distortion of the composite product when compared with the same dough strand fried singly.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
225 words
A method for preventing distortion of an elongated, thin strand-like expanded fried snack product, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a dough from starch-containing cereal solids, potato solids, or mixtures thereof and sufficient water so that the dough contains from about 35% to about 60% moisture by weight of the dough, in which a portion of the starch contained in the dough is gelatinized and in which additional starch contained in the dough is ungelatinized; forming said dough into a composite dough piece comprising at least two substantially solid, elongated, thin strand-like dough pieces adhered to one another by point contact along substantially the entire length of the dough strands; and frying said composite dough piece in hot cooking oil at said 35to 60% moisture content and with said combination of gelatinized and ungelatinized starches being contained in the composite dough piece at the time of frying to form a finished fried expanded snack product having a moisture content of about 2% or less, in which the dough strands expand from about 1.1 to about 1.5 times their original size during the frying step, and in which the dough strands are joined along their point of adherence while maintaining their separate strand-like shape throughout the frying step for substantially reducing distortion of the composite product when compared with the same dough strand fried singly.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 24 in which the expansion of each strand in the composite piece is greater than the expansion of each strand fried singly.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 24 in which the ungelatinized starch is selected from the group consisting of potato, corn, and tapioca starch.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 24 in which the dough strands are extruded and twisted about one another to form a braid.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 24 in which each strand-like dough piece has a generally rounded cross-sectional shape.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 24 in which the individual dough strands of the composite product have a thickness from about 0.125 to about 0.25 inch.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 29 in which the starch containing solids are selected from the group consisting of cooked potato solids; ground precooked corn; cereal flours made from corn, rice, soy, barley, bulgur, oats and rye; or mixtures thereof.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 30 in which the composite dough piece is fried at about 350° F. for about 2 to 4 minutes.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 30 in which the dough strands each have a cross section with a major diameter to minor diameter ratio between 2:1 and 1:1.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-11-06 | 1993-05-08 | 1993-11-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-11-06 | 1997-05-08 | 1997-11-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-11-06 | 2001-05-08 | 2001-11-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |