Amstar Corporation

Andy C Chen

Charles P Graham

Anthony B Rizzuto

Clifford E Lang, Jr

Sanford J Drescher

Anthony B Rizzutto

Martin F Veiga

A cocrystallized sugar-nut product and a method for preparing such product are disclosed. A concentrated sugar syrup is prepared through evaporation, and nuts, chopped or finely divided, with or without additional food ingredients, are added to the concentrated syrup with vigorous mechanical agitation or impact beating within a crystallization zone. A cocrystallized sugar-nut product is produced, comprising aggregates of sugar crystals in intimate association with the nuts and any food ingredient. The cocrystallized sugar-nut product is dry, stable, free-flowing and possesses functional food ingredient characteristics, such as fondant quality and extrusion and compaction capabilities. The cocrystallized sugar-nut product, additionally, is capable of being dispersed in water.

Cocrystallized sugar-nut product

A crystallized sugar product containing a heat-sensitive, acidic, or high invert sugar substance is prepared by admixing the heat-sensitive, acidic, or high invert sugar substance with a dry sugar base to form a premix, concentrating a sugar syrup containing at least about 85% by weight sucrose to a solids content of about 95% to about 98% by heating to a temperature of about 255.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F., mixing the premix with the concentrated sugar syrup to form a mixture, subjecting the mixture to impact beating within a crystallization zone until a dry crystallized sugar product is formed, and recovering the sugar product from the crystallization zone. The resulting sugar product comprises aggregates of fondant-size sucrose crystals intimately associated with the heat-sensitive, acidic, or high invert sugar substance. The sugar product is dry, granular, free-flowing, non-caking, and readily dispersible in water.

Crystallized, readily water dispersible sugar product containing heat

A crystallized sugar product containing a food ingredient is prepared by concentrating a sugar syrup at a temperature in the range of about 250.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F. to a solids content of about 90 to 98% by weight, the sugar syrup containing no more than about 20% by weight non-sucrose solids, admixing the concentrated sugar syrup with a predetermined amount of the food ingredient, subjecting the admixture to impact bearing within a crystallization zone until a crystallized sugar product made up of aggregates of fondant-size sucrose crystals and the food ingredient is formed, the crystallized sugar product having a moisture content of less than 2.5% by weight, and recovering the crystallized sugar product from the crystallization zone. The resulting sugar product is dry, granular, free-flowing, non-caking, and readily dispersible in water. The resulting sugar product may be either an intermediate food product, such as a gelatin concentrate, or an instant food product, such as an instant chocolate pudding mix, which contains all of the dry food ingredients for the final food product.

Crystallized, readily water-dispersible sugar product

A transformed, crystallized maple sugar product comprising aggregates of crystals having a crystal size in the range about 3-50 microns is prepared by concentrating a maple syrup containing at least about 63% sucrose to a solids content of about 93-98%. The concentration may be carried out in several ways depending upon the color of the final product which is desired. The concentrated syrup is subjected to impact beating within a crystallization zone for transformation and crystallization. The resulting transformed, crystallized maple sugar product comprising aggregates of sucrose crystals having a size in the range about 3-50 microns and having a moisture content of 2-4% is then recovered from the crystallization zone and dried to a moisture content below about 1% by weight. Subsequently, the maple sugar product may be cooled, milled and/or screened to a size range suitable for one of several desired end uses.

Growing community of inventors

Belle Mead, NJ, United States of America

Andy C Chen