J.r. Simplot Company

Richard K Pinegar

Michael L Hamann

Roy E Bosley

Ronald B Bates

Harold G Gobble

An improved rotary cutting apparatus is provided for cutting vegetables, particularly such as potatoes, into a distribution of strip sizes not exceeding a predetermined length limit. The apparatus comprises a conventional rotary impeller having peripheral blades for carrying potatoes into cutting relation with a slicing knife on an impeller housing for dividing the potatoes into slices followed by subsequent cutting into strips by strips knives on an adjacent cross-cut spindle. The impeller further includes an axially centered divider ring defining a pair of annular chambers for potato passage outwardly to the slicing knife, wherein longer potatoes are required to orient with their longitudinal axes extending generally radially with respect to the impeller, and generally perpendicular to the slicing knife, to limit the maximum length of the cut slices and the resultant cut strips. Arcuate paddles can be installed in association with the impeller blades to further improve potato alignment, and axial shims can be used to tailor the specific axial dimensions of the annular chambers.

Rotary cutting apparatus

A process is provided for producing parfried and frozen potato product strips including but not limited to French fries, wherein the potato strips are adapted for reconstitution, immediately prior to consumption, in a microwave oven, conventional oven, convection oven, or finish fryer with highly desirable taste, color, and textural characteristics. The process comprises parfrying the potato strips under controlled time and temperature conditions to include two parfrying steps with an intermediate cooling step wherein the strips preferably are frozen to reduce the moisture content of the strips in accordance with a predetermined relationship of strip size, strip surface area, and moisture loss during processing. Potato strips prepared in accordance with the invention have been found to reconstitute with substantially optimum taste, color, and textural characteristics irrespective of the method of reconstitution, which may include microwave oven heating, heating in a conventional oven, convection oven heating, and finish frying in hot oil.

Process for preparing parfried and frozen potato products

The invention provides for addition of a process oil in a liquid state, such as a vegetable oil, an animal fat or blend thereof to potato dough ingredients to enhance tenderness and crispness in the finished formed potato product and to reduce occurrences of 'feathering' and 'overmixing' of the dough during processing. Accordingly, a liquid oil addition of from about 0.12 weight percent to less than about 2.0 weight percent to the potato dough ingredients is presently preferred as producing the most desirable end product with respect to crispness, flavor, and interior and exterior characteristics. In one embodied form of the invention, the process oil may be added by incorporation of finely chopped, par-fried, frozen, potato eliminations into the potato dough. If eliminations are incorporated, a maximum of about 4.0 weight percent process oil in the potato dough can be utilized in accordance with the present invention.

Potato dough with process oil for formed and extruded potato products

A frozen french fried potato product for heating in a toaster or oven, is provided. The product is made from a cohesive dough which is prepared by admixing cooked potatoes with additives comprising water, a binding agent, cellulose, and dehydrated potato flakes or granules. The dough is extruded into said product which is fried in cooking oil and frozen.

Growing community of inventors

Caldwell, ID, United States of America

Richard K Pinegar