Method for making slush products

Abstract

Method for making a mixture-type product by preparing a pumpable slush to contain a portion of the product ingredients and then mixing the slush with other product ingredients. Where product temperature control is important, e.g. where the separate mix contains an ingredient which tends to be unstable at elevated temperatures, the slush also serves a cooling and stabilizing function. The slush is prepared by supercooling an aqueous solution of water-soluble product ingredients. For example, water, salt and sugar are used in the manufacture of a food product, dough, and a slush is prepared containing the salt and sugar. Other ingredients of the dough, including a leavening agent which is not stable at the processing temperature and would tend to leaven the dough, are blended as a separate mix. The slush is added to the separate mix and mixed in, resulting in cooling the product below the leavening agent stability temperature while also adding salt, sugar, water and ice (which melts to become water) as ingredients for the dough. The aqueous slush product can be prepared to have a low dissolved solvents content for dietetic foods such as a dietetic drink. The product is prepared as a mixture of particulate ice, water and a small amount of freeze point depressant material containing no more than a low level of normally solid dissolved material commonly referred to as 'solids'. The freeze point depressant material can be a soluble inorganic salt, a monosaccharide, etc., and containing a small amount of an organic polar solvent which is liquid at the slush temperature.