Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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4272
BLANCHED PEANU~S WITH FLAVO~ED SKINS AND PROCESS
This invention relates to peanut kernels, and
particularly to the treatment thereof, by a process including
roasting, to reapply peanut skins removed by blanching in a
form which improves the palatability of the product.
As here~ofore carried out, the roasting of peanut
kernels, separated from their shells or husks, has been
effected, either with or without the addition of oil, either
before or after removal of the skins from the kernels. When
the skins are retained on the peanuts for roasting, they
become brittle and are easily dislodged during normal handling
and shipment in commercial distribution When the skins are
removed prior to roasting, by a process generally known as
blanching, the characteristic flavor contribution of the skins
is lost. And, the skins currently have little commercial
value beyond use as an additive~for animal feed.
In US Patent 2,813,029 to Shirk, there is disclosed a
process for coating peanuts still containing thei. sklns.
According to the disclosure, peanuts are coated with CO-?.
syrup, roasted in oil, and then salted. It is disclose~ -h2
the products have improved palatabili~y; however, experie~ce
with products of this type has snown that ~:ne skins s- 11
flake and peel off at a greater rate _han would be desired,
leaving large amounts of coated, salted skins at the ~ot_om o-
the packaging container upon opening.
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The ?roblem of -laking off of coated peanut skins ~25
recognlzed by Alikonis et al in US Patent 3,062,560, whereln
t~ey proposed employing a zein coatlng to more tlghtly adher~
.he skins. In addition to the zein, the coatlng could 21so
contain antioY.idants, flavoring materials, coloring materials,
and the like to improve o~her product characteristics. Wh~le
coatings applied according to this process do increase the
adherence of the skins to the peanuts, the process requires
applying the coatiny as an alcoholic solution of zein
plasticized with materials such as fatty acids, mono- and
diglycerides of edible fatty acids, and acetylated
monoglycerides.
In another attempt to coat peanuts, Green et al in US
Patent 4,161,545, disclosed a honey-coated roasted nut product
which is prepared by irst coating raw nuts with a mixture of
honey and water, and then enro~ing with a dry mixture of sugar
and starch prior to roasting. After roasting and cooling, the
nuts may be salted. They disclosed that if there are any
breaks in the skins of the nuts, the solden color of ~he
roasted nut and the reddish s~ins blend together better as one
color than in the case when honey is not used. ~ur~her, ~hev
note 'hat the honey causes the skins to s~ick better ~o ~he
nuts, thus resulting in a finished roasted ~rocuct bellg m^re
attractive due to the skins being mo~e lnl-^rmly _~ache~
Experience shows, however, that sisnificant cu2n~1 ties
skins stlll flake from the nuts.
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In us Patent 2,631,938, Miers et al disclosed that the
shelf stability of roasted nuts could be improved by applying
a coating of a calcium low-methox~l pectinate film containing
salt. The film can also contain sugars, gums, polyhydric
alcohol, and the like, as plasticizers, and otAer additives
such as coloring can be added to improve the appearance. The
only examples disclosed relate to almonds which are coated
; after roasting.
In US Patent 3,314,800 to Noznick e~ al, there is
disclosed a process for adhering a seasoning mix to blanched
peanuts prior to dry roasting. According ~o this process, an
aqueous adhesive mixture comprising vital wheat gluten, salt
and a food acid is applied to the nuts prior to dry roasting.
In addition to these required ingredients, the coating can
lS also contain flavorings, dextrin, and the like. Peanu~s
processed in this manner do ~ot have the disadvantage of
flaking ski~s; however, because the skins are totally absent,
the products lack the characteristic desirable flavor of
peanuts with skins.
It is an object of the ?resent inventlon -o ?_o~ide a
peanut product, and a method for ?reparing it, ~here n hQ
characteristic flavor of the peanut skins can be re aine~
without having the associated problem of la_ge quan~i~ies o-
skins flaking off during normal distribution and handling.
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Moreover, it is an object of ~he present invention tOeliminate the waste usually associated with blanched peanuts
and to provide a blanched peanut product having a non-flaking
coating containing peanut skins.
S These and other objects are achieved according to the
present invention, which provides an improved peanut product
and a process for preparing it. In its broad aspects, the
peanut product comprises blanched peanuts having a coating
directly adhered to the exterior surfaces of the peanuts, said
coating comprising: finely-ground peanut skins, pregelatinized
starch, a hydrophilic colloid film former, a sugar, and sodium
chloride.
The process according to the invention comprises in its
broad aspects: tumbling raw, blanched peanuts with
pregelatinized starch for a period of time effective to
uniformly coat the peanuts; applying an aqueous solution of a
hydrophilic colloid film fo_mer to the resulting starch-coated
raw peanuts and tumbling the peanuts until the resulting
coating becomes uniform and sufficiently tacky to adhe_e
par~iculate seasoning materials; applying par~iculate
seasoning materials comprising ground peanut s~ins, sugar ar.~
sodium chloride to the peanuts while the coating is tac~y, ar.c
tumbling the peanuts until the seasoning mater_21s uni-o-~ly
coat the exterior surfaces thereof; and roas~ing the ~esul~ing
25 coated peanuts. ~
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The product and proceSs of the present invent~on
accordinsly elim1nate the wastage hitherto at~endant u~on the
blanching of peanut kernels, and the s~ins are incorporated
into the finished peanut product to impart a ~haracterlstic
and desirable flavor thereto.
The peanuts employed according ~o the present invention
are blanched. While blanching can be accomplished in any
manner desired, it is preferably done in a manner which will
be non-destructive to the 'lavor and color of the skins. ~-or
example, procedures which leave any residue of abrasive or
other grit in the skins should not be employed. Where the
~uality of the skins is reduced by the blanching ~rocedure,
high quality s~.ins from a non-destructive blanchlng p~ocess
can be substituted for the origanal skins.
In carrying out the preferred process, which is
prlncipally continuous, shelled ~eanut kernels ~re bl~nched by
progressing them (e-g., on a conveyor ~r_angemen.)
successively through a -ine water spray; thr3ush a c~y n~ ove.
maintained, for example, at a temper_t1re o~ 2_0U~ 130r; ~?.~
between a series of rubber '-iction rollers. mhe ~om,~ined
action of the water spray and drying oven causes _he a ~ins ^ ^
the kernels to both shrink and become brittle, so ~ha~ hey
loosen and tend to separate from the kernels. mhe ac= on o-
the friction rollers, of which there may be a ..umber of p2'-,
is to assure that the skins become properly detached -~om ~he
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kernels so that they may be swept up ln a cur~ent of air which
s drawn through the mass OI peanuts and then passed ~hroush a
filte~ing bag or separator system to acc~mulate the skins.
A principal part of the coating according to the
invention is a seasoning mix which comprises ground peanut
s~ins, sodium chloride and a sugar. The seasoning mix is
preferably prepared by comminuting the skins, such as by
grinding, mixing them with fine, granulated sodium chloride
and a sugar; and sieving the mix to obtain a uniformly-
flowable, particulate, dry seasoning mix.
The skins are comminuted in any suitable manner toachieve a uniform, fine particle size. Commercial comminuting
and grinding eouipment capable of reducing the skins to a
partlcle size permitting them to pass through an about 32
mesh Tyler Standard, and preferably through a 48 mesh Tyler
Standard, sieve is suitable. Large pa~ticles of ground skins
are preferably removed prior to preparing the seasoning mix by
suitable sieving means. Most preferably, the ground s~ins
will pass through a 32 mesh Tyler Standard sieve and ~e
retained on a 65 mesh Tyler Standard sieve.
The sodium chloride is preferably ~inely s-anul2~ed. Cne
suitable commercially-available granulat-d s21~ ~ s ~o~~on ' â
Purex salt, extra fine granulated. This sait ^on~ains m no-
amounts of flow control agents to maintain --low2bil:~-v _-.de~
humid cond'tions.
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The sugar employed according to the present inventlon can
be any suit2bly sweet sugar which can be applied as a f~ee-
flowing powder of ~ine particle size. Among the sugars wh~ch
can be employed are those selected from the sroup consisting
of sucrose, glucose, fructose, invert sugar, corn syrup
solids, and high fructose corn syrup solids. The preferred
sugar is sucrose. The sugar will prefera~ly be a coating
grade sugar having a particle size at least fine as the salt
and peanut skin components.
The components of the seasoning mix are preferably dry
blended and then sieved to assure uniformly-small particle
sizes prior to application to the peanuts. Blending can be
achieved in any suitable equipment, such as a V-blender. And,
the seasoning mix is preferably sieved to a particle size
permitting passage through a 35 mesh Tyler Standard sieve.
While other components can be employed in the seasoning mix
according to the present invention, it is preferred that the
seasoning mix consist essen~ially of the peanut s~ins, the
sodium chloride and the sugar~ According to one ?re__rreA
embodiment of the invention, citxic acid may be added in an
amount effective to reduce the degree of ~rowning of ~he
product during roasting; su-prisingly, we have ~ound ~ha~
levels of citric acid of from about 0.1 ~o abou~ 0-;~O ~ased _n
the weight of the coating are effective for _his ?~~~cse. ~n
~5 another especially preferred embodiment accor~ng to _he
present invention, the seasoning mix will consls. o -hese
three components and contain greater than 19% s-ound ?ear.u-
s~ins.
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The coating adheres direc+ly to the exterior surfaces of
the peanuts. By .his, it is meant that the surfaces of the
peanut kernels are not precoated with added oil or other
material which may tend to effect the desired t_ght bond
S between the coating and surfaces of the peanut kernels. The
coating is tightly adhered so that a minimum amount becomes
dislodged during commercial handling and packaging, and upon
contact with hands during consumption.
To obtain the most attractive end-product, the peanuts
are sorted to remove split, cracked and otherwise defective
peanuts prior to application of the coating. The peanuts are
then charged into a rotatable coating reel or other suitable
device which is capable of tumbling the peanut kernels along
wi~h added coating materials. This coating can be conducTed
continuously or batch-wise, as desired.
In the first stage of the coating, pregelatinized sta~ch,
such as pregelatinized potato starch, is added to the ~umbling
peanuts at a rate effective to provide a uniform coa ing over
the exterior surfaces of the peanuts. The rate of addi~ion,
and the total tumbling time to achieve the uniform coa~ing,
will depend upon the size of the batch, the ~ate of t mbl ng,
and the ratio of starch to peanuts. Typically, the acd_tio~
of the starch will take from about 5 seconds to about l minu~a
and the total tumbling time will take from about 30 sec~r.ds to
about 2 mi~utes. Preferably, the starch will comp.ise -~om
about 0.1 to about 1% of the total weight of the peanu~
product, and from about 0.5 to about 5.0% based on the weish_
of the coating.
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After application of the uniform coating of starch to .he
peanuts, an aqueous solution comprising a hydrophilic colloid
film former is applied to the tumbling peanuts in an amount
and at a rate effective to pxovide a uni~orm coating to the
exterior surfaces of the peanuts. Tumbling is continued for a
period of time effective to render the coating sufficiently
tacky to adhere particulate seasoning materials. The exact
rate of addition of the film former solution and the tumbling
time effective to provide the uniform tac~y coating wi,l
depend upon the type of hydrophilic film former employed, the
rate of tumbling, the ~atch size, the rate of moisture
removal, the concentration of the hydrophilic colloid film
former in the solution, and the total amount of solution
applied. Typically, however, when employing the preferred
materials and amounts, i~ is found that the solution can be
added over a period of from about lS seconds to about 1 minute
with proper uniformity and tac~.iness achieved within a period
of from about 3 to 10 minutes.
The hydrophilic colloid 'ilm former can be any of the
natural or modified hydrophilic colloid film formers known ~o
the art which are suitably water soluble and provide a ~ac~y
consistency during the drying stage. Among ~he sui~a31e
materials which can be employed according ~o the presen.
invention are those selected -rom the g-oup consis~in.g of sum
acacia, gelatin, guar gum, dextrins, alginates, cellu~ose
derivatives, and vege~eable protein f-ac ions. One
particularly preferred hydrophil.ic colloid f~lm -o-mer is ~u~.
acacia. Where gum acacia is employed, it will t ~ically ~e
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prepared as an aoueous solution contalning from about 12 .o
about 25% solids. The solution should be fluid enough ~o
permit uniform application, but not so dilute that excessive
tumbling times are required to achieve the desired tacXy
S surface. Typically, the dry weight of gum acacia or other
film former will comprise from about 0.25 to about 1.5% of the
weight of the final product and from about 2 to about 10% of
the weight of the coating.
When the surfaces of the tumbling peanut kernels, coated
with the starch and the hydrophilic film former solution, have
achieved the necessary degree of tackiness to adhere
particulate seasoning materials, the particulate seasoning
material as described above is applied in an amount and at a
rate effective to uniformly coat the exterior surfaces of the
lS peanuts. Again, the exact time of application and total
tumbling to achieve the uniform coating will depend upon a
number of factors. Typically, however, the seasoning mix will
be added within a period of from about 10 seconds to about one
minute, with tumbling being continued for from about 5 seconds
to about 30 seconds after complete addition of the dry
seasoning mix. Experience will show the person skilled in the
art the appropriate time for terminating addi~ion anc
tumbling.
After the surfaces of the peanuts ~ecome uni~o~lY cO2~e-
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and dried to the optimum degree, continued ~umbling w~l'dislodge some of the coating materials. Thus, it is p~ete -ed
to immediately remove the coated product when the sur~_c~-
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appear uniformly coated with 2 minimum of remaining coatingmaterial still unattached. It is prefexred that the coating
material be applied in an amount of from about 5 to about 15%
based upon the weight of the final product. Most preferably,
the final product will contain at least 5 and less than 10% of
the coating material.
When substantially all of the seasoning material has been
taken up by the kernels, the resulting coated peanuts are
transferred to a roasting oven, preferably by an appropriate
conveyor device which transports them in a continuous
progression through a roasti~g oven main~ained at a
temperature, for example of from about 150~ to about 180,
preferably about 170C. This step causes not oniy a roasting
of the meat of the peanut kernels, but also causes this
coating containing peanut skins to unite with the kernel and
become substantially integral therewith, giving the finished
peanut product, a mottled and textured surface appearance.
The seasoning imparts a characteristic savory flavor to
the kernels; and, as has been already touched on above, the
method of the invention has the advantages that it eliminates
the waste hereto created by the blanching of kernels, and
provides a blanched peanut product which is not only seasoned
but has some of the characteristic taste at._ibu~es associated
with unblanched nuts.
The following example is provided to illust-ate and
explain what is presently considered the best mode 'o~
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carrying out the invention. The data is for illustrative
purposes to guide ~he pexson of ordinary skill in the art and
is not to be taken as limiting in any regard. Unless
otherwise indicated, all parts and percentages are by weight.
Exam~le
This example describes the preparation of peanuts
seasoned according to the invention.
Shelled, raw unblanched peanuts are contacted with a fine
spray of water to thoroughly wet the skins. The wetted
peanuts are then dried in a convection oven at a temperature
of about 100C to loosen the skins and cause them to become
brittle. The peanuts are then blanched by passing between
rubber friction rollers. A current of air is passed through
the resulting mass of blanched peanuts and skins to remove the
skins. The skins are then separated from the air current and
collected in a filtering bag.
The skins are finely ground through a Stokes Tornado mill
at high speed using a No. 0.029 Screen. The resultir.g g~ound
peanut skins all pass through a 32 mesh Tyler Standard sieve
and all are retained on a 65 mesh Tyler Standard sieve. The
peanuts and skins are then recombined wi~h the following othe-
ingredients in the amounts shown, accordins to '_~e ~.ocedu_e
which follows the table:
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Inaredient Amount
Blanched peanuts 1000 grams
Pregelat~nized starch 1.7 grams
Gum acacia solution ~18.4% solids) 35 ml.
Ground peanut skins 17.5 grams
Fine granulated/Castor sucrose 50 grams
Sodium chloride 12 grams
The pea~luts are charged into a rotatable coating pan
equipped with ribs. Ro~ation of the pan is besun, the
10 pregelatinized starch is added, and the peanuts and starch are
tumbled in the pan for about one minute. The gum acacia
solution is then added gradually to the tum-bling peanuts to
providè a uniform coating; and tumbling is continu~d for about
31-2 minutes after the start of addition, until the su_faces of
15 the peanuts ~ecome uniformly tacky. When the proper degree of
tackiness is achieved, a blend of the peanut skins, suc~ose
and sodium chloride is then slo~,71y added to the tumbling
peanuts. The blend was previousl~ prepared by mixing and
sieving through a 35 mesh Tyler Standard sieve. The tumbling
20 is terminated after about 45 seconds from 'he start o~
addition of the blend; and the resulting, uni ormly-coated
peanuts are immediately removed from the pan
The peanuts are then roasled by continuously -onvev n5
them on an open mesh conveyor through a -oas_-ng oven
25 maintained at approximately 170C. Af~er ~oas.ing in _he
oven, the product is cooled on the conveyor by drawins room
temperature air past the peanuts held ther~on. The ts~-
roasting and cooling operation takes abou. 20 minu~es.
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The product is packed in r.it_ogen gas flushed, flexible
laminated foil pouches.
The above description is for the purpose of desc~ibing
the invention to people having ordinary skill in the art to
enable them to practice it. It is not meant to detail all of
the obvious modifications and variations of the invention
which will become apparent upon reading. It is intended,
however, that all such modifications and variations be
included within the scope of the invention which is defined by
the'following claims.
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