Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02527397 2005-11-21
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[000 ] FROZEN SMOOTHIE KIT AND METHOD
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] None
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0003] None
REFERENCE TO A "SEQUENCE LISTING"
[0004] Not applicable.
BACI<GROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention relates generally to a frozen beverage, drink
or snack such as a smoothie or the like and more particularly to a
combination of frozen ingredients presented in a kit or package form for
making a high quality smoothie either at home or in a restaurant
setting.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0006] While the term smoothie means different things to different
people, the classic smoothie includes a creamy dairy product such as
yogurt, a sorbet or a sherbet blended together with fresh fruits,
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vegetables and a liquid such as juice, or milk, it being understood that
other flavors or ingredients may also be added. A high quality smoothie
characteristically is most desirably quite thick, similar in thickness to a
milkshake and is served very cold.
[0007] The most common recipes for smoothies include fresh or
frozen fruit, yogurt and a liquid such as milk, soda, fruit juice or
vegetable juice. Typically the ingredients including the fruit, liquid and
optional additives such as flavorings, protein powders and the like are
put into a blender with ice. The blender is run for a time sufficient to
bring all ingredients together into a thick, smooth, chilled and
preferably very cold consistency. The blend then is poured into a glass
or cup and consumed by sucking through a straw, by spooning or
drinking.
[0008] There is a relatively large number of variations on the basic
smoothie recipe, but none is particularly convenient for making a high
quality smoothie at home in that typical homemade smoothies may or
may not be consistent in quality or remain as cold and thick over time as
those made by a commercial establishment. In this respect it is unlikely
that typical households have the high-powered smoothie blending
equipment or cooling equipment often found in a commercial
establishment to produce a product that is consistently smooth in
texture and that is sufficiently chilled so it remains thick and
refreshingly cold over time.
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[0009] Also, both in home and in commercial environments, ice
often is added to the blender to produce the desired deep refreshing
coldness of a smoothie. Such use of ice, even in a commercial
establishment, may result in the smoothie having a crystalline or
granular texture if the smoothie is not properly blended. For example, if
the blending time is too short, the ice may not be ground into small
enough particle sizes leaving the smoothie with a granular mouth feel.
While a grainy mouth feel is not necessarily objectionable, a more
desirable smoothie attribute is as its name suggests, a smooth mouth
feel.
[0010] Thickness is another particular attribute that is difficult to
obtain in a non-commercial setting. In a commercial establishment, a
gum, starch ar other thickener may be added to thicken the smoothie.
The most common ingredient for thickening a smoothie made at home
is banana but banana adds a flavor that may not be desirable.
Accordingly, while it is certainly possible to make a decent smoothie
either in a commercial establishment or at home, making a high quality
smoothie in a truly simple manner that is both cold and that has a
smooth mouth feel remained an elusive goal, until now.
[001 1 ] Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide ingredients
for making a smoothie that simplify previously known methods of
making a smoothie without reducing the quality of the resulting
smoothie and, in fact, producing a superior smoothie.
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[0012] It is another object of this invention to provide a smoothie
making kit including essential ingredients that can be blended without
the use of ice to produce a smoothie that is cold and that has a smooth
mouth feel.
[0013] A further object is to provide a method for making a
smoothie using frozen ingredients and a liquid that produces a cold,
smooth textured smoothie with out the need to add ice.
[0014] Yet another object of the invention is to provide smoothie
making ingredients including at least yogurt and fruit both in the form
of frozen-solid pieces that can be stored in a frozen condition at
conventional home freezer temperatures for a relatively long time and
which can be assembled into a smoothie easily and quickly when
desired.
[0015] !t is further an object of this invention to provide a number
of variations on the basic process to substitute flavorings for fresh fruit
and/or to combine the fruit and dairy ingredients into a few frozen
ingredients or even into a single ingredient to even further simplify the
process of making a smoothie.
(0016] !t is yet another object of this invention to provide a frozen
ingredient such as, but not limited to, yogurt in the form of small frozen
solid chips, pellets, cubes or flakes to which fruit and a liquid such as
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fruit or vegetable juice or soda can be added, and the mixture blended
to create a smoothie.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Briefly stated the present invention in one aspect thereof
comprises a package of smoothie making ingredients in a frozen state.
In one embodiment the package comprises a kit including a yogurt in
the form of a plurality of frozen-solid pieces including, but not limited
to, chunks, pellets, cubes, chips or flakes. Also in the package are
individually quick frozen (IQF) whole fruits or fruit pieces such as, for
example, berries or whole berries, such as strawberries, raspberries or
blueberries or pieces of larger fruits and vegetables such as chunks of
pineapple, mango or banana or carrots among others. The package
comprising a smoothie making kit, after purchase, can be stored in a
conventional home freezer until the consumer desires to make the
smoothie.
[0018] The package or smoothie making kit preferably contains a
measured amount of the frozen ingredients sufficient to make a
particular size of smoothie. If the package contains one serving size, the
entire frozen contents of the package is added to a blender along with a
prescribed volume of liquid, preferably milk or juice. Running the
blender transforms these frozen ingredients to a smoothie that has the
desirable smoothie attributes of being cold and smooth.
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[0019] Because the yogurt and fruit ingredients of the smoothie-
making package are frozen solid, there is no need to add ice cubes or
crushed ice when making the smoothie. Eliminating the addition of ice
provides the added benefit of ensuring a smoother mouth feel to the
blended product by avoiding ice particles and also reduces the amount
of liquid that is eventually added so the smoothie maintains a thick
consistency that is not watered down by melting ice.
[0020] As noted above, a primary ingredient for making a
smoothie according to the present invention comprises pieces of yogurt
frozen solid in the form of pellets, cubes, chips or the like. A
conventional yogurt may be frozen solid at temperatures found in home
freezers, typically no less than 0°F, so that in one form, the present
invention comprises a yogurt that is in the form of frozen solid pellets,
cubes, chips or the like in a kit together with other frozen smoothie
making ingredients. Unless otherwise specified, the term "yogurt' is
intended to include any one or more of yogurt, a low fat yogurt or a non
fat yogurt as defined in 21 C.F.R. 131.
[0021 ] For purposes of enhancing flavor and texture, one or more
ingredients such as sugar can be added to the yogurt to provide a
yogurt-based formulation that is frozen solid. The addition of sugar as a
flavor enhancer can depress the freezing point of the formulation to
such an extent that a smoothie made with the yogurt formulation will
melt quickly when at room temperature. In this case a preferred yogurt
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formulation includes a higher percentage of water than found in most
yogurts.
[0022] Several advantages result from adding water to facilitate
freezing the yogurt solid particularly in the case of a yogurt formulation
where the yogurt is but one ingredient and the yogurt formulation
includes other ingredients such as sugar, heavy cream or other flavor
enhancers that may depress the freezing temperature of the yogurt
formulation. In such cases the added water will act to raise the freezing
temperature 1o insure that the yogurt formulation is frozen solid at
conventional home freezer temperatures (usually not below 0°F).
[0023] Using pieces of frozen solid yogurt or yogurt formulation
allows the creation of a smoothie having a desirable consistency and
cold temperature without the addition of ice to the blender. The amount
of water that might be added to cause the yogurt or yogurt formulation
to freeze solid for making the frozen solid pieces preferably is less than
the amount of water that would be added as ice in the conventional
preparation of a smoothie.
10024] because the frozen-solid pieces of the yogurt or yogurt
formulation have an initial temperature well below freezing, the pieces
fracture rather than melt during blending and this improves the quality
of the smoothie. Consequently the smoothie made with the frozen-solid
yogurt pieces or frozen-solid yogurt formulation pieces is less diluted
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and therefore desirably thicker than a smoothie made with unfrozen
yogurt and ice.
[0025] As used herein, the term "frozen-solid piece" refers to a
frozen state similar to that of frozen water or ice wherein the frozen
body is frangible. Accordingly, frozen-solid in this context is the state
achieved and maintained by cooling to temperatures conventionally
found in a home freezer and in particular to temperatures below 32° F
but not below about 0° F. In contrast ice cream at such temperatures
even though considered frozen, has a smooth texture, can still be
scooped and is not frangible.
(0026] In similar respects a "frozen" yogurt as sold at an ice cream
parlor or franchised outlet is somewhat of a misnomer in that such a
"frozen" yogurt, while very cold, is not solid but is still able to flow and
usually is dispensed by pumping into a cone or container. Accordingly
such a frozen yogurt does not meet the definition of "frozen-solid" as
used herein.
[0027] Accordingly, the present invention may be characterized in
another aspect thereof by a smoothie making kit including selected
proportions of frozen solid pieces of a yogurt formulation including
freezing temperature depressing additives and added water packaged
together with selected proportions of frozen fruit preferably individually
quick frozen (IQF) whole fruits or berries or individually quick frozen
fruit or vegetable pieces all contained in a package for mixing with a
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recommended amount of liquid such as juice, soda or milk to be added
to the package contents at the time the smoothie is made.
[0028] After purchase, the package comprising the smoothie
making kit can be stored in a conventional home freezer until a
smoothie is desired. Then, the contents of the kit are simply emptied
into a blender along with prescribed amount of juice, milk or other
liquid to make the desired flavor of smoothie.
[0029] While any suitable plain or flavored yogurt may be used in a
yogurt based formulation according to the present invention, it has been
found that a plain or unflavored, non-fat yogurt is preferred. In this
respect a plain non-fat yogurt allows greater leeway for adjusting flavor
and texture than say a full fat yogurt. For example, starting with a non
fat yogurt, various ingredients can be added to adjust flavor and texture
such as sugar, heavy cream and thickeners. A conventional non-fat plain
yogurt contains less than 0.5% milkfat and not less than 8.25% milk
solids (not fat) with the balance water. In a preferred embodiment
according to the present invention, a yogurt formulation is prepared
using non-fat yogurt and other ingredients such as one or more of
flavor enhancers, an emulsifier, gum, a stabilizer and added water.
[0030] Accordingly, in another aspect, the present invention may
be characterized by a frozen-solid yogurt formulation containing a
water content higher than normally found in a plain non-fat yogurt that
may be blended with fresh or frozen fruit and a liquid such as juice,
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soda or milk in the absence of ice to produce a smoothie having the
desirable attributes of a smooth texture or mouth feel, a thick
consistency and being very cold.
[0031 ] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
frozen yogurt chips or cubes substantially as described herein may be
provided separately from the frozen fruit. The formulation of the frozen
yogurt chips is preferably as already described. Consumers can
purchase the chips, measure a suitable amount, add frozen fruit and
liquid and blend to form a smoothie substantially as already described.
(0032] In accordance with another aspect of the invention the juice,
which otherwise would be added to the frozen ingredients at the time of
blending the smoothie can be provided in frozen concentrated form so
that the customer can prepare the smoothie by simply adding water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS)
[0033] Figure 1 a smoothie making kit containing the frozen-solid
pieces of a yogurt formulation together with individually quick frozen
fruit;
[0034] Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure i showing other kit
contents; and
(0035] Figure 3 is a flow diagram showing a sequence for making
frozen-solid pieces of a yogurt formulation as used in the present
invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0036] Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 shows a preferred
smoothie making kit according to the present invention. In this respect
Figure 1 shows a package 22 including a plurality of frozen solid yogurt
pieces 24 in a freezer bag 26. The term "pieces" as used herein means
any chunks, pellets, cubes or flakes of a size suitable for use in a
blender to make a smoothie according to one embodiment of the
invention. A preferred size is approximately 1.5 inches x .75 inches x
0.375 inches. The yogurt pieces may either be a plain or flavored
yogurt, low fat yogurt or non fat yogurt or a yogurt formulation as
further described herein below.
[0037] Also included in the package, preferably in the freezer bag
26, are individually quick frozen (IQF) pieces of fruit including, but not
limited to strawberries 28 and/or blueberries 29. Other ingredients
optionally included in the bag depending upon the desired flavor, are
banana chunks 30 and chunks of cut-up pieces of larger fruits 32 such
as, but not limited to, pieces of peach, mango and pineapple. As a
further alternative, frozen chunks of a vegetable may be included or
used in place of a fruit.
[0038] While pieces of the IQF fruit 28, 29, 30 and 32 are
preferred, the package also may contain in addition or in place of the
IQF fruits, frozen cubes 34 of macerated fruits or fruit juices as shown in
Figure 2. Cubes of this sort are less preferred as the look and
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appearance of whole fruit or fruit pieces has more consumer appeal.. In
any event, the package 22 can either be a single or multiple serving
package.
[0039] If the package contains a single portion or serving, the
entire contents of the package, still frozen, is placed into a blender
along with a liquid such as milk, cream or juice. The blender then is
operated to make the smoothie. If the package contains multiple
portions, only a desired number of the frozen yogurt cubes 24 and
pieces of IQF fruits 28 or fruit chunks 32 are removed from the freezer
bag and put into a blender.
[0040] Frozen solid pieces of a yogurt, low fat yogurt or non fat
yogurt can be used in the smoothie making process of the present
invention, However, a smoothie based on a yogurt alone generally is less
sweet, has less body and less flavor than a yogurt blended with
sweeteners, starch, gum, emulsifiers and other food flavorings and
texture enhancers, Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the frozen
solid yogurt pieces comprise a yogurt-based formulation including
yogurt and one or more of flavor enhancers and thickening agents
together with an amount of added water to facilitate freezing the
formulation to a solid. A suitable formulation preferably includes sugar
and one or more of heavy cream, food starch, a flavoring, a thickener
among others.
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[0041 ] Referring to Figure 3, the frozen solid pieces of yogurt
formulation are made by separately blending dry ingredients 10 and the
liquid ingredients 12 including the yogurt. The dry ingredients may
include one or more of sugar, starches, nutritional additives such as
vitamins and minerals, preservatives and thickening agents among
others. The liquid ingredients, in addition to the yogurt, may include
heavy cream, other flavor enhancers and water.
(0042] The dry ingredients are added to the liquid and the mixture
14 is blended until well combined. The blended mixture then is heated
as shown at 16 to about 180°F to 185°F and held at temperature
for
about 30 seconds. Heating the mixture is an optional but preferred step.
In this respect heating pasteurizes the mixture and gels the starches
used that are not pre-gelled.
[0043] The heated mixture is poured into any suitable divided
container or tray 18. The tray is placed into a freezer 20 where it is
maintained until the yogurt formulation is frozen solid to produce
individual pieces 24. The pieces 24 can be of any convenient shape such
as, but not limited to, cubes chips, irregular-shaped pieces, pellets,
flakes of the like. Once removed from the tray, the frozen solid pieces
24 of yogurt formulation are packaged. The packaged pieces can be
stored and maintained frozen at temperatures of between about 32°F
and about 0°F for later sale or use.
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[0044] One or more of the ingredients of the yogurt-based
formulation, particularly the sugar, is known to depress freezing
temperature. Accordingly, the amount of water that is one of the wet
ingredients is an amount of water in addition to the given amount of
water in the yogurt per se. This additional water has the function of
raising the freezing temperature of the yogurt formulation so it will
freeze to a frangible solid at a temperature of between about 32° F and
0°F. If it is found that the formulation still does not freeze solid at
the
desired temperatures, a non-nutritive sweetener such as sucralose may
replace some portion of the sugar used as a sweetener in the
formulation.
[0045] To demonstrate the present invention, a yogurt based
formulation was prepared using the ingredients as shown in Table I
below:
TABLE I
weight (grams)% by wt
In redient .
Non fat o urt 194.40 38.88
Su ar 125.00 25.00
Wate r 84.1 5 16 . 8
3
Heav Cream 62.50 12.50
Modified Food Starch 1 5.00 3.00
1/itamin/Mineral Blend12.50 2.50
Other* 6.45 1.29
Total 500.00 100.00
*Lactic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Vanilla, and Xanthan Gum
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[0046] As noted above a higher fat content yogurt could be used in
the formulation, but a non fat yogurt affords a greater opportunity to
adjust the taste and texture of the formulation. The dry and wet
ingredients were separately blended and mixed, heated and frozen all as
described above. After freezing, the individual cubes of frozen solid
yogurt are removed from the tray and placed into a bag for freezer
storage at a temperature of about 0°F.
[0047] In using the frozen solid pieces of the yogurt formulation of
Table I, it was found that the pieces tended to melt rather quickly at
room temperature. The result was the production of a smoothie, which
had an acceptable taste but that did not retain a cold, thick consistence
over time. The ease of melting was attributed to the fact that the
amount of water added did not raise the freezing temperature enough
to offset the freezing temperature depressing action of the sugar.
[0048] Accordingly, a second yogurt based formulation was
prepared having the ingredients as set out in Tabie II.
TABLE II
weight (grams)% by wt
In redient
Non fat o urt 199.30 39.86
Water 159. i 5 31.83
Heav Cream 62.50 12.50
Su ar 45:00 9.00
Modified Food Starch ~ 15.00 ~ 3.00
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Vitamin/Mineral Blend12.50 2.50
Other** 6.45 1.29
Sucralose 0.10 0.20
Total 500.00 100.00
*Lactic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Vanilla, and Xanthan Gum
[0049] In this yogurt based formulation the amount of sugar was
reduced and replaced by a small amount of sucralose while increasing
the amount of added water. The result was a yogurt-based formulation
that readily froze to a solid and that melted more slowly at room
temperature than the formulation of Table I.
[0050] Based on these and other tests, it is believed that a suitable
yogurt formulation that can be frozen solid and maintained in a frozen
solid state at temperatures in the range of about 32°F to about
0°F and
then subsequently used to prepare a smoothie having desirable cold and
smooth characteristics with out the use of ice comprises by weight
about 35% to 45% yogurt (preferably a non fat yogurt), about 7% and
1 1 % sugar, about 10% to 1 5% heavy cream and about 25% to 35% water
in addition to the water content of the yogurt.
[0051 ] ~To prepare a smoothie several of the frozen solid pieces of
the Table II yogurt based formulation are placed into a blender together
with pieces of IQF fruit and without ice. The blender is operated to blend
the ingredients producing a thick, smooth frozen consistency that can
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be spooned or sucked through a straw and that melts slowly at room
temperature.
[0052] The amounts of frozen-solid yogurt or yogurt-based
formulation, frozen fruit and liquid added to the blender are matters of
choice. However a suitable component ration is about 1 /3 yogurt and
2/3 fruit blended 50/50 with an equal amount of liquid. For example, a
smoothie having all the desirable attributes is made by blending about
80 to about 108 grams of the yogurt pieces with about 232 to 260
grams of fruit with an amount of liquid about equal to the amount of the
yogurt/fruit mixture.
[0053] While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described, it should be appreciated that the mixture of ingredients in
the package 22 may take any one of several forms. For example, the
package may contain only pieces of the frozen yogurt formulation. A
smoothie then is made using a prescribed number of pieces of the
frozen yogurt formulation along with any other ingredient desired by the
consumer. Moreover the yogurt formulation may include a non nutritive
sweetener as a replacement for at least a portion of the sugar to lessen
the freezing-temperature-depression effect of any sugar that is added
while still obtaining the desired sweetness.
[0054] Rather than adding juice or milk to the frozen contents of
the package, the package 22 may contain cubes of frozen juice or other
liquid concentrate 34 as shown in Figure 3. In this case adding water to
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the frozen contents of the package makes the smoothie. In still another
variation, the pieces of frozen yogurt formulation may itself include
fresh or frozen fruit bits or juice so that the smoothie making
ingredients are contained in a single frozen piece. Here a desired
number of the all-inclusive frozen pieces are put into a blender with a
prescribed amount of liquid to make the smoothie. In all of these
variations, no ice need be added to produce a blended smoothie having
the desired coldness.
[0055] While the present invention has been described using a
yogurt or yogurt formulation as a desirable smoothie ingredient, other
non yogurt combinations also are possible. Yogurt is preferred because
it has an inherent thickness not provided by milk alone. In this respect
the adding of a bacterial culture to milk, skim or skimmed milk, cream
or mixtures thereof and heating allows the bacteria to grow. This growth
produces acid from the lactose and reduces the pH of the milk. The
lowered pH (generally to a range of 4.1 to 4.6) destabilizes the micellar
casin component of the milk causing the milk to coagulate and thicken
to a desired consistency. A desired consistency for purposes of the
present invention is a product having a value of approximately 10.5 to
12.5 on the Bostwick scale.
[0056] Accordingly, while yogurt is a desired ingredient, any dairy
or non dairy product or mixtures thereof having a desired flavor and
thickness and preferably a pH approaching that of a yogurt could be
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used in place of the yogurt (provided the flavor and freezing properties
are acceptable).
[0057] The preferred thickness, for example, on the Bostwick Scale
is between about 10.5 and 12.5 cm at 140°F for 10 seconds and most
preferably about 1 1.5 cm. A preferred pH range is about 4.0 to 4.5 and
the preferred total acidity is 0.90-0.99. Total acidity or TA
determinations are measures of tartness. A total acidity measurement is
a common measurement in the food industry and is done through
titration and subsepuent calculation wherein the results are reported in
terms of the predominant acid. In the case of a yogurt or yogurt-based
formulation, the TA would be expressed in terms of lactic acid.
[0058] Having described the invention in detail, what is claimed as
new is:
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