Method for Reducing Oil Content of Fried Potato Chips

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for reducing the oil content of fried potato chips. According to the method, potatoes are used as raw materials, which are washed, peeled and cut into chips and are subjected to an ion blanching. The potato chips are then coated with a mixed solution of guar gum and sorbitol, and the potato chips are fried after coating. Calcium ions in blanching liquid can chemically react with low-methoxyl pectin contained in the potato chips to form a bridged structure. The calcium ions may also interact with guar gum to facilitate the escape of moisture and reduce the entry of oil during the frying process. Addition of sorbitol can further improve the structure of the coating membrane of guar gum to effectively reduce the oil content without significant influence on the moisture content and other qualities of the final products.

Claims

1. A method for preparing fried potato chips, comprising using a calcium ion solution for blanching, and a mixed solution of guar gum and sorbitol as a coating agent.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps of: 1) washing fresh potatoes thoroughly, peeling the potatoes, and cutting the potatoes into uniform potato chips; 2) blanching the potato chips by transferring them to a 0.3%-0.7% calcium ion solution, and incubating for 3-6 minutes at a temperature of 80-95 C.; 3) coating the blanched potato chips in step (2) with a mixed solution containing 0.8%-1.2% of guar gum and 1%-5% of sorbitol by mass percentage, and incubating for 2-5 minutes at a temperature of 38-45 C.; and 4) frying the coated potato chips at normal atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 160-190 C. for 2-7 minutes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the potatoes are cut into uniform 7*7*60 mm or 8*8*60 mm or 10*10*60 mm potato chips.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the uniform potato chips are transferred to a 0.5% calcium ion solution for blanching.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the blanching is performed for 4 min, at 95 C.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein guar gum and sorbitol in the mixed solution are 1% and 3% by mass percentage, respectively.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the coating is performed for 3 min, at 40 C.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the frying is performed for 3 min, at 170 C.

9. The potato chips prepared by the method of claim 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical details of some embodiments of the present invention are further described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the following examples. The examples are described only for illustration purpose, not to limit the scope of the present invention which is defined by the claims hereafter.

Example 1

[0025] Ion blanching+guar gum+sorbitol group: the potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% (g/100 mL) calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath, and the samples were taken out so as to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to a mixed solution of 1% guar gum and 3% sorbitol, and coated for 3 minutes at the temperature of 45 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature, and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0026] Control group: the potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips; the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in 95 C. water. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath, and the samples were taken out so as to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0027] Ion blanching group: the potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath, and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0028] 1% guar gum group: the potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were put in a 1% guar gum solution and coated for 3 minutes at the temperature of 45 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0029] Ion blanching+guar gum group: the potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath; and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to a 1% guar gum solution, and coated for 3 minutes at the temperature of 45 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0030] Ion blanching+guar gum+glycerinum group: the potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips; and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in cold bath, and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to the mixed solution of 1% guar gum and 3% glycerinum, and coated for 3 minutes at the temperature of 45 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0031] After the fried samples were dried to a constant temperature, the fat content of the fried samples was measured by a fat analyzer. As shown in tables 1 and 2, the ion blanching can significantly reduce the total oil content and final moisture content (p<0.05) of the samples. The ion blanching+guar gum+sorbitol composite processing can significantly reduce the total oil content of the products and does not affect the moisture content of the final products.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 The influence of ion blanching performed in a 0.5% calcium ion solution on the final moisture content, total oil content and texture of the fried potato chips Final moisture Total oil content content Samples (%, wet basis) (%, dry basis) Hardness Chewiness Control 65.53 1.71.sup.a 32.73 1.12.sup.a 540 43.2.sup.a 14.8 0.20.sup.a group Ion 61.47 1.38.sup.b 27.56 1.32.sup.b 615 8.94.sup.a 48.6 3.11.sup.b blanching group

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 The influence before and after ion blanching and the influence of coating on the moisture content and oil content of the fried potato chips Final moisture content Total oil content Samples (%, wet basis) (%, dry basis) Control group 65.53 1.71.sup.b 32.73 1.12.sup.a 1% guar gum group 68.40 0.97.sup.a 24.12 0.97.sup.b Ion blanching + 63.17 0.08.sup.c 24.76 0.25.sup.b guar gum group Ion blanching + 66.41 1.34.sup.b 22.82 1.83.sup.c guar gum + glycerinum group Ion blanching + 65.18 1.42.sup.b 17.82 1.29.sup.d guar gum + sorbitol group

[0032] The a, b, c, d letters are used to denote levels of significant difference in different groups where the groups denoted with the same letter are not significantly different from each other and the groups denoted with different letters are significantly different from each other.

Example 2

[0033] The potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath, and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to a mixed solution of 1% guar gum and 3% sorbitol, and coated for 4 minutes at the temperature of 40 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature and fried for 6 minutes at the temperature of 170 C. After the fried samples were dried to a constant temperature, the fat content of the fried samples was measured by the fat analyzer.

[0034] The final moisture content of the samples is 58.962.82%, and the total oil content is 21.51.32%. Compared to the Ion blanching+guar gum+sorbitol group of Example 1, the Example 2 increased the frying time is by 3 minutes. The moisture content of the final product was reduced, and the total oil content was increased in Example 2. Compared to the control group of the Example 1, the Example 2 has the effect of reducing the total oil content by 34%. The high-temperature long-time frying, though increases the total oil content, does not destroy the oil reducing ability of the guar gum/sorbitol coating solution.

Example 3

[0035] The potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to the mixed solution of 1% guar gum and 3% sorbitol, and coated for 5 minutes at the temperature of 45 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0036] After the fried samples were dried to a constant temperature, the fat content of the fried samples was measured by the fat analyzer. The final moisture content of the samples was 65.250.35%, and the total oil content was 19.791.65%. Compared to the Examples 1, the Example 3 increased the coating time by 2 minutes. After the products were fried, there was no significant change in the moisture content and total oil content, further indicating the relative good stability and applicability of the composite coating solution of guar gum and sorbitol.

Example 4

[0037] The potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.7% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath, and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to the mixed solution of 1% guar gum and 6% sorbitol, and coated for 5 minutes at the temperature of 50 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0038] After the fried samples were dried to a constant temperature, the fat content of the fried samples was measured by the fat analyzer. The final moisture content of the samples was 67.250.25%, and the total oil content was 20.791.35%. Compared with the Examples 1, the Example 4 increased the coating temperature and the concentration of sorbitol, and the water-retaining property of the composite coating solution was improved, leading to slight increase of the moisture content and improved tenderness of the interior of the fried potato chips.

Example 5

[0039] The potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into uniform 8*8*60 mm potato chips, and the potato chips were blanched for 4 minutes in a 0.5% calcium ion solution at the temperature of 95 C. After being blanched, the potato chips were put in a cold bath, and the samples were taken out to remove excessive moisture on the surfaces, transferred to the mixed solution of 1% guar gum and 3% sorbitol, and coated for 3 minutes at the temperature of 45 C. The coated samples were cooled to room temperature, frozen for 12 months at the temperature of 20 C. and fried for 3 minutes at the temperature of 170 C.

[0040] After the fried samples were dried to a constant temperature, the fat content of the fried samples was measured by the fat analyzer. The final moisture content of the samples was 48.581.08%, and the total oil content is 15.670.14%. There was no significant change in hardness, chewiness and color of the products. Compared with the Examples 1, the Example 5 added a freezing process. After the products are fried, the moisture content and total oil content of the products were significantly reduced, and the texture and color of the products remained unchanged, indicating that the composite coating formula has relatively good stability under a long-term freezing condition, and the formed coating still has a good oil reducing ability.