GB2066040A

GB2066040A - Rapidly rehydratable pasta

Info

Publication number: GB2066040A
Application number: GB8037169A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ranks Hovis McDougall Ltd
Current assignee: Ranks Hovis McDougall Ltd
Priority date: 1979-11-23
Filing date: 1980-11-19
Publication date: 1981-07-08
Also published as: FR2469879B1; GB2063643A; IT8068789A0; JPS5678571A; DE3042665A1; BE886287A; GB2066040B; NL8006290A; JPH0112459B2; FR2469879A1; IT1129892B

Abstract

A method of producing pasta which is rapidly rehydratable by extruding a mixture of semolina and/or wheat flour and water having a moisture content of 28 to 40% to form a product having a wall thickness of 0.3 to 0.7 mm and subjecting the product to super-heated steam at 102 to 140 DEG for 7 to 20 minutes, and reducing the moisture content to give a shelf-stable product.

Description

1 GB 2 066 040 A 1

SPECIFICATION

A method of producing pasta This invention relates to a method of producing pasta and particularly to pasta which is rapidly rehydratable for consumption and also to pasta pro duced by the method. Such pasta may be in the form of tubes such as straight or elbowed macaroni, noodles, vermicelli or other pasta shapes.

Conventionally pasta is made by mixing wheat flour or durum semolina and water. The product shape is formed by extrusion of the mixture through a die and the product is then dried under controlled temperature and humidity. Typically, drying has been for 6 or more hours at temperatures of up to 75T and relative humidities up to 851/1o. This slow drying has been necessary to prevent cracking and checking in the product. Such products may be rehydrated by cooking in boiling waterfor anytime from about 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

According to the present invention there is pro vided a method of producing a rapidly rehydratabie pasta which includes preparing a mixture of semolina andlor wheat flour and water, having a moisture content of between 28 and 40%, extruding the mixture through a die to form a product having a thickness between 0.3 and 0.7 millimetres, subject ing the product to super-heated steam at a tempera ture between 102T and 1,40'C forfrom 7 to 20 minutes, and reducing the moisture content suffi ciently to give a shelf-stable product without crack ing and checking. Preferably, the thickness is 0.45 mm and the moisture content is below 14%. In the case of a tubular product, the thickness is the wall 100 thickness.

As an additional step after steaming, the product may be gradually cooled to equilibrate the moisture level in the product.

With the method of the invention the processing 105 time is substantially less than with prior art methods of producing a similar product.

During the steaming stage, the pasta is partially cooked as protein is insolubilised and starch partially gelatinised. These changes are critical to the process as they influence the final texture of the rehydrated product.

Reconstitution of the product is achieved by pouring hot or boiling water on to the dry pasta or on to pasta which has been premixed with a suitable sauce mix. During rehydration it may be advisable to stir the product and then allow it to stand from 4 to 6 minutes or longer but under 10 minutes depending paricularly on the product dimensions and/or the sauce formulation.

EXAMPLE

Meat flour and water are mixed to give a moisture content of 32%. The mixture is extruded using a conventional pasta press fitted with a thin walled die, to produce a short cut macaroni with a wall thickness of approximately 0.5mm.

The extrudate is surface dried in a conventional shaker pre-drier sufficiently to prevent the product sticking together. This is carried out at 30'C for 3 minutes to reduce the moisture content from 32% to 28%.

The p rod uct is th en p 1 aced on a conveyo r wh ich tra nspo rts it conti n uous ly th rou g h a n i nsu lated tu nnel. The tunnel is supplied with steam super-heated by means of gas burners to give a temperature of 11 O'C. The processing time is approximately 10 minutes. During steaming, the product is dried from approximately 28% moisture content to a level at which the product is shelf-stable i.e. below about 14% The productis then moisture equilibrated conventional ly for 60 m inutes at 56C.

The method of the present invention provides conditions which give partial denaturation of the protein and partial gelatinisation of the starch and also prevents cracking and checking in the product.

Semolina may be used instead of whatflour or a combination of semolina and what flour may be mixed with water as the starting material.

Claims

1. A method of producing a rapidly rehydratable pasta which includes preparing a mixture of semolina andlor wheat flour and water, having a moisture content of between 28 and 40%, extruding the mixture through a die to form a product having a thickness between 0. 3 and 0.7 millimetres, and subjecting the product to super-heated steam at a temperature between 102'and 1400 doe deom 7 to 20 minutes, and reducing the moisture content suffi- ciently to give a shelf-stable product without cracking or checking.

2. The method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the thickness is 0.45 millimetres.

3. The method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the moisture content is below 140/6 to provide the shelf-stable product.

4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which additionally after steaming the, product is gradually cooled.

5. The method as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, in which the initial moisture content of the mix is substantially 32%.

6. The method as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, in which the partially dried product 110 has a moisture content of substantially 280/6

7. The method as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the product is partially denatured and partially gelatinised.

8. A method of producing a rapidly rehydratable 115 pasta substantially as herein described.

9. A rapidly rehydratable pasta when prepared by the method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

Printed for Her Majesty's stationery Office by The Tweeddale Presa Ltd., Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1981. Published atthe PatentOffice, 25Southampton Buildings, LondoryWC2AlAY, from which cqpies maybe obtained.