GB737372A - Improvements in or relating to quick cooking rice and process of preparation thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for preparing quick-cooking rice comprises subjecting rice grains of 17-34 per cent moisture to heat to gelatinize substantially completely the exterior portions of the grains without effecting more than partial gelatinization of the interior portions of the grain to provide whole rice grains having 21.1-34 per cent moisture and having exterior sheaths of moist gelatinized starch in a pliable rubbery condition and internal cores of relatively brittle, at least partially gelatinized, starch and then subjecting the treated grains to mechanical compression which modifies the internal structure of the grains without reducing them to a flaked condition. The grains may first be soaked at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature to raise their moisture content to 17-34 per cent and may then be cooked under conditions equivalent to 235 DEG F. for 100-10 minutes respectively. In an example 100 pounds of white rice with a moisture content of about 8 per cent is placed in a 100-gallon vessel with 60 gallons of water and allowed to soak for 30 minutes at 75 DEG F. and thereafter drained for 15 minutes after which the rice having a moisture content of about 25 per cent is transferred to a 80-gallon autoclave and treated with dry steam at 8 pounds pressure for 60 minutes after which time the outer portions of the grain are substantially completely gelatinized and the inner portions are partially gelatinized but still contain a small amount of gelatinized starch granules, the moisture content being about 28 to 30 per cent, the rice grains are removed from the cooker, transferred to a conveyer belt in a layer about one grain thick and passed between smooth rolls set to reduce the thickness of the grain to about 50 per cent of their precompression thickness, the grains thereafter being dried, e.g. by using a forced draught hot-air drier using air at 180 DEG F., to a moisture content of 10 to 14 per cent and the product being then packaged. Specification 737,450 is referred to.