Abstract: A process for automatically preparing french fries comprising the steps of cooking french fry shaped pieces of potato dough in a hot oil contained in an imperforate container having a drum shaped basket having a perforate cylindric wall and opposed overlapping arcuate segments which rotate to provide a tumbling agitation of said pieces, to insure uniform contact with said oil, which is interrupted for a time sufficient to complete the cooking of said pieces which thereafter are drained of any excess oil prior to transferring the drained pieces to a holding area.

Abstract: Process for making a reconstitutable dehydrated, cooked potato piece or strip. Raw potatoes are cooked and a dough of separated potato cells is formed therefrom. A small quantity of the cells are ruptured to release their starch contents. The released starch alone or in combination with additional raw starch which is gelatinized after mixing with the dough are used to give the dough an adhesive character which will permit the eventually dried potato pieces to be reconstituted in water without loss of piece identity. After rupture of the potato cells the dough is maintained in a heated condition until formed into strips or pieces of the desired size after which they are dried. An alternative process employs raw starch as the principle means for obtaining the desired adhesive character in the dried potato pieces. In the alternative process the dough is processed and formed into the desired pieces or strips without heating and thereafter the raw starch is gelatinized by application of heat.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for folding the gable top of gable top containers into a flat condition preparatory to packing a plurality of such containers into a carton so as to avoid wasted volume during transport of such containers. A gable top container having an extra score line to facilitate such folding of the gable top.

Abstract: An agglomerate of dehydrated potato particles containing a binder, the agglomerate having a bulk density in the range of 0.25-0.50 grams per milliliter a bulk porosity in the range of 0.6-0.9 and an initial moisture absorption rate during reconstitution at 130.degree.F of 0.20 to 0.35 grams of water per gram of product per second and being reconstitutable without agitation to form a substantially homogenous dough even when disposed as a consolidated mass. By proper distribution of the binder among the particles, the reconstituted potato dough exhibits uniform cohesive characteristics that allow for ready division into shapes suitable for french-frying.

Abstract: Gelatinized potato pieces containing sufficient generally uniformly dispersed sulfur dioxide to enable the pieces to be protected from microbial contamination even when stored for prolonged periods at ambient temperature. An article of manufacture including ambient temperature, stable, sulfur dioxide-containing gelatinized potato pieces surrounded by a substantially oxygen free environment in a microbe/oxygen impermeable container. The process of treating gelatinized potato pieces to make them microbially stable at ambient temperature during prolonged time periods by dispersing sulfur dioxide through the pieces and protecting them from subsequent contamination. Storage of the pieces in a substantially oxygen free or inert gas environment also enhances flavor stability in the stored products.

Abstract: A potato dough is prepared so that it is 23 to 40% solids including cooked intact potato cells, binder and raw starch, the remainder of the dough being moisture. The dough is divided into slabs and cut into strips of normal French fry potato size. The strips are then parfried in deep fat to a moisture content in the range of 40-65% to gelatinize the starch and form a matrix surrounding the intact potato cells throughout the piece, which matrix gels upon cooling, is not thereafter disturbed and makes the product freeze-thaw stable. The product is then frozen and stored. Without loss of piece integrity the product can be finish fried directly, or even after prolonged thawing, by deep fat frying or oven heating to form a crisp French fry.

Abstract: A dehydrated potato product is produced in a singlepass, non-addback process by preparing and cooking potatoes, mixing the cooked potatoes with a starch complexing emulsifier in the range of 0.3 to 2.0% by weight of solids to coat the surface of the potato cells, and mixing the resulting mash while directly subjecting the mash to a high velocity heated air stream to dry the mash to a point at which partially dried particles are airlifted and removed from the mixer-dryer. The partially dried cells are then dried to completion by conventional means. The starch complexing emulsifier reduces the adhesive characteristics of the mash, allowing separation of intact cells without damage after reducing the mash moisture to the range of about 30 to 50%. The dehydrated cooked potato product consists of intact potato cells in granular form substantially passing through a standard 60 mesh screen with high cold water absorption characteristics and rehydratable in hot water into mealy mashed potatoes.

Abstract: Gelatinized potato pieces containing sufficient generally uniformly dispersed sulfur dioxide to enable the pieces to be protected from microbial contamination even when stored for prolonged periods at ambient temperature. Storage of the pieces in a substantially oxygen free or inert gas environment also enhances flavor stability in the stored products.