Agglomerated dehydrated potato product and process

Claim 2

A process for producing agglomerates of dehydrated potato particles that are rapidly reconstitutable into a substantially homogeneous dough in the absence of physical agitation, the resulting rehydrated dough being suitable for shaping into french fried bodies, said process comprising the steps of: mixing binder-containing dehydrated potato solids, composed at least in part of potato granules, with an amount of water sufficient to form a damp cohesive mass, said amount of water being temperature dependent and selected from about 35-55 percent by total weight of water at 60* F., up to about 70 percent by total weight of water in a range of 150*-180* F. and about 30 percent water by total weight in the range of 25*-35* fF.; extruding the mass at a pressure in the range of 3-10 p.s.i.g. into porous agglomerates; and drying said agglomerates to approximately 7 percent by weight moisture content to produce a product having a bulk density of 0.25-0.5 grams per milliliter, a bulk porosity of 0.6-0.9, and a moisture absorption rate of about 0.12-0.50 grams of water per gram of product per second, while retaining the porous structure of the agglomerates.