Potato treatment process

Claim 1

A process for treatment of raw white potatoes, which have previously been stored at temperatures of about 40° to 45° F, to improve their quality for subsequent thermal sterilization and storage in flexible containers without added liquid, which comprises immersing said stored potatoes, after they have been peeled, in whole or divided form, successively in: (a) an aqueous solution containing (1) 0.2 to 4% by weight of citric acid or sodium or potassium citrate, and (2) 0.005 to 0.8% by weight of sulfur dioxide in free form or in the form of sodium or potassium sulfite, bisulfite or metabisulfite; said aqueous solution having a pH of 2.3 to 6.5, the immersion of the potatoes in said solution (a) being from about 1 minute at 190° F to 5 minutes at 110° F; (b) an aqueous solution containing sodium or potassium pyrophosphate in a concentration of 0.5 to 1.5% by weight, the immersion of the potatoes in said solution (b) being from 15 seconds at 212° F to 60 seconds at 140° F; and (c) an aqueous solution of a non-toxic alkaline earth metal salt in a concentration of 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, the immersion of the potatoes in said solution (c) being from 15 seconds at 212° F to 60 seconds at 140° F. and thereafter sealing the peeled potatoes, without added liquid, in a flexible storage container and subjecting the peeled potatoes in the flexible container to thermal sterilization.