| 摘要 |
A method for mass producing whole-seed crackers as a dehydrated food product is provided. In one embodiment a raw food product is produced. Mucilage-producing whole seeds, preferably flax seeds, are soaked in water to cause them to produce a mucilage, but not long enough to cause them to sprout. They are then mixed with ground seeds, preferably sunflower seeds, and herbs, spices and vegetable flavors, to form a dough having a selected moisture content, and cooled to produce a dough that has a water content, viscosity, elasticity, tensile strength and cohesiveness such that when sheets of dough having a desired thickness come through the extruder they have a smooth texture, do not wrinkle or curl, hold together without tearing, and do not stick to surfaces of processing equipment with which they come into contact. The sheets are then scored to outline substantially regular-shaped crackers. The sheets are of a viscosity such that the score lines partially heal, so that when later broken along the score lines after drying, they produce crackers having a ragged edge. The scored sheets are dried at a temperature not exceeding 200° F. and in an embodiment of this invention, not exceeding raw-food processing temperatures, to produce a cracker which is crisp, but not brittle, with a slightly chewy texture.
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