Reduced fat nut spreads and continuous process for making

摘要

A continuous process for preparing a high protein or low fat nut spread having desirable fluidity, texture and flavor. The process comprises as a first step depositing a nut paste in a mixing tank. Next, the solid ingredients which are to be present in the final product spread are mixed into the tank containing the peanut paste and the mixture is pumped through a high shear mixer. The temperature of the mixture is then adjusted so that the temperature of the mixture exiting the homogenizer is less than about 240 DEG F. The mixture is then pumped through a homogenizer at a pressure ranging from about 9,000 to about 14,500 psig, a colloid mill, a versator and a scraped wall heat exchanger. Nut spreads having a monomodal or bimodal particle size distribution such that at least 50% of the solids in the nut spread have a particle size of less than 18 microns and 90% of the solids in the nut spread have a particle size of less than 60 microns, and further having a Casson plastic viscosity of from about 8 to about 17 poise and a yield value of less than about 300 dynes per square centimeter are produced according to this process.