A proposed mechanism of high-temperature puffing of potato. Part I. The influence of blanching and drying conditions on the volume of puffed cubes

Potato cubes were blanched and partially dried in a cabinet drier prior to puffing in a Torbed 500, high-temperature fluidised bed drier. It was estab lished that formation of a partially dried layer (PDL) on the surface of th e cubes was necessary to achieve puffing. The influence of blanching and dr ying conditions on this layer was investigated. It was concluded that blanc hing for 2 min in water at 100 degreesC followed by drying in air at 90 deg reesC for 40 min resulted in the maximum increase in volume of the puffed c ubes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.