Patent ID: RE41885

Claim:
A method for producing a reconstitutable dehydrated chunky bean product so as to substantially eliminate hard beans from the bean product, the method comprising: a. separately hydrating first and second portions of raw beans by maintaining the entirety of said first and second portions submerged in a wetting liquid for respective first and second hydration periods so as to obtain respective first and second portions of unchopped hydrated beans; b. separately cooking each of said first and second portions of hydrated beans to obtain respective first and second portions of unchopped cooked beans; c. chopping said first portion of the cooked beans to form a composition of a desired texture; d. forming the texturized composition into a generally flat sheet; e. drying the flat sheet of texturized composition; f. forming the sheet into chunks; g. drying the second portion of unchopped cooked beans using microwave energy; and h. adding the dried second portion of unchopped cooked beans to said chunks.