Patent ID: 7026006

Claim:
A method for making dehydrated potato pellets comprising the steps of (a) preparing an aqueous mixture of a first portion of dried potato pieces, said mixture including an emulsifier, water, and, optionally, a first portion of comminuted freshly cooked potato, (b) homogenizing the mixture of step (a) to produce a homogenate comprising potato and emulsifier uniformly dispersed in a pumpable, flowable aqueous dispersion, the water content of said homogenate comprising at least 50% of said homogenate, (c) mixing the homogenate of step (b) with a second portion of dried potato pieces, (d) forming the mixture of step (c) into pellets, and (e) drying said pellets to a moisture content no greater than 10%, said pellets being rehydratable to mashed potatoes.