Patent ID: 8088430

Claim:
A method for preparing a shortening composition comprising the steps of: a) blending a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil with an emulsifier to form a liquid mixture consisting essentially of the non-hydrogenated vegetable oil and the emulsifier, the emulsifier comprising monoglycerides and diglycerides; b) utilizing a pre-determined minimum cooling rate, a nucleation temperature and a nucleation time for the mixture; c) blending an inert gas into the liquid mixture until the mixture comprises at least about 5 percent by volume inert gas; d) pumping the mixture through a scraped surface heat exchanger to rapidly cool the mixture; e) controlling the cooling rate of the mixture within the scraped surface heat exchanger such that the temperature of the mixture changes at a rate of at least the minimum cooling rate; f) pumping the cooled mixture from the scraped surface heat exchanger to a working unit once the mixture is cooled to the nucleation temperature but before the nucleation time has elapsed, wherein the nucleation time is measured from the moment at which the mixture reaches the nucleation temperature, wherein the mixture has an outlet temperature ranging from about 88° F. to about 105° F., and wherein the working unit mechanically works the cooled mixture to form a shortening composition; and g) transferring a metered amount of the shortening composition from the working unit into a container.