A salty nut is a nut delivering the crunch of a roasted nut with a salty or flavoured taste .
Base
The core is a nut - typically peanuts. Medium to large sizes are preferred as coating does not affect the overall shape of the nut. The nuts are primarily fried in vegetable oil.
Nuts such as cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts are used in premium mixes.
Ingredients
As the nuts are fried in oil, the remaining oil on the product could be used as an adhesive for a flavouring powder. But oil is quickly absorbed and the nuts may be coated a while after they have been fried. Therefore vegetable oil is further added onto the fried nuts.
The nuts are falvoured with powder salt or flavours. Flavours are a mix of salt, taste enhancer, starch, spices.
Process
The coating sequences run as follows:
Frying of the nuts, either in a batch fryer or in a continuous fryer,
Oil application by dripping or spraying,
Salt or flavour dosing and application.
It is a batch or continuous operation depending on the size of the batch and flavour range.
After coating, the product do not need further processing and is ready to be packed in an air-tight bag.
Coating system
The successive liquid and powder applications occur in a continuous rotary tumbler.
Oil is best dispersed with a spray system. In the same way, the powder - salt or is dosed and dispersed with a scarf vibrating plate. Given the simple shape of the nuts, oil, salt and flavours easily are easily and homogenously spread on the surface.
Key features
This type of coating for nuts is relatively problem-free with a limited number of factors:
oil addition rate, adjusted to cover the surface without dripping,
powder addition, adjusted to cover the surface without excessive fines recovery,
powder particle size, too fine it leaves a dull aspect and form patches, too large it does not hold on the oil film,
batch or volume, small enough to prevent splitting and breakage of the nuts.
Tasty fried and salted peanuts. Courtesy of tastyappetite.net
Continuous coating drum. Courtesy of sevval.com.tr