Ready-to-use food product

Abstract

A ready-to-use food product, and method for preparing the same. The product includes: a batter; at least one leavening agent; and, at least one oil. The oil separates the batter and leavening agent while in storage in a container, and agitation of the container causes the batter, leavening agent and oil to at least partially mix.

1 . A ready-to-use food product being suitable for storage in a container, said product comprising: 
 a batter;    at least one leavening agent; and,    at least one oil;    wherein, said oil substantially separates said batter and leavening agent while stored in said container, and agitation causes said batter, leavening agent and oil to at least partially admix.    
     
     
         2 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter is acidic.  
     
     
         3 . The product of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one leavening agent is generally alkaline.  
     
     
         4 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter has a pH of below about 5.  
     
     
         5 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter has a pH of about 4.  
     
     
         6 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter has a pH of about 3.5.  
     
     
         7 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said leavening agent comprises sodium bicarbonate.  
     
     
         8 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein, when stored in said container, said oil forms a layer substantially separating said batter and said at least one leavening agent.  
     
     
         9 . The product of  claim 8 , wherein, when stored in said container, said oil layer is positioned substantially adjacent to or above at least a portion of said batter, and at least a portion of said at least one leavening agent is positioned substantially adjacent to or above said oil layer.  
     
     
         10 . The product of  claim 8 , wherein, when stored in said container, said oil layer is substantially interposed between said batter and leavening agent.  
     
     
         11 . The product of  claim 8 , wherein, when stored in said container, said oil layer substantially separates from said batter.  
     
     
         12 . The product of  claim 11 , wherein, when stored in said container, at least a portion of said leavening agent is immersed in said oil layer.  
     
     
         13 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter comprises flour.  
     
     
         14 . The product of  claim 13 , wherein said batter further comprises sugar.  
     
     
         15 . The product of  claim 14 , wherein said batter further comprises eggs.  
     
     
         16 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein said batter comprises at least one milk solid.  
     
     
         17 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter further comprises an edible, fungistatic agent.  
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein said fungistatic agent comprises sorbic acid.  
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter comprises at least one nutritional supplement.  
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one nutritional supplement comprises at least one of: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron and calcium.  
     
     
         21 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter further comprises at least one textural agent.  
     
     
         22 . The product of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one textural agent is selected from the group consisting of: fats, emulsifiers and hydrocolloids.  
     
     
         23 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter comprises one or more flavorings.  
     
     
         24 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said batter further comprises one or more preservatives.  
     
     
         25 . The product of  claim 24 , wherein said one or more preservatives are selected from the group consisting of: sodium salts of propionic or sorbic acids, sodium diacetate, vinegar, monocalcium phosphate, and lactic acid.  
     
     
         26 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein, when stored in said container, said oil forms droplets encompassing a portion of said leavening agent, and said droplets substantially isolate said at least one leavening agent from said batter  
     
     
         27 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein said product is used to produce a baked food product, pancake, bread, brownie, muffin, cookie, donut, pastry, pie, or cake.  
     
     
         28 . A method for preparing a storable culinary product, said method comprising: 
 forming an aqueous unleavened batter having a pH below about 7.0;    placing said batter in a container;    forming a layer of oil substantially adjacent to or above the aqueous batter in said container; and    adding an edible alkaline leavening agent to said oil layer;    wherein, said alkaline leavening agent is micronized to a sufficiently small particle size so as to enable the leavening agent to remain substantially dispersed and suspended within the oil layer, and said alkaline leavening agent is in a quantity sufficient to raise the batter upon cooking into a final cooked culinary product.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said alkaline leavening agent comprises sodium bicarbonate.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising adding an edible fungistatic agent to said batter.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the edible fungistatic agent comprises sorbic acid.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said pH of said batter is about 5.5 or less.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said pH of said batter is in a range of about 3.9 to about 5.5.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said batter comprises a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar and milk solids.  
     
     
         35 . A method for providing a food product, said method comprising: 
 providing a container;    placing an unleavened batter into said container;    placing at least one leavening agent into said container; and,    placing at least one oil into said container;    wherein, when at rest, said at least one oil forms at least one layer in said container effectively isolating said batter from said at least one leavening agent.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said batter is a generally acidic.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein, when agitated, said at least one leavening agent, oil and batter mix.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said method is used to produce a baked food product, pancake, bread, brownie, muffin, cookie, donut, pastry, pie or cake.  
     
     
         39 . A food product comprising: 
 a batter;    oil; and,    at least one leavening agent;    wherein, when stored in a container, in a first state said oil substaintially isolates said at least one leavening agent from said batter, and in a second state, said at least one leavening agent, oil and batter are at least partially admixed.    
     
     
         40 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein agitating said container transforms said batter, oil and leavening from said first state to said second state.  
     
     
         41 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein, at rest, said at least one leavening agent, oil and batter are normally in said first state.  
     
     
         42 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein said batter is generally acidic.  
     
     
         43 . The product of  claim 42 , wherein said batter has a pH of below about 5.  
     
     
         44 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein said leavening agent comprises sodium bicarbonate.  
     
     
         45 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein said oil forms a layer substantially separating said batter and at least one leavening agent.  
     
     
         46 . The product of  claim 45 , wherein, in said first state, said oil layer is substantially adjacent to or above at least a portion of said batter, and at least a portion of said at least one leavening agent is substantially adjacent to or above said oil layer.  
     
     
         47 . The product of  claim 45 , wherein, in said first state, said oil layer is generally interposed between said batter and leavening agent.  
     
     
         48 . The product of  claim 45 , wherein, in said first state, said oil layer generally separates from said batter.  
     
     
         49 . The product of  claim 45 , wherein, in said first state, at least a portion of said leavening agent is substantially immersed in said oil layer.  
     
     
         50 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein said oil forms droplets each encompassing at least a portion of said leavening agent, and said droplets substantially isolate said at least one leavening agent from said batter.  
     
     
         51 . The product of  claim 39 , wherein said oil, leavening agent and batter in said second state transform to said first state over time.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said food product is used to produce a baked food product, pancake, bread, brownie, muffin, cookie, donut, pastry, pie or cake.