A method of storing potatoes, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a plurality of dormant potatoes, wherein the potatoes have been cured after harvesting; ii. treating the potatoes with 1-methylcyclopropene, the treatment comprising exposing the potatoes, which are at a first treatment temperature within the range of from 10 to 30° C., to 1-methylcyclopropene; storing the potatoes at a second storage temperature within the range of from greater than 1 to up to 6° C. for a storage period within a potato store, wherein the storage period extends continuously until at least 1 week after initiation of eye movement in at least one of the potatoes, and wherein during the storage period the potatoes are stored in atmospheric air free of an external supply of ethylene sprout suppressant.

A method for sterilizing and preserving fresh mulberry fruits is provided. The method includes the following steps: 1) laying the fresh mulberry fruits in a single layer in a hermetic container, and 2) introducing atmospheric plasma into the hermetic container for sterilization to obtain sterilized fresh mulberry fruits. The method provided in the present disclosure can effectively inactivate bacteria, yeast, and fungi on surfaces of the mulberry fruits, such as Botrytis cinerea, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. The method provided in the present disclosure has no significant impact on qualities of the mulberry fruit such as pH, total soluble solids (TSS), hardness, and color, and can significantly reduce rotting incidence and mildew incidence of the mulberry fruits. The rotting incidence can be reduced by up to 30.00% and the mildew incidence can be reduced by up to 25.14%.

A method for sterilizing and preserving fresh mulberry fruits is provided. The method includes the following steps: 1) laying the fresh mulberry fruits in a single layer in a hermetic container, and 2) introducing atmospheric plasma into the hermetic container for sterilization to obtain sterilized fresh mulberry fruits. The method provided in the present disclosure can effectively inactivate bacteria, yeast, and fungi on surfaces of the mulberry fruits, such as Botrytis cinerea, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. The method provided in the present disclosure has no significant impact on qualities of the mulberry fruit such as pH, total soluble solids (TSS), hardness, and color, and can significantly reduce rotting incidence and mildew incidence of the mulberry fruits. The rotting incidence can be reduced by up to 30.00% and the mildew incidence can be reduced by up to 25.14%.

Provided is a method for producing a par-fried chip that retains the desirable qualities, such as taste and texture, of a fresh prepared deep fried chips when oven cooked. The method comprises immersing an amount of raw potato strips in water to increase moisture content and par-frying said strips.

A method and apparatus is disclosed relating to food processing and preparation in commercial kitchens. The inventive extreme vacuum cooling (EVC) technology and apparatus for food rapid cooling and food flavor infusion can work in ultra low pressure conditions with adaptive chamber pressure control to avoid liquid splash inside the food chamber. The disclosed EVC cooling and food flavor infusion apparatus has a one-unit design for handing small payloads, and a dual-module design to handle larger payloads. It can accelerate the food marinating and brining process with substantial time savings. Using the EVC apparatus, large amounts of meats, vegetables, and fruits can be prepared with various flavor infusion recipes. Plant-forward and high-volume food service kitchens can become more time and energy efficient, less labor intensive, and higher throughput food preparation operations.

A method and apparatus is disclosed relating to food processing and preparation in commercial kitchens. The inventive extreme vacuum cooling (EVC) technology and apparatus for food rapid cooling and food flavor infusion can work in ultra low pressure conditions with adaptive chamber pressure control to avoid liquid splash inside the food chamber. The disclosed EVC cooling and food flavor infusion apparatus has a one-unit design for handing small payloads, and a dual-module design to handle larger payloads. It can accelerate the food marinating and brining process with substantial time savings. Using the EVC apparatus, large amounts of meats, vegetables, and fruits can be prepared with various flavor infusion recipes. Plant-forward and high-volume food service kitchens can become more time and energy efficient, less labor intensive, and higher throughput food preparation operations.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a novel freezing system and a method for producing frozen ingredients, the system and method being such that the amount of free water after defrosting of the frozen ingredients is lower than with conventional freezing. The present invention solves the above problem by providing an ingredient freezing system comprising two or more freezing units for freezing the ingredient, and a transport unit for transporting the ingredient to the two or more freezing units, the two or more freezing units being configured so as to freeze the ingredient in stages so that the ingredient is frozen at progressively lower temperatures as the ingredient is transported on the transport unit.

In an engine room associated with fruit and vegetable storage refrigeration facilities, a water return pipe or pipes from a refrigeration cooling tower or towers associated with the engine room terminating below the surface of the water in an engine room water tank which contains highly mineralized water.

In an engine room associated with fruit and vegetable storage refrigeration facilities, a water return pipe or pipes from a refrigeration cooling tower or towers associated with the engine room terminating below the surface of the water in an engine room water tank which contains highly mineralized water.

The disclosure relates to an activated carbon scrubber apparatus 300 and a method of its operation for carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) removal from a controlled environment. The scrubber apparatus is configured to switch between: an adsorption configuration in which it is configured to provide CO.sub.2-rich gas from the controlled environment to a sorbent bed 302 comprising activated carbon for CO.sub.2 adsorption, and to return the treated gas to the controlled environment; and a regeneration configuration in which it is configured to provide a regenerating gas from outside of the controlled environment to the sorbent bed to desorb CO.sub.2 and regenerate the activated carbon, and to discharge CO.sub.2-rich gas outside of the controlled environment. The method comprises alternately operating the scrubber apparatus in the adsorption configuration and the regeneration configuration over a plurality of cycles, wherein the scrubber apparatus is operated at a cycle frequency of between 4 and 30 cycles per hour. A heater 303 is controlled to heat the sorbent bed in the regeneration configuration.