A method for handling bulk products may include placing harvested product into a container and facilitating shipment of the container with the harvested product to an end user of the harvested product without further handling of the harvested product. A container for receiving, drying, shipping, and tracking the products may also be provided.

A method is provided for fermenting and dehydrating food items such as nuts and seeds to create novel postbiotic foods with numerous benefits. The method comprises preparing a brine solution and adding it with the food item, a sugar product, and select live bacteria cultures to a fermentation vessel. The vessel ferments for 10-14 days at 60-64? F. until a pH of 3.3-4.0 is achieved. The food item is strained, placed on dehydrator trays, and dried at two temperatures to reduce moisture. The process increases nutrition, digestibility, gut health, and safety by reducing antinutrients, agricultural pollutants, toxins, and pathogens by over 5 logs, exceeding pasteurization requirements. The dehydrated food can be packaged or further processed into items like nut butters. The method generates durable, functional nutrition without damaging heat or chemicals.

A method is provided for fermenting and dehydrating food items such as nuts and seeds to create novel postbiotic foods with numerous benefits. The method comprises preparing a brine solution and adding it with the food item, a sugar product, and select live bacteria cultures to a fermentation vessel. The vessel ferments for 10-14 days at 60-64? F. until a pH of 3.3-4.0 is achieved. The food item is strained, placed on dehydrator trays, and dried at two temperatures to reduce moisture. The process increases nutrition, digestibility, gut health, and safety by reducing antinutrients, agricultural pollutants, toxins, and pathogens by over 5 logs, exceeding pasteurization requirements. The dehydrated food can be packaged or further processed into items like nut butters. The method generates durable, functional nutrition without damaging heat or chemicals.

Edible seeds are sanitized with a composition comprising water, a biocidal agent and a solvent. The composition is applied to the seeds and the seeds are later dried without first rinsing the seeds. The application rate may be 15% by weight of the seeds or less. The solvent may be a water-miscible alcohol such as ethanol or propylene glycol. When sanitizing mucilaginous seeds, the composition comprises one or more alcohols in an amount effective to inhibit the release of mucilage. The composition is initially applied as a mist to mucilaginous seeds. The biocidal agent may be an oxidizer such as peracetic acid. A treatment system includes an atomizing sprayer and a dryer, for example a fixed bed forced-air dryer.

Edible seeds are sanitized with a composition comprising water, a biocidal agent and a solvent. The composition is applied to the seeds and the seeds are later dried without first rinsing the seeds. The application rate may be 15% by weight of the seeds or less. The solvent may be a water-miscible alcohol such as ethanol or propylene glycol. When sanitizing mucilaginous seeds, the composition comprises one or more alcohols in an amount effective to inhibit the release of mucilage. The composition is initially applied as a mist to mucilaginous seeds. The biocidal agent may be an oxidizer such as peracetic acid. A treatment system includes an atomizing sprayer and a dryer, for example a fixed bed forced-air dryer.

The present application discloses a negative-pressure continuous grain dryer with a built-in heating device, wherein the negative-pressure continuous grain dryer comprises a dryer bin, a heating device, and a centrifugal fan. Several levels of the heating devices are disposed from top to bottom in the dryer bin. A grain mixing device is provided below the heating device at each level. Outside the bin, an auxiliary heating device and a natural air inlet are provided in correspondence with the heating device at each level. The auxiliary heating device and the natural air inlet communicate with the grains and the respective heating device in the dryer bin through a perforated baffle plate. The centrifugal fan communicates with each of moisture exhaust vents at each level through an air duct.

Provided is a method of making a dehydrated food product. The method includes culling the food product for foreign objects, cleaning the food product, germinating the food product, dehydrating the food product, and cooling the dehydrated food product. Dehydrating the food product can include maintaining the food product in a compartment, heating air in the compartment to a temperature at or between about 115? F. and about 118? F. to remove moisture from the food product, and venting the heated air and moisture from the compartment. The food product can be, as examples, nuts, seeds, and/or beans.

Provided is a method of making a dehydrated food product. The method includes culling the food product for foreign objects, cleaning the food product, germinating the food product, dehydrating the food product, and cooling the dehydrated food product. Dehydrating the food product can include maintaining the food product in a compartment, heating air in the compartment to a temperature at or between about 115? F. and about 118? F. to remove moisture from the food product, and venting the heated air and moisture from the compartment. The food product can be, as examples, nuts, seeds, and/or beans.

According to the present invention, a sterilant can be injected into a container without residual water on an object to be sterilized. The method includes decreasing a pressure in the container to a pressure higher than the triple point pressure at which water freezes. The method further includes comparing an actual time required for decreasing the pressure and a reference time, or comparing an actual rate of pressure increase and a reference rate to detect residual water on the object. If the residual water is detected, the pressure in the container is increased to the atmospheric pressure or the quasi-atmospheric pressure and the object is heated, and then the pressure is decreased to drain the residual water through the decompression boiling. The step of draining the residual water is repeatedly performed until no residual water is detected on the object and subsequently the sterilant is injected into the container.

According to the present invention, a sterilant can be injected into a container without residual water on an object to be sterilized. The method includes decreasing a pressure in the container to a pressure higher than the triple point pressure at which water freezes. The method further includes comparing an actual time required for decreasing the pressure and a reference time, or comparing an actual rate of pressure increase and a reference rate to detect residual water on the object. If the residual water is detected, the pressure in the container is increased to the atmospheric pressure or the quasi-atmospheric pressure and the object is heated, and then the pressure is decreased to drain the residual water through the decompression boiling. The step of draining the residual water is repeatedly performed until no residual water is detected on the object and subsequently the sterilant is injected into the container.