The present disclosure features dried vegetable noodles having an increased shelf life and methods of making dehydrated vegetable noodles. The noodles are dry, shelf stable cut vegetable noodles (cut from whole produce, not extruded) and are lower in carbohydrate calories and higher in nutritional value than traditional grain-based noodles. The process results in a food safe, extended shelf stable singularized noodle that is nutritious, convenient and versatile.

A variety of plant products that are intended for consumption can become contaminated with microbial growth. The levels of contamination must be reduced or eliminated in order for the product to pass microbial growth testing standards. The contaminated plant product can be sterilized using high pressure processing to treat the product with a pressurized gas at a temperature for a desired period of time to reduce the level of the microbial contaminants present in the plant product to a predetermined acceptable level. After treatment, the sterilized plant product can then pass microbial testing standards and be fit for consumption.

A vacuum steam blancher using a full-automatic conveyor belt includes a blanching chamber, a pressure casing, a second vacuum pipe; and an automatic control system. The automatic control system is configured to control a steam generation system, a vacuum system, a drainage system and a material conveyor. Steam is introduced to continuously blanch materials. The vacuum steam blancher has a simple structure and reasonable design, and is easily integrated with a production line. Compared to the existing vacuum pulsed blancher that is intermittent and semi-automatic, the vacuum steam blancher of the present application realizes continuous production to meet the needs of the industrialized production.

The invention relates to a novel solid heat exchanger module containing a plurality of heat exchanger tubes having a particular shape and being arranged in a special manner.

A sweet potato processed food can be preserved at room temperature for a long period of time while maintaining the taste, palatability, or the like acquired right after preparation procedures, given that the processed food is prepared by a process including: (1) washing and drying a sweet potato; (2) packaging each sweet potato of the step (1) in a laminated foil packaging sheet; and (3) pasteurizing the packaged sweet potato of the step (2) at 121 to 150 C. for 25 to 35 minutes. It is therefore expected to increase the income of sweet potato farmers and ensure high industrial availability by using the method for processing sweet potatoes into baked or steamed sweet potatoes that are readily consumable without trouble to conduct a separate cooking procedure, distributable at room temperature, and preservable for a long period of time.

A method includes heating a vacuum chamber to a first predetermined temperature, and providing an organic plant material within the vacuum chamber. A vaporizer is heated to a second predetermined temperature, and is in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is evacuated to a a first predetermined, sub-atmospheric pressure using a vacuum pump. A liquid reagent is injected into the vaporizer such that the liquid reagent transforms into a gaseous/aerosolized reagent. The gaseous/aerosolized reagent is introduced into the vacuum chamber. After waiting a predetermined duration, a sterilization of the organic plant material is achieved. The vacuum chamber is then vented to atmospheric pressure, and the vacuum chamber is again evacuated, to a second predetermined, sub-atmospheric pressure, to remove a reagent residue from the organic plant material, followed by a second venting of the vacuum chamber to atmospheric pressure.

A vacuum steam blancher using a full-automatic conveyor belt includes a blanching chamber, a pressure casing, a second vacuum pipe; and an automatic control system. The automatic control system is configured to control a steam generation system, a vacuum system, a drainage system and a material conveyor. Steam is introduced to continuously blanch materials. The vacuum steam blancher has a simple structure and reasonable design, and is easily integrated with a production line. Compared to the existing vacuum pulsed blancher that is intermittent and semi-automatic, the vacuum steam blancher of the present application realizes continuous production to meet the needs of the industrialized production.

Provided are processes for aseptically preparing fruits and vegetables, such as mashed potatoes wherein the process minimizes and/or eliminates free starch in the final product, thereby resulting in a product having a superior taste and/or texture. The process includes heating of the fruit or vegetable to a temperature sufficient to gelatinize starch in the fruit or vegetable. Moreover, the fruit or vegetable may then be cooled, such as to set the structure of the fruit's or vegetable's starch cells. The fruit or vegetable may be reduced in size, such as to about inch before mixing with further ingredients. The fruit or vegetable is then sterilized, which may include a 5 log kill step and result in halting the enzymatic reactions within the fruit or vegetable. After sterilization, the potatoes may then be cooled before being aseptically packaged and stored.

A process for the production of a nest-shaped food product containing strips of a dried vegetable, preferably a garden vegetable, storable at room temperature for at least 7 days is disclosed. The process involves providing at least one fresh vegetable which has been previously washed, cutting the vegetable into strips, feeding the vegetable strips in metered amounts into a perforated mold, subjecting the strips to a stabilization heat treatment by means of saturated steam, drying the thermally stabilized strips by means of a flow of hot air so as to obtain a nest containing dried strips of vegetable with a moisture content of between 8% and 16% by weight of their total weight. The invention also concerns a nest-shaped food product which is obtained by means of the process and which may optionally contain strips of durum wheat semolina pasta.

Method for the production of apple sauce including the following steps: slicing apples generating a plurality of slices having two opposite faces and a peel which develops continuously between the two opposite faces; pulping the slices obtaining a first product and a first waste; refining the first waste generating a second product and a second waste; mixing the first product and the second product; heating the combination of the first product and the second product in order to deactivate enzymes contained therein.