Apparatus and related methods for adding increased functionality to a food dehydrator through the use of stackable drying trays that define a circulation plenum during operation and then nest within one another during disassembly so as to reduce an overall storage size of the food dehydrator. The food dehydrator can further include a base portion having a removable splash guard to prevent the introduction of liquids or solids into a mechanical space within the base portion.

A fully self-contained, portable product dehydrator is provided comprising: an intermodal container housing an equipment module, the equipment module including a refrigeration equipment chamber proximate the front door and an air conditioning chamber behind the refrigeration equipment chamber, the equipment module retained in the interior and moveable from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein when in the extended position, the refrigeration equipment chamber is substantially exposed to an ambient environment, outside the front door; a heat pump dehumidifier including a subcooler, a desuperheater, electronic expansion valve and a compressor, housed in the refrigeration equipment chamber and at least two condensers and evaporator housed in the air conditioning chamber, a drying chamber, the drying chamber defined by the interior and the rear door; a motor control center; and a control panel; in electronic communication with the heat pump dehumidifier and the fans.

A process for dehydrating products with a dehydrator that includes a dehydration chamber, a heater for heating air in the dehydration chamber, and a fan for circulating air in the dehydrator includes receiving a set temperature at which to perform the dehydration and a set time for which to perform the dehydration. The process also includes setting the heater to operate in an on condition and setting the fan to run at a low speed until the temperature in the dehydration chamber reaches the set temperature. The process further includes setting the heater to an off condition and setting the fan to run at a high speed when the temperature in the dehydration chamber reaches the set temperature.

A method of dehydrating seeded wine grapes that are intact, attached to a steam, and that have a fruit matrix containing seeds is described that includes providing air movement using a dehydration device over the seeded wine grapes at a temperature between 135 and 200 degrees F. to extract water through pores of the seeded wine grape, and cooling the seeded wine grapes to room temperature, thereby concentrating nutrients within the fruit matrix and rendering the seeds of the seeded wine grapes edible.

A multi-stage separation heat-exchange type drying system is provided. A plurality of first heat exchange blocks of the first main body are installed to be spaced from each other at a predetermined interval, and first vortex generating blocks are installed between the first heat exchange blocks. Also, a plurality of second heat exchange blocks of the second main body are installed to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and second vortex generating blocks are installed between the second heat exchange blocks. The heat exchange occurs in a manner that the first heat exchange blocks and the second heat exchange blocks corresponding to each other, positioned up and down, exchange a heat medium therebetween.

Apparatus and related methods for adding increased functionality to a food dehydrator through the use of stackable drying trays that define a circulation plenum during operation and then nest within one another during disassembly so as to reduce an overall storage size of the food dehydrator. The food dehydrator can further include a base portion having a removable splash guard to prevent the introduction of liquids or solids into a mechanical space within the base portion.

The present disclosure relates to, inter alia, processes for improving shelf-life and flavoring of fresh-cut/fresh vegetables, as well as food products produced by these processes. In accordance with the present disclosure, the processes generally include various new combinations of steps such as blanching, air drying, supercritical fluid processing with and without a processing aid, pressurization, de-pressurization, and packaging. The present disclosure further relates to methods of preparing edible food products that incorporate the processed fresh-cut vegetables, as well as the food products produced by these methods.

The present invention relates to a closed processing system for treating elongated food products, comprising: a housing bounding a process space, a transport path for displacing the elongated food products through the process space, at least one airflow generator for generating an airflow in the process space, and at least one detector for detecting process conditions in the process space, wherein the detector includes at least one pressure sensor for detecting the relative airflow pressure in the process space compared to the ambient air pressure and wherein the system is arranged to control the process conditions by adjusting the at least one airflow generator based on the detected process conditions. The present invention further relates to a method for treating elongated food products.

Problem to be Solved An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a textured protein material having a meat-like fibrous texture.

Solution The textured protein material having a meat-like fibrous texture can be produced by feeding a flat-sheet-like textured protein material prepared via pressurization and heating, and then extrusion by an extruder through cutting blade rolls composed of a pair of rolls facing each other and having a plurality of square-blade-like annular blades arranged in parallel, thereby making slits sheared on the topside and the underside of the textured protein material in the same direction as the extruded direction.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for drying food products, for example fruit or eggs, comprising; a tunnel section as dryer compartment (10) with supply unit and discharge unit for dryer gas, with the dryer gas being blown on the products substantially from above, and a roller conveyor (1) with at least one row of supply rollers (3) for thereon conveying wet products in a conveying direction T to, through, and away from the dryer compartment (10), wherein the dryer compartment (10) comprises for the row a corresponding at least one ceiling element (14) with a curvature in line with that of the product, while in the ceiling element (14) at least one slit (15) is provided, directed substantially transversely to the conveying direction T, for blowing in the dryer gas.