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.

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.

The present disclosure relates to, inter alfa, 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 disclosure relates to, inter alfa, 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.

A method for preparing a vitamin D.sub.2-rich mushroom powder, including: slicing a mushroom to obtain mushroom slices, irradiating the mushroom slices with an ultraviolet light, drying the mushroom slices in nitrogen to obtain dried mushroom slices, and pulverizing the dried mushroom slices to obtain the vitamin D.sub.2-rich mushroom powder. The ultraviolet light irradiation is performed at an ambient temperature of 20-55° C. and an ambient relative humidity of 50-85%, and a moisture content of the mushroom slices is not less than 20%.

The present invention includes meat chips and methods of making meat chips comprising: blending a meat product and a high oleic oil, and optionally a seasoning, into a meat batter; extruding the meat batter into a casing; cooking to the meat batter; slicing the meat batter into meat slices; and microwaving at a temperature not exceeding 200° F. the meat slices into a meat chip.

The present invention includes meat chips and methods of making meat chips comprising: blending a meat product and a high oleic oil, and optionally a seasoning, into a meat batter; extruding the meat batter into a casing; cooking to the meat batter; slicing the meat batter into meat slices; and microwaving at a temperature not exceeding 200° F. the meat slices into a meat chip.

The present invention relates to a method for three-dimensional microwave air-jet drying of persimmon slices, comprising steps of grading and cleaning, slicing, microwave heating, steam de-astringency, hot-air reverse primary drying, negative-pressure intermittent secondary drying, cooling and packaging. In the present invention, high-temperature (60-70° C.) high-pressure annularly sprayed citric acid and 40% alcohol vapor (rotating at 360°) are adopted to remove astringency of persimmons, wherein high temperature causes more intense Brownian motion of liquid molecules; high pressure improves permeation and diffusion speed of de-astringency liquid in the persimmon slices; citric acid plays a membrane breaking role on persimmon cell membranes; and 40% alcohol vapor is allowed to rapidly diffuse into cells, so that tannin is polymerized into insoluble gel from a soluble state, thereby achieving a uniform and rapid de-astringency effect.

The present invention relates to a method for three-dimensional microwave air-jet drying of persimmon slices, comprising steps of grading and cleaning, slicing, microwave heating, steam de-astringency, hot-air reverse primary drying, negative-pressure intermittent secondary drying, cooling and packaging. In the present invention, high-temperature (60-70° C.) high-pressure annularly sprayed citric acid and 40% alcohol vapor (rotating at 360°) are adopted to remove astringency of persimmons, wherein high temperature causes more intense Brownian motion of liquid molecules; high pressure improves permeation and diffusion speed of de-astringency liquid in the persimmon slices; citric acid plays a membrane breaking role on persimmon cell membranes; and 40% alcohol vapor is allowed to rapidly diffuse into cells, so that tannin is polymerized into insoluble gel from a soluble state, thereby achieving a uniform and rapid de-astringency effect.

Described are dried cranberries with reduced sugar content, while retaining a desired sweetness and texture, and methods of making such dried cranberries. Dried cranberries include erythritol and a sweetener that interferes with erythritol crystallization.