Disclosed is a frozen vegetable subjected to dry heat treatment prior to freezing, the frozen vegetable exhibiting a drip loss during natural thawing of 7.20% or less, the frozen vegetable exhibiting a change in bulk density relative to fresh product of 1.90 or less. The frozen vegetable of the present invention is useful in that the frozen vegetable presents appealing voluminosity, generates little drip, is free of wateriness, and has crunchy texture.

A packaged food product and methods of making and using it. In some embodiments. The packaged food product may comprise a cup containing multiple ingredients in sealed pouches suitable for use in making an omelet or other egg-based entr?es, with the cup being suitable for microwave cooking of an egg-based entr?e. The ingredients may include vegetable components that offer organoleptic properties similar to those of fresh vegetables after an extended period of time. Ideally, time required for processing, shipment, storage, etc., which may be, e.g., several weeks, may pass without unacceptable degradation of taste, texture, mouth feel, flavor, aroma, color, nutritional content or other important qualities. In some embodiments, the ingredients may also include additional components, such as, for example, one or more meats, and/or one or more varieties of cheese.

A packaged food product and methods of making and using it. In some embodiments. The packaged food product may comprise a cup containing multiple ingredients in sealed pouches suitable for use in making an omelet or other egg-based entr?es, with the cup being suitable for microwave cooking of an egg-based entr?e. The ingredients may include vegetable components that offer organoleptic properties similar to those of fresh vegetables after an extended period of time. Ideally, time required for processing, shipment, storage, etc., which may be, e.g., several weeks, may pass without unacceptable degradation of taste, texture, mouth feel, flavor, aroma, color, nutritional content or other important qualities. In some embodiments, the ingredients may also include additional components, such as, for example, one or more meats, and/or one or more varieties of cheese.

A method for processing dried fresh jujube slices includes the following steps: preparing jujube slices, coring and removing stems, quick-freezing and retaining freshness of the jujube slices, thawing frozen jujube slices, protecting color treatment, expanding jujube slices under differential pressure, preparing superfine mixed seasoning powder, and coating of the superfine mixed seasoning powder. For one hand, this method solves problems that the dried fresh jujube slices will be deeply oxidized and brown when dried by the hot air at a high temperature of 90-110 C., the jujube slices with compacted cells will become harder and be difficult to chew because of 6-8 h rapid dehydration. On the other hand, it solves problems that exist in freeze drying at a vacuum degree of 1.3-13 Pa, and at a low temperature of 10-50 C., such as high energy consumption, long processing cycle, high equipment investment, small size of slices, and poor taste.

A method for processing dried fresh jujube slices includes the following steps: preparing jujube slices, coring and removing stems, quick-freezing and retaining freshness of the jujube slices, thawing frozen jujube slices, protecting color treatment, expanding jujube slices under differential pressure, preparing superfine mixed seasoning powder, and coating of the superfine mixed seasoning powder. For one hand, this method solves problems that the dried fresh jujube slices will be deeply oxidized and brown when dried by the hot air at a high temperature of 90-110 C., the jujube slices with compacted cells will become harder and be difficult to chew because of 6-8 h rapid dehydration. On the other hand, it solves problems that exist in freeze drying at a vacuum degree of 1.3-13 Pa, and at a low temperature of 10-50 C., such as high energy consumption, long processing cycle, high equipment investment, small size of slices, and poor taste.

A packaged food product and methods of making and using it. In some embodiments. The packaged food product may comprise a cup containing multiple ingredients in sealed pouches suitable for use in making an omelet or other egg-based entr?es, with the cup being suitable for microwave cooking of an egg-based entr?e. The ingredients may include vegetable components that offer organoleptic properties similar to those of fresh vegetables after an extended period of time. Ideally, time required for processing, shipment, storage, etc., which may be, e.g., several weeks, may pass without unacceptable degradation of taste, texture, mouth feel, flavor, aroma, color, nutritional content or other important qualities. In some embodiments, the ingredients may also include additional components, such as, for example, one or more meats, and/or one or more varieties of cheese.

A packaged food product and methods of making and using it. In some embodiments. The packaged food product may comprise a cup containing multiple ingredients in sealed pouches suitable for use in making an omelet or other egg-based entr?es, with the cup being suitable for microwave cooking of an egg-based entr?e. The ingredients may include vegetable components that offer organoleptic properties similar to those of fresh vegetables after an extended period of time. Ideally, time required for processing, shipment, storage, etc., which may be, e.g., several weeks, may pass without unacceptable degradation of taste, texture, mouth feel, flavor, aroma, color, nutritional content or other important qualities. In some embodiments, the ingredients may also include additional components, such as, for example, one or more meats, and/or one or more varieties of cheese.

An efficient container apparatus equipped with at least one removable separator is described. The at least one separator is disposed within a cavity of the container, and is configured to separate frozen contents housed within the container in order to prevent the sticking of the food contents together into a singular mass during freezing and/or refreezing. The at least one separator is preferably a cross-sectional separator, configured to temporarily divide the cavity of the container. The use of the present invention is designed for the preparation, and consumption thereof, a smoothie or similar frozen mixed product. After blending of the frozen food contents, the contents may be returned to the container to facilitate consumption of the smoothie from the container via a straw or spoon.

Disclosed and claimed here is a method of making substantially solid-free and clear tomato water, comprising the steps of mincing whole tomatoes into pulp and liquid, thereafter removing at least some of the pulp from the resulting pulp/liquid material, thereafter freezing the filtered pulp liquid material into a solid material, thereafter maintaining the frozen solid material in its frozen state for at least 24 hours at a temperature at or below 20 F., thereafter thawing the frozen material, thereafter allowing the thawed material to rest until the material separates into a clear tomato water top layer and a particulate bottom layer, and thereafter drawing off the clear tomato water.

Disclosed and claimed here is a method of making substantially solid-free and clear tomato water, comprising the steps of mincing whole tomatoes into pulp and liquid, thereafter removing at least some of the pulp from the resulting pulp/liquid material, thereafter freezing the filtered pulp liquid material into a solid material, thereafter maintaining the frozen solid material in its frozen state for at least 24 hours at a temperature at or below 20 F., thereafter thawing the frozen material, thereafter allowing the thawed material to rest until the material separates into a clear tomato water top layer and a particulate bottom layer, and thereafter drawing off the clear tomato water.