An exemplary method for preserving fresh herbs includes obtaining fresh trimmings from a plant, grinding and/or chopping the fresh trimmings to form processed trimmings, packaging the processed trimmings in a container, and freezing the processed trimmings in the container. Freezing the processed trimmings may include subjecting the processed trimmings to a dry ice atmosphere.

A rotary separation apparatus is deployed in a process for separating resinous trichomes rich in flavoring, aromatic and/or medicinal components produced in plant trichome glands from unwanted plant matter. A liquid freezing agent is introduced into a container of the plant matter to fragment the undesirable matter while the desired portion rich in trichome remain intact.

The invention relates to a method of producing frozen products in which a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide snow is produced and piled up to form a volume of snow. Subsequently, a mold impression is pressed into one surface of the snow volume, forming depressions into which at least one product to be cooled is filled. In a cooling device, the product in the snow volume is cooled through, while the snow volume itself gradually sublimates. The process and the device are particularly suitable for the production of individual quick freezing (IQF) products.

A frozen condiment selected from the group consisting of sauces, pastes, p?t?s, creams and pizza toppings, having hygienic and organoleptic features comparable with those of a corresponding fresh condiment, which is in the form of granules having a porous surface, having an average weight of 6.0 g or less and essentially homogeneous in size having a diameter comprised between 1 mm and 20 mm, and apt to determine a rapid and uniform thawing of the deep-frozen condiment.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to preservation of plants, including trimmings and portions of leafy green plants A exemplary method for preserving fresh herbs may comprise: a. obtaining fresh trimmings from a plant; b. grinding and/or chopping th fresh trimmings to form processed trimmings; c. packaging the processed trimmings in a container; and d. freezing the processed trimmings; wherein the interior environment of the container contains substantially no oxygen.

A freezer includes one or more cooling plates arranged into a table surface, wherein the freezer is configured to run either a closed loop film or a disposable film one at a time over the cooling plates; the closed loop film is provided on the freezer; and a disposable film of finite length is provided on the freezer while the closed loop film is on the freezer. The disposable film can be an alternate or backup to keep the freezer operating when the closed loop film needs repair.

A contact drum freezer system includes a contact drum freezer, an endless product wrap belt and a cross feed conveyor. The contact drum freezer is mounted to revolve about an axis generally parallel to a main lane of transit. The endless product wrap belt has an intake shelf, an inner product-compressing run encircling most of the drum and an outer return run looping back to the intake shelf. The cross feed conveyor is situated in the main lane of transit and has a return run a and product-carrying run for transferring product laterally out of the main lane of transit and onto the intake shelf of the product wrap belt.

A method and apparatus for temperature processing a food item. It should be noted that the description provided herein will primarily focus on cooking temperature processing, but cooking is referred to, the process for determining core temperature can also be used for chilling and/or freezing a food item. One implementation of the technology as disclosed and claimed, utilizes a combination of 3D profile scanning camera, mid-range infrared camera, high-resolution encoder-based positioning device, and cook profile settings in order to measure the physical attributes of the product related to the fully cooked state. The system is measuring at least two aspects that determine the temperature change within an object during the cook process and they are geometry and thermodynamic properties.

An apparatus for thawing or cooling food products includes a tank adapted to be at least partly filled with a liquid. A spiral shaped blade extends between a first end and a second end of the tank, where the spiral shaped blade is mounted to a rotation axis which operates rotational movement of the spiral shaped bladed and thus the conveying of the food products from the first end towards the second end. A temperature controlling system is provided and adapted to control the temperature of the liquid by arranging multiple heat supplying units along the tank for injecting heating or cooling agents into the liquid so as to provide a substantial temperature distribution into the thawing liquid during the thawing or cooling of the food products.

A frozen condiment is described, chosen among the group consisting of sauces, pastes, pates, creams and pizza toppings, having hygienic and organoleptic features comparable with those of a corresponding fresh condiment, which is in the form of granules having a porous surface, having an average weight of 6.0 g or less and essentially homogeneous in size having a diameter comprised between 1 mm and 20 mm, and apt to determine a rapid and uniform thawing of the deep-frozen condiment; a process for the deep-freezing of a substantially fluid condiment is also described, which involves dividing a substantially fluid condiment into a plurality of drops, which, in a first deep-freezing step, are dosed within a liquid bath at a temperature lower than ?150? C., obtaining a plurality of partially frozen granules having a hard and deep-frozen external surface and a soft not completely deep-frozen core, and a second deep-freezing step at a temperature comprised between ?30? C. and ?90? C., which leads to condiment deep-frozen granules; and subjecting the deep-frozen granules thus obtained to a refining step, wherein at least a part of said plurality of deep-frozen granules is reduced in size thus obtaining a plurality of deep-frozen granules having an average weight of 6.0 g or less, preferably between 1.0 and 5.0 g, and which are essentially homogeneous in size having a diameter comprised between 1 mm and 20 mm, preferably between 3 and 15 mm; the process is carried out within a system comprising a dosing device to dose the condiment dropwise, a first deep-freezing section downstream of the dosing device, comprising a liquid bath, at a temperature of ?150? or lower, wherein the drops are fed and wherefrom a condiment in the form of partially deep-frozen granules is discharged; a second deep-freezing section, operating at a temperature comprised between ?30? C. and ?90? C., wherein the granule deep-freezing is completed, a refining device (5) arranged downstream of said second deep-freezing section (4), for the reduction in size of at least part of said deep-frozen granules of condiment (D) exiting said second deep-freezing section (4); and a packaging device.