A method and apparatus for changing all or part of the skinsheet of a rotary drum blancher/cooler from being clean in place totally removable is disclosed. The drum includes the skinsheet (in sections) with a plurality of clamps and catches. Each catch is comprised of two catchesa clean in place catch and a totally removable catch. Each clamp is attached to a section and has an clamping position and a release position, and includes a bail. When a clamp is in the clamping position and its bail is in either the clean in place catch or the totally removable catch of a corresponding catch on an adjacent second section, the catch and clamp hold the adjacent sections together to form a part of the drum. When the clamp is in the release position and the bail is in the clean in place catch of the adjacent section, the clamp and clean in place catch allow adjacent sections to separate, but do not allow them to be removed.

A food processing apparatus includes a tank defining an inner compartment having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product, an open-top screen mounted within the compartment and positioned relative to the tank in a first position, and a rotatable auger mounted such that at least a portion of the auger is within the screen for advancing food product within the tank from the inlet end of the tank toward the outlet end.

A food processing apparatus includes a tank defining an inner compartment having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product, an open-top screen mounted within the compartment and positioned relative to the tank in a first position, and a rotatable auger mounted such that at least a portion of the auger is within the screen for advancing food product within the tank from the inlet end of the tank toward the outlet end.

Apparatus and methods for heat-treating almonds and other nuts and food products with steam at atmospheric pressure. The amount of condensation on and the consequent water uptake of almonds is limited by heating the almonds in a low-temperature gaseous atmosphere including a steam mixture and forming a forced-convection path through the almonds. The limited water uptake prevents the almond skins from blistering. A forced-convection steam cooker conveying food products on a foraminous conveyor belt the cooker forces the steam mixture downward through the food product along a portion of the cooker and upward along another portion of the cooker for a more uniform heat treatment.

A process for treating fruits or vegetables to minimize browning upon subsequent processing, handling, and storage, the method comprising: (a) separating edible pulp tissue from inedible tissue of the fruit or vegetable; (b) blanching said edible pulp tissue in steam for a pre-determined blanching time period at a blanching pressure that is less than or equal to atmospheric pressure; (c) cooling the blanched pulp tissue and extracting residual heat from the blanched pulp tissue; (d) freezing the cooled pulp tissue to obtain at least partially frozen pulp tissue; wherein the frozen pulp tissue obtained from step (d) possesses substantially similar organoleptic properties as freshly separated pulp tissue in (a).

A process for treating fruits or vegetables to minimize browning upon subsequent processing, handling, and storage, the method comprising: (a) separating edible pulp tissue from inedible tissue of the fruit or vegetable; (b) blanching said edible pulp tissue in steam for a pre-determined blanching time period at a blanching pressure that is less than or equal to atmospheric pressure; (c) cooling the blanched pulp tissue and extracting residual heat from the blanched pulp tissue; (d) freezing the cooled pulp tissue to obtain at least partially frozen pulp tissue; wherein the frozen pulp tissue obtained from step (d) possesses substantially similar organoleptic properties as freshly separated pulp tissue in (a).

The present invention discloses a method of sterilizing whole nuts includes pre-cooking said nuts in a pre-cooking unit to a core temperature T1 at a pressure P1 for a time t1, transferring said nuts to a sterilizing line, said sterilizing line adapted to permit the transport of said nuts through a sequence of process elements, said sequence of process elements comprising a reservoir, at least one feed pump, a consecutive arrangement of heat exchangers, and a filling machine and/or an aseptic tank, and sterilizing said nuts in said sterilizing line.

A blancher includes a tank and auger. The tank has a wall defining an interior space at least partially cylindrical with end walls. The auger is in the interior space and has flights Each flight has a circumferential edge in close proximity to the wall. The flights move food product from one end to the other as the augur is turned. The auger is preferably supported by a trunnion ring extending through the end wall and as the trunnion ring turns the augur and of flights are turned. An inlet is preferably located at one end wall and located along a center line of the augur. An outlet is preferably a discharge chute extending through the other end wall. The auger preferably includes at least one lifting flight between the plurality of flights and the end, such that the lifting flight lifts the food product to the discharge chute.

A blancher includes a tank and auger. The tank has a wall defining an interior space at least partially cylindrical with end walls. The auger is in the interior space and has flights Each flight has a circumferential edge in close proximity to the wall. The flights move food product from one end to the other as the augur is turned. The auger is preferably supported by a trunnion ring extending through the end wall and as the trunnion ring turns the augur and of flights are turned. An inlet is preferably located at one end wall and located along a center line of the augur. An outlet is preferably a discharge chute extending through the other end wall. The auger preferably includes at least one lifting flight between the plurality of flights and the end, such that the lifting flight lifts the food product to the discharge chute.

A blancher includes a tank and auger. The tank has a wall defining an interior space at least partially cylindrical with end walls. The auger is in the interior space and has flights. Each flight has a circumferential edge in close proximity to the wall. The flights move food product from one end to the other as the augur is turned. The auger is preferably supported by a trunnion ring extending through the end wall and as the trunnion ring turns the augur and of flights are turned. An inlet is preferably located at one end wall and located along a center line of the augur. An outlet is preferably a discharge chute extending through the other end wall. The auger preferably includes at least one lifting flight between the plurality of flights and the end, such that the lifting flight lifts the food product to the discharge chute.