The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing edible mushrooms in sauce, which comprises: a) starting with previously processed fresh raw material, blanching said raw material in water; b) milling the raw material to obtain a homogenate; c) pouring edible vegetable oil into a steam-heated pressure vessel and raising the temperature of the vegetable oil; d) adding the homogenate to the container with heated vegetable oil and stirring the homogenate/oil mixture; e) adding powdered ingredients to the previous mixture; f) adding sliced edible mushroom to the mixture from the previous step until the mixture boils; g) once said boiling temperature has been reached, shutting off the steam supply to the steam-heated pressure vessel.

The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing edible mushrooms in sauce, which comprises: a) starting with previously processed fresh raw material, blanching said raw material in water; b) milling the raw material to obtain a homogenate; c) pouring edible vegetable oil into a steam-heated pressure vessel and raising the temperature of the vegetable oil; d) adding the homogenate to the container with heated vegetable oil and stirring the homogenate/oil mixture; e) adding powdered ingredients to the previous mixture; f) adding sliced edible mushroom to the mixture from the previous step until the mixture boils; g) once said boiling temperature has been reached, shutting off the steam supply to the steam-heated pressure vessel.

A food processing system is provided with: a heating unit equipped with a heating mechanism for indirectly heating food; a cooling unit equipped with an air blowing cooler for cooling the food heated by the heating unit; and a conveyor for transferring the food through the heating unit and the cooling unit. The integrated food processing system allows a large amount of sterilized food having a good texture, good taste and long shelf life to be provided.

A food processing system is provided with: a heating unit equipped with a heating mechanism for indirectly heating food; a cooling unit equipped with an air blowing cooler for cooling the food heated by the heating unit; and a conveyor for transferring the food through the heating unit and the cooling unit. The integrated food processing system allows a large amount of sterilized food having a good texture, good taste and long shelf life to be provided.

Dehydration and drying are some of the oldest methods of preserving food and other biological materials such as proteins and both live and dead live microorganisms or their metabolites. The invention disclosed herein seeks a method of further improving the process of preserving biological material by combining the freezing or freeze-drying process with a partial infrared dehydration step. By using infrared radiation energy to perform simultaneous blanching and dehydration, the drying speed is greatly increased and better cellular and molecular integrity is maintained. The invention herein is also particularly useful in connection with cannabis and hemp.

Dehydration and drying are some of the oldest methods of preserving food and other biological materials such as proteins and both live and dead live microorganisms or their metabolites. The invention disclosed herein seeks a method of further improving the process of preserving biological material by combining the freezing or freeze-drying process with a partial infrared dehydration step. By using infrared radiation energy to perform simultaneous blanching and dehydration, the drying speed is greatly increased and better cellular and molecular integrity is maintained. The invention herein is also particularly useful in connection with cannabis and hemp.

Provided is a wasabi rhizome with suppressed quality deterioration, a method of preserving the same, and a method of producing the same. Disclosed herein are: a wasabi rhizome having a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity of less than 0.04 U per mg of protein, after preserving the wasabi rhizome at 0° C. for 5 days following trimming of the surface thereof; and a method of preserving the wasabi rhizome at a temperature of −5° C. or more and 10° C. or less. Also disclosed herein is a method of producing a wasabi rhizome with suppressed quality deterioration, including: (1-1) immersing a wasabi rhizome in water having a temperature of more than 40° C. and less than 60° C.; and/or (1-2) immersing the wasabi rhizome in an ethanol solution.

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

This invention relates to food processing and, in particular, blanching and dehydration of foods. Conventional blanching and dehydration requires use of steam and forced hot air. This invention is the first to effectively use infrared radiation energy to perform simultaneous blanching and dehydration of fruits and vegetables. Since this technology does not involve the addition of steam or water in the process of blanching, it has been named “infrared dry-blanching” (IDB) technology. IDB is intended to be a replacement for current steam, water and/or microwave blanching methods. It can be used to produce many kinds of value-added dried, refrigerated, frozen and dehydrofrozen foods such as fruit and vegetable products. In general, the advantages of IDB include (1) uniform heating which enhances energy efficiency and limits damage from over-heating, (2) capability of zone heating to address differential density, (3) ability to treat large or small lots with the same piece of equipment, (4) portability, since equipment can be built on wheels, and (5) a safe, non-toxic process with no harmful side-effects to humans or the environment.