PACKAGED FISH CONSUMER PRODUCT

Abstract

Disclosed is a food product comprising a packaged quantity of raw fish, the fish having been combined, in the preferred embodiment, with diced vegetables, egg whites, seasonings, and other selected ingredients, thereby forming a food mixture. The entirety of the food mixture is inserted into a container, the container comprising a semi-elastic material and having the contour of an oblong, oval-shaped tubular food casing. Thereupon, the tubular food casing is sealed in an airtight manner. The tubular food casing, may also be vacuum sealed. The container may further be subjected to a process of flash freezing. The sealed tubular food casing, upon being accessed, may be thawed or reduced in temperature so as to allow a consumer to cut individually-sized sections of the tubular food casing for cooking in any selected manner, including baking, broiling, or frying.

Claims

1. A food product comprising a packaged quantity of raw fish, the raw fish having been combined, in the preferred embodiment, into a mixture further containing various foodstuffs, and the entirety of the mixture being inserted into at least one container in the contour of an oblong tubular food casing, the at least one oblong tubular food casing comprising a semi-elastic material, the oblong tubular food casing thereafter being sealed, forming a packaged food product.

2. The food product of claim 1 wherein the raw fish consists of salmon.

3. The food product of claim 1, wherein the various foodstuffs comprise diced vegetables, egg whites, and seasonings.

4. The food product of claim 1 wherein, upon insertion of the mixture into the at least one oblong, tubular food casing, the oblong, tubular food casing is subjected to a vacuum sealing process.

5. The food product of claim 1 wherein, upon insertion of the mixture into the at least one container and the at least one container being sealed, the at least one container is subjected to flash freezing.

6. A process for packaging and storage of a pre-mixed food substance, comprising the steps of: providing raw fish that has been pre-cut and broken into small pieces; providing a plurality of egg whites; providing a quantity of cornbread mix, or breading; providing a mixture consisting of a quantity of diced vegetables; combining the raw fish, egg whites, breading, and vegetables in a shallow bowl; adding selected seasonings to the combined raw fish, egg whites, breading, and diced vegetables, thereby forming a food mixture; placing the food mixture into an oblong container, contoured in the shape of a tubular food casing, the casing comprising an impermeable, semi-elastic material; and rendering the tubular food easing airtight, by means of vacuum sealing; and subjecting the tubular food casing to a flash freeze process.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the raw fish consists of salmon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF DRAWINGS AS EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the packaged food product 1, shaped in the contour of a tubular food casing 5 of semi-elastic material 4.

[0021] FIG. 2 depicts a view looking parallel to the axis of the packaged food product 1, further showing a first listener 2 binding the outer surface 10 of the semi-elastic material 4 at the first end 7 of the packaged food product 1.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the packaged food product 1 as seen from the orientation of section line 1-1 of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates the profile and appearance of a single patty 9 cut from the packaged food product 1.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates the sequential steps of the manual process by which the packaged food product 1 is packaged according to the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The objects, features, and advantages of the inventive concept presented in this application are more readily understood when referring to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling five figures, show the basic components and functions of embodiments and/or methods of use. In several figures, like reference numbers are used in each figure to correspond to the same component as may be depicted in other figures.

[0026] The primary objective of this inventive concept is to provide a process and packaging to make available a pre-packaged salmon 25 mixture as a main entre or a complementary food selection. The resulting packaged food product 1 is offered to the consumer for immediate cooking and consumption, from retail packaging heretofore unavailable to the consumer.

[0027] The packaged food product 1 comprises a consumer-ready quantity of raw fish 20, the raw fish 20 having been combined, in the preferred embodiment, into a mixture 23 further containing various chopped vegetables 21, foodstuffs 2, and a variety of seasonings.

[0028] Another objective in the process of creating the packaged food product 1 is to control the shape, contour, and quantity of the final product. When engaging in a manual process of creating the packaged food product 1, it is necessary to begin with a first, measured quantity of the raw fish 20, or, in the preferred embodiment, raw, trimmed salmon 25.

[0029] A final objective is to place theentirety of the mixture 23 onto an appropriately-dimensioned, flat sheet of a semi-elastic material 4. The semi-elastic material 4 is then arranged into a tubular food casing 5, which is sealed longitudinally 6 and at both ends 8, 9. Where the necessary equipment is available, the tubular food casing 5 may be vacuum sealed. The tubular food casing 5 should then be subjected to a flash freezing process

[0030] The discussion of the present inventive concept will be initiated with FIG. 1. In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the packaged food product 1 disclosed herein.

[0031] In the preferred embodiment of the packaged product 1, the preparation of the mixture 23 begins with the providing of approximately one pound of raw, fully trimmed salmon 25 as the raw fish 20 component. Other embodiments of the inventive concept increase the quantity or weight of the fully trimmed salmon 25. The trimmed salmon 25 must be separated into small bits. The inventive concept, calls for the use of additional ingredients, these ingredients proportional to inclusion of one pound of raw fully trimmed salmon 25, as indicated in the following t\list.

[0032] A component of the mixture 23 includes vegetable particles 21, which may include, but are not limited to, onions and celery.

[0033] A second component of the mixture 23 includes foodstuff 22 items, which may include, but are not limited to, flavored cornbread mix, and the white of one egg.

[0034] Another component of the mixture 23 includes seasonings 26, which may include, but are not limited to, salt, black pepper, and Old Bay® seasoning.

[0035] Proportional to the use of one pound of raw, fully trimmed salmon 25, the following quantities or amounts of the ingredients of the mixture are preferred:

[0036] one-half teaspoon of salt;

[0037] one teaspoon of black pepper;

[0038] half-teaspoon of Old Bay® seasoning;

[0039] one-half cup celery;

[0040] one-half cup of chopped onions;

[0041] flavored cornbread mix, or breading, using amounts as necessary; and the White of one egg.

[0042] To prepare the mixture 23, combine, in a medium-size mixing bowl, or other suitable container, all the above-listed ingredients and mix until the ingredients are well kneaded together. The resulting mixture 23 is then set for pouring onto a flexible, semi-elastic sheet 4, which sheet will ultimately form the outer surface 10 and inner surface 11 of a tubular food casing 5. The semi-elastic sheet 4, is approximately ten (10.0) inches in length, by eight (8.0) inches in width, and 0.0005 inches, (or 12.7 micrometers) thick. Either a manual process, or a fully automated process may be used to pour and shape the tubular food casing 5 comprising the final packaged food product 1.

[0043] By utilization of this thickness, a consumer may more readily use a serrated knife to slice through the packaged food product to fashion conveniently-sized patties 9 suitable for individual cooking and serving.

[0044] While preferred embodiments of the present inventive method have been shown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those persons skilled in the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not as a limitation to the scope of the inventive concept. Numerous var:iations, changes, and substitutions may occur or be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the intent, scope, and totality of this inventive concept. Such variations, changes, and substitutions may involve other features which are already known per se and which may be used instead of, in combination with, or in addition to features already disclosed herein, Accordingly, it is intended that this inventive concept be inclusive of such variations, changes, and substitutions, as described by the scope of the claims presented herein,