FOOD COOKING AND BROWNING BAG

Abstract

A cooking bag and a method for cooking food using a cooking bag, with the cooking bag having a variable opening vent formed from a thinning of the bag material, perforations through the bag, and/or slits through the bag, and a tear-off strip for browning and removal of the food product from the bag.

Claims

1. A cooking bag comprising: a bag portion for containing a food product, the bag portion manufactured from a bag material that can withstand at least a temperature at which the food product is to be cooked, the bag portion being sealable about the food product prior to cooking of the food product; and an opening vent formed on, in, or through the bag material.

2. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening vent is a variable opening vent.

3. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening vent comprises at least one of a thinning of the bag material, perforations through the bag material, and slits through the bag.

4. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 3, wherein the opening vent is a series of perforations located proximal to each.

5. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 4, wherein the perforations are configured in a linear, circular, or X-shaped pattern.

6. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 3, wherein the opening vent is a series of slits located proximal to each.

7. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 6, wherein the slits are configured in a linear, circular, or X-shaped pattern.

8. The cooking bag as claimed in one of the preceding claims, further comprising a tear-off strip.

9. A method for cooking a food product, comprising: placing the food product in a cooking bag, the cooking bag comprising a bag portion for containing a food product, the bag portion manufactured from a bag material that can withstand at least a temperature at which the food product is to be cooked, the bag portion being sealable about the food product prior to cooking of the food product, and the bag portion having an opening vent formed on, in, or through the bag material; cooking the food product within the cooking bag at a temperature sufficient to increase pressure within the cooking bag, thereby causing the cooking bag to expand until the bag material prevents further expansion, wherein the increased pressure within the cooking bag and the expansion of the bag material causes the ripping, tearing, or splitting of the opening vent an amount that will not allow all of the pressure within the cooking bag to escape, thereby maintaining an increased pressure environment within the cooking bag, whereby a certain pressure remains in the cooking bag, contributing to further pressure cooking of the food product.

10. The method for cooking a food product as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cooking bag comprising a variable opening vent.

11. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the opening vent comprises at least one of a thinning of the bag material, perforations through the bag material, and slits through the bag.

12. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 11, wherein the opening vent is a series of perforations located proximal to each.

13. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 12, wherein the perforations are configured in a linear, circular, or X-shaped pattern.

14. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 11, wherein the opening vent is a series of slits located proximal to each.

15. The cooking bag as claimed in claim 14, wherein the slits are configured in a linear, circular, or X-shaped pattern.

16. The method for cooking a food product as claimed in one of the preceding claims, further comprising a tear-off strip, and further comprising removing the tear-off strip from the cooking bag for browning the food product and/or for removing the food product from the cooking bag.

17. The method for cooking a food product as claimed in claim 16, wherein the tear-off strip is removed from the cooking bag prior to cooking the food product.

18. The method for cooking a food product as claimed in claim 16, wherein the tear-off strip is removed from the cooking bag while cooking the food product.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a cooking bag of the present invention comprising a weakened portion of the cooking bag material as the vent.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a cooking bag of the present invention comprising perforations in the cooking bag material as the vent.

[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates a cooking bag of the present invention comprising slits in the cooking bag material as the vent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The figures illustrate three preferred exemplary embodiments of the cooking bag 10 of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a cooking bag 10 of the present invention comprising a weakened portion 18 of the cooking bag material as the vent 16, along with a tear-off strip 12 for allowing food browning and removal of the food product form the bag 10. FIG. 2 illustrates a cooking bag 10 of the present invention comprising perforations 20 in the cooking bag material as the vent 16, also along with a tear-off strip 12 for allowing food browning and removal of the food product form the bag 10. FIG. 3 illustrates a cooking bag 10 of the present invention comprising slits 22 in the cooking bag material as the vent 16, also along with a tear-off strip 12 for allowing food browning and removal of the food product form the bag 10.

[0024] Preferred embodiments of the invention are a cooking bag 10 comprising a variable opening vent 16. In one embodiment, the vent 16 can be a thinning 18 of the bag material or a series of thinnings 18 of the bag material. In another embodiment, the vent 16 can be a series of relatively small perforations 20 located proximal to each, such as in a linear, circular, or X-shaped pattern. In yet another embodiment, the vent 16 can be a series of relatively small slits 22 located proximal to each other.

[0025] The thinnings 18, perforations 20, slits 22, or the equivalent structures or features can be accomplished by laser, blades, all types of perforating, pressure, temperature, or any process that can be controlled to a sufficient degree to produce a thinning 18, perforation 20, or slit 22 suitable. The type, size, and number of thinnings 18, perforations 20, and slits 22 are dependent on both the material of the bag 10 and the desired pressure at which it is desired for the vent 16 to open and the desired final size of the vent 16 opening. One of ordinary skill in the art provided with the material of the bag 10 and the desired pressure can determine the type, size, and number of thinnings 18, perforations 20, and slits 22 without undue experimentation. For example, the vent 16 also can be created by other means such as with small needles in a close configuration and or by creating fatigue in the material of the bag 10 by crushing the material of the bag 10 between two ridges of dull metal as not to fully puncture the material of the bag 10.

[0026] The pattern for the thinnings 18, perforations 20, and slits 22 can be linear, X-shaped, T-shaped, L-shaped, circular, parallel rows, or other shapes. Although the figures show an X-shaped vent 16 and this specification discloses the invention relative to the shown X-shaped pattern, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to be limiting.

[0027] Preferably, the thinnings 18, perforations 20, and slits 22 are very or relatively small, such as a number of holes or slits in a line or pattern. The thinnings 18, perforations 20, and slits 22 are structured such that as the pressure builds within the bag 10, the material of the thinning 18 or between the holes 20 or slits 22 can rip, resulting in almost a variable sized slit, which forms the vent 16. The vent 16 preferably is able to split at a lower pressure than the opening for removing the food, such as tear-off strip 12 in combination with the perforation 14 for removing the tear-off strip 12, so that the vent 16 will split while the removal opening will not. In this manner, the vent 16 will not split until a certain pressure (not temperature) is reached, which will allow the food to pressure cook within the bag 10 for a set period of time, and the removal opening will not split at all. Thus, the vent 16 will in effect hold the pressure in the bag 10 at a set level or a relatively set level by variable splitting.

[0028] After a certain period of time cooking under the pressure, both with the vent closed and then with the vent opened, the cook then can open the oven and open the bag 10 even more by, for example, pulling on the tear-off strip 12, ripping the tear-off strip 12 from the bag at the perforation 14, thus ripping open the bag 10 more, so that the food now can brown. In current bags, there are no valves or vents or there valves or vents that completely open or valves or vents that are supposed to completely open but do not. Thus, in present bags the food may pressure cook, but will not brown. Also, current bags have instructions that instruct the user to make holes or cuts in the bag when the user wants to allow the browning. The bag 10 of the present invention comprises an easy opening bag 10 with the vent 16 to allow the venting of the steam and then after a certain period of time allows for the opening of the bag 10 via the tear-off strip 12 to allow the browning of the food product.

[0029] To solve the venting issue inherent in the prior art, the present invention comprises a cooking bag 10 with a relatively small vent 16 created in the top of the bag 10 by using a suitable device, such as a laser, blades, all types of perforating, pressure, temperature, or any process that can be controlled to a sufficient degree to produce the vent 16. In one illustrative embodiment, the vent 16 is comprised of holes 20. The holes 20 are pre-adjusted in size, but are in close proximity and diameter to each other so as to weaken the bag 10 in a small area on top, and not across the entire bag 10.

[0030] The holes 20 preferably are small enough to not have the vent 16 totally open, like an open slit, which would allow for contamination of the food inside the bag 10, but open enough so when the pressure is built up in the bag 10, and the bag 10 is inflated enough to be pushed all the way from and not touching the top of the food product, the vent 16 area will fracture or split and allow the right amount of venting so as to maintain a certain pressure within the bag, thus allowing continued pressure-type cooking. More specifically, it is preferable for the venting to be not large enough to deflate the bag 10 so as to have it rest back on top of the food product, but to maintain a certain amount of pressure within the bag 10 to keep the bag 10 inflated and to retain the pressure cooking effect, like a valve. As the vent 16 is structured so as to only tear open an amount that is needed to maintain the pressure to keep the bag 10 inflated, as the pressure increases the material of the bag 10 between the holes 20 will give way allowing more pressure to be released. This will stop the potential explosion of the bag 10, the bursting of the bag 10 at the perforation 14 for the tear-off strip 12, and the popping of the end seals of the bag 10.

[0031] The bag 10 also preferably comprises a tear-off strip 12 that can be removed from the bag 10 via a perforation 14. The tear-off strip 12 is for removing the food product form the bag 10, and also for allowing the browning of the food. More specifically, the same bag 10 that has the vent 16 also can comprise a top portion tear-off strip 12. This tear-off strip 12 preferably is located across the whole portion of the top of the bag 10, but can be located across a portion of the top of the bag 10, or along a side of the bag 10. A perforation line 14 delineates the tear-off strip 12 from the main portion of the bag 10. The perforation 14 is stronger than the vent 16 such that this perforation 14 is able to with stand the pressure that is built up in the bag 10 during the cooking cycle and not release any pressure, whereby the vent will tear open at a pressure lower than the pressure that would cause the perforation 14 to rupture. However, with the force of a user pulling the tear-off strip 12 by hand, the user can relatively easily pull the tear-off strip 12 all the way off of the bag 10 to expose the entire food product inside the bag 10 for browning. As a result, the invention is a cooking bag 10 that will create a pressure cooker style of cooking and at a predetermined time during the cooking cycle, dictated by the pressure achieved within the bag 10, the consumer can tear open the top of the bag 10 and expose the entire food product for browning.

[0032] These two features, the vent 16 and the tear-off strip 12, put into one device and made with materials that will withstand the oven heat create a perfect solution for the consumer to have a rapidly cooked product that is tender and browned to perfection.

[0033] In use, as the food product contained in the bag 10 is heated in the oven, the increase in temperature and the creation of steam or water vapor in the bag 10 causes the pressure in the bag 10 to increase. This causes the bag 10 to expand until the bag material prevents further expansion. At this stage, the food within the bag 10 is cooking due to the heat in the oven and further due to the increased pressure in the bag 10 (pressure cooking). At a predetermined pressure, the vent 16 opens, generally by a ripping of the bag material, either by a ripping of the thinning 18 or by a ripping of the bag material between the holes 20 or slits 22, which allows at least some of the steam or water vapor to escape, thus preventing the bag 10 from exploding. However, the vent will not open enough to allow all of the pressure within the bag 10 to escape, thereby maintaining an increased pressure environment within the bag. In this disclosure, increased pressure environment means a pressure within the bag 10 that is higher than the ambient pressure within the oven. Thus, the vent 16 can be created such that it will not open more than a certain amount, whereby a certain pressure remains in the bag 10, contributing to further pressure cooking of the food product.

[0034] At a certain time during the cooking cycle, the tear-off strip 12 can be removed from the bag 10. More specifically, the at least one tear-off strip 12 can be used for removing the food product from the bag 10 and for further opening the bag 10 for browning or additional browning of the food product during cooking. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the vent 16 is only structured to open a sufficient amount so as to release pressure from the bag during cooking such that the bag 10 will not explode, but not enough to allow for the browning of the food product (or for a desired amount of the browning of the food product), after the food has cooked to a desired degree, the tear-off strip 12 is removed at the perforation 14 and the bag 10 opened more so as to allow for browning or more browning.

[0035] The time at which the tear-off strip 12 is removed from the bag can be determined by the user without undue experimentation. For example, if the cook desires not pressure cooking, the cook can remove the tear-off strip 12 at the start of the cooking cycle. For another example, if the cook desires a greater degree of pressure cooking, the cook can wait until the food product is almost entirely or entirely cooked, and then remove the tear-off strip, which will result in less or no browning of the food product. A preferred cooking time is in the middle of these two ends of the cooking continuum, wherein the food product has cooked to a desired degree under pressure in the bag 10 with the vent 16 closed and then opened by the pressure within the bag, and then the tear-off strip 12 is removed for finishing the cooking of the food product and for browning the food product.

[0036] The thinning 18 of the bag material can be accomplished such that only a predetermined portion or length of the thinning 18 opens at a predetermined pressure. Similarly, the perforations 20 can be made in the bag material proximal to each other or at a distance from each other such that the bag material located between perforations 20 only rips at a predetermined pressure. Likewise, the slits 22 also can be made in the bag material proximal to each other or at a distance from each other such that the bag material located between slits 22 only rips at a predetermined pressure.

[0037] Thus, a cooking bag 10 is disclosed comprising a variable opening vent 16 and a tear-off strip 12, wherein the bag 10 allows the food product within the bag 10 to cook under both heat and pressure, and allows the vent 16 to open at a predetermined pressure and/or a predetermined amount so as to prevent the exploding or bursting of the bag except at the vent 16, and wherein the tear-off strip 14 allows for the browning of the food product. The material of the bag 10 can be selected from those materials that are capable of the temperatures reached in an oven, can rip as required for the vent 16 and tear-off strip 12 to operate, and to be safe for use with food products. Current materials include certain polyesters, polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinylidene chlorides, and Nylon brand materials.

[0038] The above detailed description of the embodiments, and the examples, are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope and spirit of the invention, and its equivalents, as defined by the appended claims. One skilled in the art will recognize that many variations can be made to the invention disclosed in this specification without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.