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US 11,252,972 B2Granted
Method of drying vegetables
AssigneeWild Pilot Food, S.L.
InventorsSaioa Alvarez Sabatel, Raquel Rodríguez Fernández, Izaskun Pérez Simón, Iñigo Martínez De Marañón Ibabe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the field of food dehydration and production of snacks. In particular, the invention relates to a method for drying vegetables using microwaves in order to produce an improved dried product. The invention also relates to said dried vegetables and to the use thereof in the agro-food industry.
Claims20
A method for drying a vegetable comprising:
- a) applying microwave energy in conditions of absolute pressure between 312 mbar and 800 mbar to a starting vegetable until said vegetable reaches a temperature in a range of 50° C. to 70° C., wherein the starting vegetable has a moisture content that is less than 15%;
- b) applying microwave energy at a microwave power density that is greater or equal to 1 W/g to the vegetable obtained in step a), at an absolute pressure less than 312 mbar, until the vegetable reaches a temperature in a range of 65° C. to 85° C.;
- c) applying microwave energy in conditions of absolute pressure less than 312 mbar to the vegetable obtained in step b) until the vegetable reaches a temperature in a range of 70° C. to 100° C.;
- and
- d) cooling the vegetable obtained in step c) under vacuum, without applying microwaves, at an absolute pressure less than or equal to 123 mbar until reaching a temperature that is less than or equal to 50° C.,
- wherein the temperature reached by the vegetable is greater in step b) than in step a), and is greater in step c) than in step b);
- and
- wherein the vegetable obtained is crunchy.
5 more elements
A method for drying a vegetable comprising:
- a) preheating a starting vegetable under conditions of about 2 W/g microwave energy and about 400 mbar absolute pressure until the preheated vegetable reaches an initial temperature of 60° C. to 65° C., wherein the starting vegetable has a moisture content that is less than 15%;
- b) drying the preheated vegetable under conditions of about 2 W/g microwave energy and about 20 mbar absolute pressure until the dried vegetable reaches a second temperature that is 65° C. to 80° C., wherein the dried vegetable is expanded;
- c) hardening the dried vegetable under conditions of about 1.4 W/g microwave energy and about 20 mbar absolute pressure until the hardened vegetable reaches a third temperature that is 70° C. to 90° C., wherein the hardened vegetable is texturized;
- and
- d) cooling the hardened vegetable, without applying microwave energy, at about 20 mbar absolute pressure until the temperature of the cooled vegetable lowers to 40° C. to 45° C.;
- wherein a crunchy vegetable having an expanded porous structure is thereby formed, and the expanded porous structure of the crunchy vegetable provides crunchiness.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.