Method of dehydrating wine grapes and other foods
AssigneeRiverhall Capital LLC
InventorChristopher Upton Cates
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of dehydrating seeded wine grapes that are intact, attached to a steam, and that have a fruit matrix containing seeds is described that includes providing air movement using a dehydration device over the seeded wine grapes at a temperature between 135 and 200 degrees F. to extract water through pores of the seeded wine grape, and cooling the seeded wine grapes to room temperature, thereby concentrating nutrients within the fruit matrix and rendering the seeds of the seeded wine grapes edible.
Claims24
A method for treating seeded wine grapes to make seeds thereof edible and concentrate nutritional substances therein and delaying spoilage, comprising:
- harvesting a cluster of seeded whole wine grapes having seeds and a pulp matrix therein from a vine such that the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes is attached to a stem and are substantially free of cracked skin;
- heating the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes at a temperature in a range of 100-200° F. for a period of time in a range of 1-24 hours while maintaining stem attachment to facilitate stem-fruit water transfer through capillary osmotic homeostasis so that water is transmitted from an interior of the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes through the skin, the pulp matrix, and the stems to at least partially dehydrate the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes, such that beneficial compounds are concentrated in the seeded whole wine grapes as the stems dry faster than the fruit, and render the seeds of the seeded whole wine grapes into an edible condition within the seeded whole wine grapes;
- and
- curing the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes by allowing the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes to cool over a period of time such that a skin of grapes of the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes is exposed to ambient air while the pulp matrix is not exposed to air, whereby dehydrated seeded whole wine grapes are obtained,
- wherein the seeded whole wine grapes as dehydrated and cured have a residual water content level of about 14-23% and a water activity (AW) level of less than 0.85.
A method for dehydrating seeded wine grapes, comprising:
- providing a cluster of seeded whole wine grapes having a pulp matrix and skin that is substantially intact, the seeded whole wine grapes as removed being attached to a stem and each of the seeded whole wine grapes having a seed therein;
- applying air using a dehydration device to the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes at a temperature in a range of 100-200° F. for a period of time in a range of 1-24 hours while maintaining stem attachment to facilitate stem-fruit water transfer through capillary osmotic homeostasis whereby water is transmitted substantially only from an interior of the grapes through the skin and through the stem so as to at least partially dehydrate the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes whereby beneficial compounds are concentrated in the pulp matrix of the seeded whole wine grapes as the stems dry faster than the fruit, and render the seeds of the seeded whole wine grapes into an edible condition within the seeded whole wine grapes;
- and
- curing the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes by allowing the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes to cool to room temperature over a period of time in an unsealed container such that a skin of grapes of the cluster of the seeded whole wine grapes is exposed to ambient air while the pulp matrix is not exposed to air, whereby dehydrated seeded whole wine grapes are obtained,
- wherein the seeded whole wine grapes as dehydrated and cured have a residual water content level of about 14-23% and a water activity (AW) level of less than 0.85.
A method of dehydrating seeded wine grapes that are intact, attached to a stem, and that have a fruit matrix containing seeds, thereby concentrating nutrients within the fruit matrix and rendering the seeds of the seeded wine grapes edible, comprising:
- providing air movement using a dehydration device over the seeded wine grapes at a temperature between 100 and 200 degrees F. to extract water through pores of the seeded wine grapes while maintaining stem attachment to facilitate stem-fruit water transfer through capillary osmotic homeostasis, whereby beneficial compounds are concentrated in the fruit matrix of the seeded wine grapes as the stems dry faster than the fruit matrix;
- and
- cooling the seeded wine grapes to room temperature.
A method of dehydrating seeded wine grapes that are intact, attached to a stem, and that have a fruit matrix containing seeds, comprising:
- providing air movement using a dehydration device over the seeded wine grapes at a temperature between 135 and 200 degrees F. while maintaining stem attachment to facilitate stem-fruit water transfer through capillary osmotic homeostasis to extract water through pores of the seeded wine grapes, and cooling the seeded wine grapes to room temperature, thereby concentrating beneficial nutrients within the pulp matrix and rendering the seeds of the seeded wine grapes edible.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.