Providing homestyle egg product portions
AssigneeCargill, Incorporated
InventorsRobert E. Lee, Aaron K. Martin, Donald R. Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for providing homestyle egg product portions on a commercial scale is described. The apparatus includes a plurality of moving heated pockets, and a plurality of mixers. Each heated pocket is capable of holding an egg product portion, and each mixer is capable of stirring an egg product portion held in a heated pocket to yield a stirred egg product portion. The apparatus can further include a plurality of groupers. Each grouper is capable of gathering stirred egg product portions held in a moving heated pocket. Methods for producing homestyle egg product portions on a commercial scale are also described.
Claims11
1-20. (canceled)
A method for producing homestyle egg product portions on a commercial scale comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of moving heated pockets;
- (b) placing an egg product portion into each heated pocket;
- (c) mechanically stirring the egg product portions within the heated pockets to yield stirred egg product portions;
- (d) mechanically gathering the stirred egg product portions to yield gathered egg product portions;
- and
- (e) further cooking the gathered egg product portions to yield homestyle egg product portions.
The method of claim 11, wherein the egg product portions comprise whole eggs, egg whites, a combination of whole eggs and egg whites, whole eggs with food particulates, egg whites with food particulates, or a combination of whole eggs and egg whites with food particulates.
The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature of the heated pockets is within the range of between 250° F. and 300° F. (121° C. and 149° C.).
The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature of the heated pockets is within the range of between 270° F. and 300° F. (132° C. and 149° C.).
The method of claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises inserting a mechanical finger into the egg product portion and moving the mechanical finger about a circular motion within the egg product portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.