Process for improving shelf-life of fresh cut vegetables and food products produced thereby

A method of processing vegetables, comprising the steps of:

• blanching a vegetable material comprising cut vegetables and that defines a blanched vegetable preparation;
• air-drying said blanched vegetable preparation;
• subjecting said blanched vegetable preparation to a first supercritical fluids procedure to remove moisture from said blanched vegetable preparation and that defines a first intermediate vegetable product, wherein said first supercritical fluids procedure uses a supercritical fluid and a first processing aid, and wherein said first supercritical fluids procedure is executed after said air-drying step;
• and
• subjecting said first intermediate vegetable product to a second supercritical fluids procedure to remove moisture from said first intermediate vegetable product and that defines a vegetable product, wherein said second supercritical fluids procedure uses a supercritical fluid without said first processing aid.