Stuffed, flavored, and packaged olives
AssigneeMusco Olive Products, Inc.
InventorsAbdulkadir Yussuf Sigal, Jesus Lopez Garcia, Maria Valeria Theall
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Abstract
The invention relates to olive processing, and includes methods for producing olives, as well as the olives produced thereby. In one aspect, the invention provides compositions directed towards packaged olive preparations having novel and beneficial characteristics, for example, olive preparations that are free of packing liquids such as brine solutions. In other aspects, the packaged olive preparations of the invention can have other beneficial properties, such as extended shelf life and flavored stuffings or flavor infusions. In other aspects, the invention provides methods for producing such olives. The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to black-ripe olives.
Claims16
A heat-treated and packaged olive preparation comprising a plurality of olives or olive segments in a sealed container, wherein:
- a) the preparation is substantially free of liquid;
- b) the sealed container is substantially impervious to oxygen;
- c) the preparation has a shelf-life of at least 12 months;
- d) the meat of the olives or olive segments has a pH not greater than about pH 4.6;
- and
- e) the olives or olive segments further comprise:
- (i) an infused flavoring, or
- (ii) where the preparation comprises pitted olives comprising a pit cavity, said olives comprising a flavored stuffing contained within the pit cavity, or
- (iii) the combination of both (i) and (ii).
A method for producing a heat treated, packaged, acidified and substantially liquid-free olive preparation, the method comprising:
- (a) providing:
- (i) a plurality of olives, and
- (ii) a container substantially impervious to oxygen when sealed;
- (b) treating said olives with an alkali, thereby producing olives whose fruit is alkaline;
- (c) acidifying said olives by exposure to an acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, gluco-delta-lactone (GDL), citric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, or any combination of two or more of said acids, thereby producing acidified, blackened olives having a pH of not more than about pH 4.6;
- (d) packaging said acidified olives in the absence of any free liquid, where the packaging comprises:
- (i) distributing said acidified olives into said container, and
- (ii) sealing said container;
- and
- (e) subjecting the sealed container to retort processing at overpressure to achieve a shelf-life of at least 12 months.
A method for producing stuffed acidified olives, the method comprising:
- (a) providing:
- (i) olives with a pit cavity formed by removal of a pit, the olives having a pH in the range of 7.5 to 8.5;
- (ii) a flavored stuffing paste comprising sodium-alginate in a concentration range of 1% to 5%;
- (b) injecting the olive pit cavity with a quantity of the flavored stuffing paste to produce an injected olive,
- (c) exposing the injected olive to a solution comprising 3% to 10% calcium;
- and
- (d) acidifying the injected olives by exposure to a solution comprising:
- (i) at least one acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, glucono-delta-lactone (GDL), citric acid, malic acid and adipic acid, and any combinations thereof, and (ii) calcium,
- thereby producing stuffed acidified olives having a pH of not more than about 4.6.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.