Segmenting and dehydration process for sugar beets
OwnerRichard K. Lackmanninventor
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Abstract
A segmenting and dehydration process for fruits and vegetables with a primary application as a process for producing dehydrated filaments of sugar beets as a natural sweetener for use by confectioners, bakeries, breweries and other food processors. The beets are washed, shredded with a high-speed heated blade and immediately dried in a continuously sterile atmosphere that prevents bacteria contamination and growth and enzyme action which otherwise result in an unacceptably strong flavor in the finished product.
Claims1
A method of processing raw sugar beets to produce a natural sweetener which is comprised of dehydrated filaments of the sugar beets, said method comprising the steps of:
- washing the raw sugar beet;
- preheating knives to a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to 120.degree. C.;
- hot slicing the raw sugar beet with said preheated knives to produce cauterized filaments in a heated sterile atmosphere;
- said filaments having a minimum dimension of from 1/8 of an inch to 3/16 of an inch;
- obtaining said heated sterile atmosphere by moving hot air through said atmosphere surrounding said knives and maintaining said knives heated by the hot air flowing through said heated sterile atmosphere;
- moving said filaments directly, without exposure to a nonsterile atmosphere, from said heated sterile atmosphere by the hot air moving through said heated sterile atmosphere into a dehydration chamber;
- dehydrating said filaments to reduce their moisture content to not more than seven percent to prevent deterioration during storage;
- and
- cooling the dehydrated filaments preparatory to packaging and storage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.