Process for manufacturing storable fruit preparations containing whole fruits
OwnerHans Stamerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Freely-rolling fruits are mixed with crystalline sugar or a highly concentrated sugar solution, and this fruit and sugar mixture is then sterilized by heat treatment. After the juice has been carefully formed, the fruit is separated from the juice, the consistency of the latter being at least approximately adjusted, and then the fruit and juice are again combined. The mixture is then heated for a short period, in a heating region, by means of a microwave field excited in an E.sub.01 mode. The process is particularly suited for fruit preparations containing soft fruit, the properties of which remain largely unchanged. The fruit preparations thus obtained can be used individually or mixed with foodstuffs, for example yogurt, cottage cheese or desserts.
Claims24
Process for the production of storable fruit preparations containing whole fruits without the addition of preservatives, wherein whole fruit is mixed with crystalline sugar or a concentrated sugar solution to form a first mixture of fruit and juice, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) gently agitating the first mixture until the dry mass of the fruit amounts to about 35 to 65% by weight,
- (b) gently separating the fruit from the juice,
- (c) adjusting the density of at least a portion of the juice to a density effective to substantially uniformly suspend the separated fruit in the juice,
- (d) combining the density adjusted juice and the separated fruit to form a second mixture in which the fruit is substantially uniformly suspended in the juice,
- (e) uniformly heating the second mixture by use of micro-wave energy in a micro-wave heating zone, and
- (f) cooling the second mixture to form a sterilized fruit preparation containing whole fruit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.