Blancher with multiple heating zones

A food processing apparatus, comprising:

• a) a tank having an inlet end and a discharge end;
• b) a baffle which divides the tank into a first heated compartment and a second heated compartment, wherein the temperature within the first compartment is less than the temperature within the second compartment;
• c) a first drum rotatably mounted within the tank first heated compartment, and having a helical auger therein, wherein the auger advances food product from the tank inlet toward the baffle;
• d) a second drum rotatably mounted within the tank second heated compartment and having a helical auger therein, wherein the auger advances food product within the second drum to the tank outlet,
• e) a chute which extends between the first drum and the second drum;
• and
• f) at least one lifting flight located within the first drum and rotatable with the first drum to elevate food product from within the first heated compartment of the tank to deposit the food product in the chute to be discharged into the second heated compartment of the tank, wherein a food product introduced at the tank inlet end will traverse the tank and be subjected to heating at two different levels.

A food processing apparatus, comprising:

• a) a tank having an inlet end and a discharge end;
• b) a baffle which divides the tank into a first heated compartment and a second heated compartment, wherein the baffle prevents mixing of water at a first temperature in the first heated compartment with water at a second, different, temperature in the second heated compartment;
• c) a first heated water manifold disposed within the tank first heated compartment;
• d) a second heated water manifold disposed within the tank second heated compartment;
• e) a perforated cylinder mounted rotatably within the tank so that water contained in the tank will enter the cylinder, the cylinder having an inlet opening near the inlet end of the tank for receiving introduced food product and a discharge opening near the discharge end of the tank where food product which has moved through the cylinder can be discharged therefrom, wherein the cylinder is divided into a first segment which extends within the first heated compartment of the tank and a second segment which extends within the second heated compartment of the tank;
• f) an auger positioned substantially within the perforated cylinder to rotate with the cylinder, the auger having portions which define a helical surface, wherein portions of the auger extend axially within the first segment of the cylinder and portions of the auger extend axially within the second segment of the cylinder;
• and
• g) means for conveying food product from the first cylinder segment to the second cylinder segment, wherein a food product introduced at the tank inlet end will traverse the tank and be subjected to heating at a plurality of levels.