Method of treating fresh fruit
AssigneeTastemaker
InventorLarry D. Ellis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of treating fresh fruit which gels the pectin in the fruit to keep the fruit's juice from separating from the fruit during subsequent processing. The method includes soaking the fruit in a calcium enriched solution for an extended period of time, i.e. from about 2 to about 6 weeks.
Claims19
A method for treating and storing fresh fruit comprising the steps of soaking the fruit in a calcium-enriched aqueouss solution containing an amount of calcium salt sufficient to gel the fruit, holding the fruit in the calcium-enriched solution for a period of time of at leat about two weeks sufficient to gel pectin in the fruit, rinsing said fruit after said fruit is removed from said solution, and recovering a fruit having substantially the firmness and juice content of the fresh fruit.
The method of claim 3 wherein said soaking step lasts for about 4 weeks.
A method of making processed fruit comprising
- (a) adding fresh washed fruit to an aqueous brine solution of calcium salt;
- (b) holding the fruit in the brine solution for about 2 weeks to about 6 weeks to gel the pectin in the fruit;
- (c) separating the fruit from the brine solution;
- and
- (d) recovering a fruit which retains substantially all of its juices intact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.