Process for drying herbs
AssigneeThe University of British Columbia
InventorsTimothy Douglas Durance, Dragan Macura, Richard Scholmer Meyer, Alex N. Yousif, Christine H. Scaman, Jianhua (Linda) Wang
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Abstract
Herbs are dried by applying microwave power to herbs in a chamber under reduced or negative pressure to reduce the moisture content of the herbs without significantly damaging the flavor of the dried herbs and produce a dried herb having a flavor more closely approaching the flavor of fresh herbs than dried herbs produced by conventional processes.
Claims20
A process for drying herbs so that a greater portion of the key volatile flavors are retained in the dried herbs produced comprising loading fresh herbs into a vacuum microwave drying chamber, reducing the pressure in said chamber to a low pressure below 10 inches of Hg, applying microwave power to said herbs while at said low pressure with a power density of between 1 and 8 Kilowatts/Kg of said herb for a time period of 2 to 25 minutes while sweeping the herbs with air to achieve a uniform drying of the herbs to a moisture content of less than 20% based on the dry weight of the herbs without significantly damaging said herbs by burning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.