Handling of mushrooms
AssigneePick and Pack Systems Ltd.
InventorTony Albert Russell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mushrooms harvested from a growing bed are deposited on a carrier having a plurality of individual recesses each for receiving an individual mushroom by supporting the under-side of the cap with the stalk projecting downwardly. The carrier, when fully loaded with mushrooms, is moved into a compartment of a multi-compartmented storage structure configured to allow the flow of air therethrough. The structure is then moved into a cold room so that all of the carried mushrooms are cooled down to the optimum storage temperature. Only when the mushrooms are to be dispatched for sale are the carriers removed from the storage structure and the stalks of the mushrooms trimmed to the required length whereafter the mushrooms are suitably packed for dispatch and sale.
Claims19
A method of handling mushrooms, comprising the steps of:
- harvesting the mushrooms from a growing bed, leaving at least the greater part of the stalk still intact and connected to the cap;
- depositing each harvested mushroom on a respective carrier therefor, which said carrier is configured to support the underside of the cap of the mushroom, with the stalk hanging free from the cap, said carrier being in the form of an elongate strip having a first surface for supporting the undersides of the mushrooms and a web depending downwardly from said first surface which web is adapted to support said first surface, the first surface having a plurality of generally U-shaped recesses along the length thereof whereby an individual mushroom may be located in each such web by moving the mushroom laterally with respect to the length of the carrier;
- loading a plurality of mushrooms each supported as aforesaid into a compartment of a multi-compartmented storage structure arranged to allow the flow of air through the compartments thereof;
- and
- moving the storage structure into a cold-room following the loading of at least some of the compartments of the structure with supported mushrooms, thereby to cool for storage all of the loaded supported mushrooms.
Apparatus for the storage of harvested mushrooms, comprising a storage structure having a plurality of compartments with openings through and between the compartments to permit the free flow of air therethrough, in combination with a plurality of carriers for harvested mushrooms, each carrier being adapted to support the underside of the mushroom cap with the stalk projecting downwardly therefrom and each carrier when loaded with mushrooms being receivable in a compartment of the structure, said carrier being in the form of an elongate strip having an upper wall, said upper wall having opposite spaced apart longitudinal edges and a first surface extending between said edges for supporting the undersides of the mushrooms, and a web depending downwardly from said upper wall which web is adapted to support said first surface, the upper wall having a plurality of generally U-shaped recesses formed therein along the length of each of said longitudinal edges, said recesses opening to said longitudinal edges, whereby an individual mushroom may be located in each such recess by moving the mushroom laterally with respect to the length of the carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.