Claims
- 1. A method of producing refreshable dry food comprising the steps of
- placing unfrozen raw food in a vacuum chamber;
- reducing the pressure in said chamber to a value within the range 5 Torr to 1 Torr, thereby reducing the temperature to a value within the range of 0.degree. C. to -10.degree. C.;
- irradiating the food with infrared energy having a wavelength of at least 5 microns; and
- terminating said irradiation when said food reaches a temperature in the range +5.degree. C. to +40.degree. C. whereby said food is dried before its texture is adversely affected.
- 2. A method of producing refreshable dry food as defined in claim 1, wherein said food is selected from the group consisting of meats, seafood, vegetables, and edible wild plants.
- 3. A method of producing refreshable dry food as defined in claim 1, wherein said food is meat selected from the group consisting of beef, pork and mutton.
- 4. A method of producing refreshable dry food as defined in claim 1 wherein said food is seafood selected from the group consisting of raw shrimp, adductor muscle and fish meat.
- 5. A method of producing refreshable dry foods as defined in claim 1, wherein said food is a vegetable selected from the group consisting of potatoes and onions.
- 6. A method of producing refreshable dry foods as defined in claim 1, wherein said food is edible wild plants selected from mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
- 7. A method of producing refreshable dry meat, comprising the steps of
- placing unfrozen meat to be dried on a shelf in a vacuum chamber having an infrared ray heater facing said shelf;
- reducing the pressure in said chamber to a value within the range 5 Torr to 1 Torr, thereby reducing and maintaining the temperature at a value within the range of -5.degree. C. to -10.degree. C.;
- freeze-drying said meat by irradiating it with infrared energy having a wavelength of at least 5 microns; and
- terminating said irradiation when said meat reaches a temperature in the range +20.degree. C. to +40.degree. C. whereby said meat is dried before its texture is adversely affected.
- 8. A method of producing refreshable dry food comprising the steps of
- placing unfrozen raw food in a vacuum chamber;
- reducing the pressure in said chamber to a value within the range 3.16 Torr to 5 Torr, thereby reducing the temperature of said vacuum chamber to a value within the range of -5.degree. C. to 0.degree. C.;
- vacuum freeze drying said food by irradiating it with infrared energy having a wavelength of at least 5 microns in said vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber being maintained at a temperature within the range of -5.degree. C. to 0.degree. C.; and
- terminating said irradiation when said food reaches a temperature in the range +5.degree. C. to +20.degree. C., whereby said food is dried before its texture is adversely affected.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
58-205897 |
Nov 1983 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 570,848, filed Jan. 16, 1984, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3271874 |
Oppenheimer |
Sep 1966 |
|
3883958 |
Filipe |
May 1975 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
570848 |
Jan 1984 |
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