Patent Application
20100203210
The present invention relates to a process for preparing tomato sections for consumption. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for dehydrating tomato sections and infusing those sections with a sweetener.
It is well known in the art that dehydrated products offer numerous advantages with respect to the original natural products, such as a more prolonged preservation of quality, more efficient transportation and storage without refrigeration, less storage space per unit of solids, and considerable decrease in transportation costs per unit of solids.
Dried foods are a popular snack food item. Besides being tasty, dried fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals. Consequently, in comparison to many other snack foods, dried foods provide a healthy alternative. However, one problem that has existed with regard to dried foods of this nature is that they have usually undergone a treatment in order to control the enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes and also to slow down or inhibit any microbiological activity therein. Treatment processes such as sulfiting consist of treating the food with sulfur dioxide or similar compounds such as sulfurous acid salts. Many consumers do not want to consume foods that have undergone a sulfiting treatment, for health reasons.
Furthermore, there exists a need to infuse dried foods, particularly tomatoes and similar foods, with a sweetening agent. Methods of infusing fruits with fructose sugar solids and food products which remain non crystalline at freezer temperatures containing such infused fruit products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,711. This patent discloses immersion of the fruit in two or more sugar containing solute baths of gradually increasing sugar concentration. Another method of infusing fruits with sugar solutes, including fructose solutes, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,611. This patent discloses the use of a single sugar containing bath to accomplish the infusion process.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved tomato sweet infusion process whereby tomatoes may be sweetened. There is also a need for an improved process whereby tomatoes can be dehydrated without undergoing a sulfiting treatment. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention is directed to a tomato sweet infusion process beginning with slicing a tomato into sections. The tomato may be washed first and the sections may comprise quarters.
A batch formulation of high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid and ascorbic acid is then mixed together. This batch formulation is heated to at least 140° F. and may be heated to 160° F. or higher. The sliced tomato sections are then added to the heated batch formulation and the batch formulation with the tomato sections is reheated to the target temperature. The batch formulation with tomato sections may or may not be cooled at this point. If cooled, the batch formulation with tomato sections is cooled for at least three to seven minutes, preferably five minutes.
The batch formulation with tomato sections is then subjected to a negative pressure, preferably a vacuum. The negative pressure may be from twenty to thirty psi for at least five minutes. Preferably, the negative pressure is at twenty-five psi for at least ten minutes. At this point, the negative pressure on the batch formulation with tomato sections may be released and held at atmospheric pressure for three to seven minutes and then resubjected to negative pressure as described above.
After the batch formulation with tomato sections is subjected to a negative pressure cycle, the batch formulation with tomato sections is spread on a wooden drying tray. A release agent may be applied to the drying tray beforehand. The batch formulation with tomato sections is then dehydrated so that the tomato sections have a moisture content of twelve to twenty percent. After the dehydration is completed, a release agent may be applied to the tomato sections.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
The present invention relates to a process for infusing tomatoes with a sweetening agent and producing a sweetened dehydrated tomato section. The inventive process, generally referred to by reference numeral 10 in
In a preferred embodiment, depicted in
The batch formulation with tomato sections is then subjected 20 to a negative pressure, i.e., pressure below atmospheric pressure. As with the heating, the negative pressure is designed to cause more of the sweetener to infuse into the tomato sections. The negative pressure may comprise from between twenty and thirty psi for a period of at least five minutes. Preferably, the negative pressure is at twenty-five psi for a period of at least ten minutes.
Next, the batch formulation with tomato sections is spread 22 on a wooden drying tray. The wooden drying tray is then placed in a dehydrator and the tomato sections are dehydrated 24 to a moisture content of between twelve percent and twenty percent, preferably between fourteen percent and eighteen percent. At this point, the tomato sections have been infused with the sweetener and dehydrated such that the process 10 is completed.
In an alternate embodiment illustrated in
Subsequently, the batch formulation is then subjected 20 to a negative pressure as described above. Following this application of negative pressure, the batch formulation is then subjected 30 to a cycle of atmospheric and negative pressures. Preferably, the batch formulation is held at atmospheric pressure for three to seven minutes and then re-subjected to a negative pressure. The second application of negative pressure may be performed at twenty to thirty psi for at least five minutes and preferably at twenty-five psi for at least ten minutes.
A release agent is applied 32 to the wooden drying tray before the batch formulation is spread 22 on the wooden drying tray and placed in a dehydrator. The tomato sections are dehydrated 24 to a moisture content of between twelve percent and twenty percent, preferably between fourteen percent and eighteen percent. After the dehydration is completed, another release agent may be applied to the tomato sections prior to removal from the drying tray.
Although multiple embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.
