초록 ▼

A low liquid volume retort method is provided wherein a tunnel is disposed within and spaced from the side walls and cover of a retort. A plurality of spaced containers are loaded in the tunnel, and a liquid maintained at a temperature different from that of the containers is then pumped from an inl

A low liquid volume retort method is provided wherein a tunnel is disposed within and spaced from the side walls and cover of a retort. A plurality of spaced containers are loaded in the tunnel, and a liquid maintained at a temperature different from that of the containers is then pumped from an inlet end of the tunnel to the outlet end to completely fill the tunnel and to evenly transfer heat between all of the containers and the liquid. The liquid then overflows from the outlet end of the tunnel and gravitates to the lower portion of the retort for return to a desired processing temperature and recirculation through the tunnel. The quantity of liquid required for processing is greatly reduced by filling only the tunnel with liquid, and collecting only a small portion of the liquid at the bottom of the retort before again recirculating the liquid through the tunnel and past the containers therein being processed.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of cooking and cooling food product filled containers within a pressure vessel having a tunnel therein which is arranged to receive the containers and which includes an inlet end and an overflow port at its outlet end that is disposed above the level of the containers in the tunnel, said tu

A method of cooking and cooling food product filled containers within a pressure vessel having a tunnel therein which is arranged to receive the containers and which includes an inlet end and an overflow port at its outlet end that is disposed above the level of the containers in the tunnel, said tunnel also including external surfaces including an upper surface, said method requiring a minimum of heat treatment liquid comprising the steps of: loading the containers into the tunnel, closing the pressure vessel, directing a heated liquid at cooking temperature into the inlet end of said tunnel for flow through said tunnel and discharge from said overflow port during a cooking cycle, collecting the heated liquid overflowing from said port in a shallow pool within the lower portion of the pressure vessel externally of the tunnel and near the lower portion of the tunnel, directing a gaseous medium at superatmospheric pressure into said vessel to raise the pressure therein to a superatmospheric pressure in a manner so as to apply the gaseous medium at superatmospheric pressure directly against the upper surfaces of said shallow pool and said tunnel and directly against the external surfaces of the tunnel between the level of said overflow port and the upper surface of said shallow pool during the cooking cycle, continuously reheating and recirculating the heated liquid through the tunnel during the cooking cycle to maintain the amount of heated liquid in the shallow pool at a minimum until the cooking cycle is completed, discharging the heated liquid from the shallow pool and from the tunnel at the completion of the cooking cycle, directing a cooling liquid into the tunnel to cool the contaiNers to a temperature below the boiling point of the heated liquid at atmospheric pressure during a cooling cycle, and thereafter removing the processed containers from the pressure vessel.