General Mills, Inc.

Oregon Potato Company

Donald F Steenson

Robert Erickson

Anita J Hall

Lily Leung Fee

Frank Tiegs

Steve Harris

Mark Stueber

Craig Bolt

A continuous method for improving the firmness of vegetable products uses a continuous vegetable product treatment device comprising a vegetable product treatment chamber having a vegetable product inlet, a vegetable product outlet, a vegetable product transport mechanism for urging the vegetable product toward the vegetable product outlet, and at least one liquid introduction orifice for introducing a liquid. Vegetable product is continuously treated in the chamber at a temperature of from about 125&#xb0; F. to about 160&#xb0; F., and the liquid in the treatment chamber is maintained at a pH of from about 5 to about 7. Individual vegetable products reside in the treatment chamber for a time of from about 20 minutes to about 60 minutes. The heat-treated vegetable products are blanched in a subsequent blanching step at a temperature ranging from about 190&#xb0; F. to 210&#xb0; F. for a time of from about two to about 10 minutes.

Continuous process to produce firmer processed vegetables

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Donald F Steenson