Method of containerizing fruit

Claim 2

In a method for shrinking and canning pieces of fruits in a manner suitable for long term storage, the steps of treating fresh fruit pieces by totally immersing the same in an excess of aqueous sugar syrup and continuously conveying the immersion through a heating zone maintained in excess of the sterilizing temperature for the fruit at about atmospheric pressure with a sufficient residence time to cause the fresh fruit pieces to shrink by at least about 15% and to remove intercellular gases in the fruit to below a level which would cause an off flavor and color in the fruit during storage under containerization; draining syrup from the treated fruit; raising the sugar content of at least a portion of the drained syrup to the desired level for shrinkage of the fruit; recycling the last named syrup portion to the heating zone; filling the drained fruit pieces at sterilizing temperature in cans together with a limited amount of additional syrup for absorption by the shrunken fruit, said syrup having a sugar concentration less than the concentration of said drained syrup, the quantity of said syrup being substantially below an amount which would cover the fruit pieces in the cans after 30 days of storage and sealing the cans with the fruit pieces at a sterilizing temperature.

Claim 3

A process as in claim 1 in which the drain weight of the fruit in the sealed containers is at least 90% after 30 days of storage.

Claim 4

A process as in claim 1 in which at the beginning of the heating zone, the soluble solids content of the syrup is at least twice than that of the fresh fruit pieces.

Claim 5

A process as in claim 1 in which the fruit is selected from the group consisting of apples, peaches, pears and pineapples.

Claim 6

A process as in claim 1 in which the fruit is peaches.

Claim 7

A process as in claim 1 in which the fruit pieces are maintained in the heating zone at a temperature in excess of 190°F for at least three minutes.

Claim 8

A process as in claim 1 in which the soluble solids content of the fruit pieces leaving the heating zone is at least 50% by weight higher than that of the fresh fruit.

Claim 9

A process as in claim 1 in which substantially all of the free syrup is removed from the fruit pieces during the draining step.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 in which the total time for shrinkage of said fruit in said heating zone is no greater than about 7 minutes.

Claim 11

In a method for shrinking and packing pieces of fruit in jars in a manner suitable for long term storage, the steps of treating fresh fruit pieces by totally immersing the same in an excess of aqueous sugar syrup and continuously conveying the immersion through a heating zone maintained in excess of the sterilizing temperature for the fruit at about atmospheric pressure with a sufficient residence time to cause the fresh fruit pieces to shrink by at least 15% and to remove intercellular gases in the fruit to below a level which would cause an off flavor and color in the fruit during storage under containerization; draining syrup from the treated fruit; raising the sugar content of at least a portion of the drained syrup to the desired level for shrinkage of the fruit; recycling the last named syrup portion to the heating zone; filling the drained fruit pieces at sterilizing temperature in jars together with a limited amount of additional syrup for absorption by the shrunken fruit, said syrup having a sugar concentration less than the concentration of said drained syrup, the quantity of said syrup being substantially below an amount which would cover the fruit pieces in the jars after 30 days of storage and sealing the jars with the fruit pieces at a sterilizing temperature.

Claim 12

In a method for shrinking and packing pieces of fruit in jars in a manner suitable for long term storage, the steps of treating fresh fruit pieces by totally immersing the same in an excess of aqueous sugar syrup and continuously conveying the immersion through a heating zone maintained in excess of the sterilizing temperature for the fruit at about atmospheric pressure with a sufficient residence time to cause the fresh fruit pieces to shrink by at least 15% and to remove intercellular gases in the fruit to below a level which would cause an off flavor and color in the fruit during storage under containerization; draining syrup from the treated fruit; raising the sugar content of at least a portion of the drained syrup to the desired level for shrinkage of the fruit; recycling the last named syrup portion to the heating zone; filling the drained fruit pieces at sterilizing temperature in jars together with a limited amount of additional syrup for absorption by the shrunken fruit, said syrup having a sugar concentration less than the concentration of said drained syrup, the quantity of said syrup being substantially below an amount which would cover the fruit pieces in the jars after 30 days of storage and sealing the jars with the fruit pieces at a sterilizing temperature.