Apparatus for and method of blanching vegetables

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS BLANCHING METHOD COMPRISING INTRODUCING SOLID PARTICLE VEGETABLES SUCH AS FRESH PEAS INTO AN ENCLOSED SPACE, ADVANCING THE VEGETABLES WHEN SO INTRODUCED THROUGH A FIRST ZONE IN SAID SPACE BY A TOSSING MOVEMENT, SIMULTANEOUSLY ADMITTING STEAM TO SAID ZONE TO SURROUND THE VEGETABLES WHILE THEY ARE BEING TOSSED AND TO BRING THEM RAPIDLY TO BLANCHING TEMPERATURE, THEREAFTER ADVANCING SAID VEGETABLES IN A SECOND ZONE IN SAID SPACE WHILE THEY ARE IN A RELATIVELY QUIESCENT STATE, ADMITTING STEAM TO SAID SECOND ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE VEGETABLES WHILE ADVANCED THEREIN AT THE REQUIRED BLANCHING TEMPERATURE, CONTROLLING THE RATE OF ADVANCE OF THE VEGETABLES IN THE TWO ZONES SUCH THAT THE VEGETABLES ARE MAINTAINED IN QUIESCENT MOVEMENT AT THE BLANCHING TEMPERATURE FOR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE TIME IN WHICH THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO STEAM, AND FINALLY REMOVING THE BLANCHED VEGETABLES FROM THE SECOND ZONE OF SAID SPACE.