Method of preparing dried apples, pears, etc.

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PREPARING DRIED SEGMENTED APPLES AND PEARS SO THAT THE PRODUCT CAN BE RECONSTITUTED UNIFORMLY BY REHYDRATION TO SIMULATE A FRESH FRUIT PRODUCT, AND WHICH WILL COOK UNIFORMLY IN PIES, TO PRODUCE A COOKED PRODUCT WHICH APPROXIMATES IN CHARACTERISTICS THAT MADE FROM FRESH FRUIT; SAID METHOD COMPRISING STORING A BATCH OF ORCHARD RUN, HAND-PICKED FRUIT UNTIL IT HAS REACHED A PREDETERMINED UNIFORM MATURITY; SUBSEQUENTLY PEELING, CORING, AND HALVING THE FRUIT, INSPECTING IT FOR BLEMISHES AND WASHING IT; THEN CUTTING THE HALVED FRUIT INTO SQUARES OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND AS SMALL AS 1/4 INCH, SO THAT A SUBSEQUENTLY TO BE ACHIEVED DEGREE OF DEHYDRATION OF THE PIECES WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM AND A LATER TO BE ACHIEVED DEGREE OF REHYDRATION OF THE PIECES QUICKLY AND UNIFORMLY EFFECTED; THEN SUBJECTING THE DICED PIECES OF FRUIT TO A SODUIM SULPHATE SPRAY TO PREVENT OXIDATION OF SAME PRIOR TO DRYING; THEN DRYING THE DICED SODIUM SULPHATE-SPRAY-TREATED PRODUCT IN A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING 150 DEGREES F. UNTIL THE DICED PIECES OF THE MASS HAVE AN AVERAGE MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM 17% TO 18%; THEN STORING THE PARTIALLY DRIED PRODUCT IN A CONTAINER FOR A PERIOD OF FROM TWENTY-FOUR TO FORTY-EIGHT HOURS UNTIL THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL DICED PIECES IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM; THEN SCREENING THE DICED PRODUCT WHILE SUBJECTING IT TO A WATER SPRAY TO REMOVE ANY SEEDS AND SMALL PIECES OF FOREIGN MATTER IN THE PRODUCT AND TO REHYDRATE THE DICED PIECES TO A MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM 22 1/2% TO 23 1/2%; WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVING ABSORBED SODIUM SULPHATE AND FINALLY PACKING THE PRODUCT AT APPROXIMATELY SAID LAST-MENTIONED MOISTURE CONTENT IN SEALED CONTAINERS FOR THE USER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PREPARING DRIED SEGMENTED APPLES AND PEARS SO THAT THE PRODUCT CAN BE RECONSTITUTED UNIFORMLY BY REHYDRATION TO SIMULATE A FRESH FRUIT PRODUCT, AND WHICH WILL COOK UNIFORMLY IN PIES, TO PRODUCE A COOKED PRODUCT WHICH APPROXIMATES IN CHARACTERISTICS THAT MADE FROM FRESH FRUIT; SAID METHOD COMPRISING STORING A BATCH OF ORCHARD RUN, HAND-PICKED FRUIT UNTIL IT HAS REACHED A PREDETERMINED UNIFORM MATURITY; SUBSEQUENTLY PEELING, CORING, AND HALVING THE FRUIT, INSPECTING IT FOR BLEMISHES AND WASHING IT; THEN CUTTING THE HALVED FRUIT INTO SQUARES OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND AS SMALL AS 1/4 INCH, SO THAT A SUBSEQUENTLY TO BE ACHIEVED DEGREE OF DEHYDRATION OF THE PIECES WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM AND A LATER TO BE ACHIEVED DEGREE OF REHYDRATION OF THE PIECES QUICKLY AND UNIFORMLY EFFECTED; THEN SUBJECTING THE DICED PIECES OF FRUIT TO A SODUIM SULPHATE SPRAY TO PREVENT OXIDATION OF SAME PRIOR TO DRYING; THEN DRYING THE DICED SODIUM SULPHATE-SPRAY-TREATED PRODUCT IN A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING 150 DEGREES F. UNTIL THE DICED PIECES OF THE MASS HAVE AN AVERAGE MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM 17% TO 18%; THEN STORING THE PARTIALLY DRIED PRODUCT IN A CONTAINER FOR A PERIOD OF FROM TWENTY-FOUR TO FORTY-EIGHT HOURS UNTIL THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL DICED PIECES IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM; THEN SCREENING THE DICED PRODUCT WHILE SUBJECTING IT TO A WATER SPRAY TO REMOVE ANY SEEDS AND SMALL PIECES OF FOREIGN MATTER IN THE PRODUCT AND TO REHYDRATE THE DICED PIECES TO A MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM 22 1/2% TO 23 1/2%; WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVING ABSORBED SODIUM SULPHATE AND FINALLY PACKING THE PRODUCT AT APPROXIMATELY SAID LAST-MENTIONED MOISTURE CONTENT IN SEALED CONTAINERS FOR THE USER.