Drying process

Claim 1

A PROFESS OF PRODUCING A FREE-FLOWING GRANULAR, SUBSTANTIALLY DRY, READILY WETTABLE PRODUCT FROM LIQUEFIED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SOURCE MATERIAL HAVING A MOISTURE CONTENT IN EXCESS OF 4% AND CONTAINING FRUIT SUGARS AND GLUCOSIDES WITHOUT DEVELOPMENT OF OFF FLAVORS, WHICH COMPRISES: SUBJECTING A LAYER OF LIQUEFIED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SOURCE MATERIAL CONTAINING WATER TO INFRARED AND HERTZIAN RADIATION OF FROM ABOUT 3.5 MICRON TO 5.5 MICRON WAVE LENGTH WHILE SAID MATERIAL IS UPON AN UNHEATED SUPPORT OF LOW EMISSIVITY; PROGRESSIVELY AND CONTROLLABLY DECREASING THE PRESSURE OR ATMOSPHERE AMBIENT SAID MATERIAL FROM ABOUT 120 MM. OF HG ABSOLUTE TO BELOW ABOUT 6 MM. OF HG ABSOLUTE TO CAUSE FORMATION AND LIBERATION OF WATER VAPOR FROM SAID MATERIAL; PROGRESSIVELY AND CONTROLLABLY DECREASING THE ENERGY OF RADIATION TO WHICH SAID LAYER OF MATERIAL IS SUBJECTED; REMOVING VAPOR FROM SAID AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE AT A RATE ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN A VIRTUALLY SATURATED CONDITION THEREIN AT THE EXISTING SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURES WITHOUT ENTRAINMENT OF DEHYDRATED MATERIAL IN THE VAPORS REMOVED FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF MATERIAL TO BELOW 4%, BUT INSUFFICIENT TO HEAT THE MATERIAL TO ABOVE 100*F. AND CAUSE APPRECIABLE GLAZING OF THE MATERIAL; COOLING AND GRANULATING THE SUBSTANTIALLY DRY MATERIAL; EXPOSING THE SUBSTANTIALLY DRY MATERIAL TO AN ATMOSPHERE HAVING A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 5% AND AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY DRY MATERIAL TO BELOW 2%; AND PACKAGING THE MATERIAL THUS TREATED.