Production of dehydrated meat and vegetable salads

Claim 1

PROCESS OF PREPARING A DEHYDRATED SALAD PRODUCT COMPRISING MIXING AN EMULSION TYPE FOOD DRESSING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MAYONNAISE AND SALAD DRESSING WITH AN EDIBLE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MEAT, VEGETABLE, AND A MIXTURE OF MEAT AND VEGETABLE TO FORM A SALAD MIXTURE, SAID EDIBLE MATERIAL BEING SUBDIVIDED, SAID MEAT BEING PRECOOKED AND SAID VEGETABLE HAVING BEEN HEAT SUFFICIENTLY AT LEAST TO INACTIVATE THE ENZYMES THEREIN, SAID EMULSION TYPE FOOD DRESSING COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 4% TO ABOUT 20% BY WEIGHT OF SAID SALAD MIXTURE, FREEZING SAID SALAD MIXTURE, AND VACUUM-DEHYDRATING SAID SALAD MIXTURE IN ITS FROZEN STATE TO A MOISTURE CONTENT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 6% BY WEIGHT; WHEREBY A READILY REHYDRATABLE STORAGE-STABLE SALAD PRODUCT IS OBTAINED, WHICH IS REHYDRATABLE WITH COLD WATER TO PRODUCE A REHYDRATED SALAD COMPRISING SAID FOOD DRESSING IN EMULSIFIED FORM CAPABLE OF BEING EATEN WITHOUT BEING COOKED AFTER REHYDRATION AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE CONSISTENCY AND FLAVOR OF SAID SALAD MIXTURE PRIOR TO DEHYDRATION.