Method for processing a product

• US 7,101,583 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meenakshi J. Bove
• Original Assignee: Meenakshi J. Bove
• Inventors: Bove, Meenakshi J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BECKER, DREW E
• Application Number:
  US10/454,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20060193955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 426/506, 426/509, 426510-511, 426/523, 994/07, 994/15, 994/18, 994/49, 994/50, 220/573.1, 220/912
• US Class Current: 426/510
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/04 for cooking food in steam; Devices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam ; Vacuum cooking vessels steam-heated vessels for hotels, restaurants or canteens A47J27/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/912 Cookware, i.e. pots and pans

Abstract

A method of processing a product, such as a food product, by sequential application of different processing steps in a single vessel, is disclosed. Untreated product is placed inside a bottom-unloading basket that is then placed within a covered vessel. For processing a food product, the invention uses a porous steamer apparatus for insertion into a covered cooking vessel. The steamer apparatus is comprised of two unfastened pieces, a basket and a support base. The basket holds the food product, has an open-ended top and an open-ended bottom, and rests firmly upon, but is not fastened to, the support base. The support base has an inverted conical shape and a vertical pole having a hook-shaped upper terminus. After steam-cooking, the pressure dome, basket and support base are removed from the vessel, while the food product remains in the vessel and is subjected to further processing, such as mechanical mixing.

Claims

1. A method for processing a food product, comprising:

placing uncooked food product into a two-piece steamer apparatus having a bottom-unloading basket that has a top opening for accepting a product and a bottom opening for discharging a product, and a support base configured to mate with said bottom opening of said basket, whereby when said basket and said support base are mated, the product is prevented from exiting the basket through said bottom opening of said basket;

placing said steamer apparatus within a closable cooking vessel;

securing a removable cover into a closed position on said cooking vessel;

steam-cooking said food product in said cooking vessel;

unfastening said removable cover from said cooking vessel;

removing said basket from the cooking vessel, thereby separating said basket from said support base and releasing the cooked food product directly into said cooking vessel, and then removing the support base up through said cooked food product and out of said cooking vessel;

securing a removable agitator dome into a closed position on said cooking vessel, said agitator dome having integrally-connected mixing blades protruding downwardly into said cooking vessel; and

mechanically mixing the steamed food product within the covered cooking vessel at atmospheric pressure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said removable cover is a removable pressure dome and wherein said steam-cooking of the food product occurs in said cooking vessel at elevated pressure.

3. A method of steam-infusing spices and flavors into a food product, comprising:

placing spices and/or flavorings into a spice container that is perforated with a plurality of holes and removably fastening a perforated cover onto said spice container;

removably fastening said spice container onto a pole of a support base piece of a two-piece steamer apparatus at a point on said pole just above a lower terminus of said pole but below an uppermost point of the support base;

placing said support base and said removably fastened spice container into a cooking vessel;

placing said basket into said cooking vessel such that said basket is resting firmly directly on top of said support base and then placing a food product into a bottom-unloading basket of said two-piece steamer apparatus;

securing a removable dome into a closed position on said cooking vessel and then processing the food product in said vessel;

unfastening and removing said dome from said cooking vessel;

removing said basket from said cooking vessel, thereby releasing the processed food product through a bottom of said basket and directly into said cooking vessel; and

removing the support base, together with said spice container, up through said cooked food product and out of said cooking vessel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the spice container is removably fastened to said pole at a point above said support base and rests upon the top surface of the support base during said processing of said food product.