An article of food is heated in an oven in which air is circulated. Moisture in the form of steam or a water spray is added to the air as it circulated several times during the cooking or thawing cycle according to a program. Each moisture dose and the length of the interval between doses is controlled independently according to the treatment desired. The first dose is made after the cooking cycle is started, and the dosing time is usually a fraction of the time between doses.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending patent application Ser. No. 376,447 filed 5 July 1973 and now abandoned and is related to application Ser. No. 343,537 filed 21 Mar. 1973 and now abandoned.
The present invention relates to a method of processing fish in a food processing unit (72), which method comprises the following steps: thawing (44, 62) during a thawing period by ejecting steam and water within the food processing unit (72) while continuously re-circulating air, cooking (46, 64) during a cooking period by firstly discontinuing ejecting water while continuing ejecting steam into the food processing unit, and secondly re-circulating air to maintain the ambient temperature at a predetermined temperature, cooling (48, 66) during a cooling period by discontinuing ejecting steam while ejecting water and continuously re-circulating exterior air communicated to the food processing unit (72). The food processing unit (72) is calibrated for determining the duration of the thawing, cooking, and cooling periods by using a temperature sensitive device to measure a core temperature of the fish and to establish the duration of the three periods according to the core temperature.
Frozen meals are placed in a hermetically sealable cooking space (2) in which explosion-like puffs of steam are produced. Before the puffs of steam are produced, the air present in the cooking space can be heated. The puffs of steam are produced by evaporation of dosed quantities of water. Water is introduced into the cooking space (2) through a nozzle (40) which opens into the cooking space. The means can be regenerated or even cooked with the greatest possible care in the shortest possible time without detriment to their quality.
In the cooking process, in particular that of hams, the heat carrying fluid is put in contact with moulds (15) for a relatively short period of time, then removed for a relatively long period of time. This cycle is reproduced a certain number of times until the desired temperature is attained at the heart of the product. The cooking installation to carry out the process comprises a number of thermally isolated enclosures (1.1 to 1.n) containing stack of filled ham moulds (15), a heat carrying fluid heating station (2), a network of conducts (5, 10) between the enclosures (1.1 to 1.n) and the heating station (2), pumping apparatus (9, 14) and valves (8.1 to 8.n and 13.1 to 13.n) installed on the network or conducts (5, 10) to selectively fill one enclosure with heat carrying fluid from the heating station (2) or empty an enclosure into the heating station (2), and control means (4) to control the pumping apparatus (9, 14) and the valves (8.1 to 8.n and 13.1 to 13.n).
A process for baking food such as pizza pies for fast food operations comprises prebaking fresh pies to a predetermined time in a baking chamber, storing the prebaked pies in a holding chamber under a controlled temperature and humidity, which humidity being controlled by steam injection and finally baking the stored pies to completion at the peak demand. Said prebaking and final baking can be carried out by placing pies on a turntable of a turntable oven to travel for a fraction of a turn for prebaking and for the remainder of the turn for final baking.
This invention provides a novel method of and an apparatus for transferring heat to food particles. Basically, the novel method of the present invention comprises: supporting food articles on support means located within a chamber; and forcing a heated liquid heat-transferring medium through means located adjacent to said support means. More specifically, one presently preferred form of the novel method of the present invention involves holding cooked meat food articles at a temperature above 140.degree. F. and within a temperature range of .+-.5.degree. F. for extended periods without objectionable growth of bacteria within the food articles and without quality deterioration of the food articles, which form of method comprises the steps of: storing cooked meat food articles in a chamber having closure means intended to be repeatedly and frequently opened and closed; supporting said cooked meat food articles on support means located within said chamber; forcing a heated liquid heat-transferring medium through radiator means located adjacent to and on opposite sides of said support means; and maintaining the humidity within said chamber above that of the atmosphere outside of said chamber. Basically, the novel apparatus of the present invention comprises: a chamber; support means for supporting food articles within said chamber; reservoir means for containing a liquid heat-transferring medium; heater means for heating the liquid medium contained in said reservoir means; radiator means located adjacent to said support means; hollow conduit means fluid-connecting said reservoir means and said radiator means; means fluid-connected to said reservoir means and to said radiator means through said hollow conduit means for circulating the liquid medium between said reservoir means and said radiator means; and control means connected to said heater means for controlling to within .+-.5.degree. F. the desired temperature to which the liquid medium is to be heated and maintained by said heater means.
