GB1154082A - Treatment of Vegetables. - Google Patents

Abstract

1,154,082. Treating vegetables. UNILEVER Ltd. 2 Nov., 1966 [4 Nov., 1965], No. 46784/65. Headings A2E and A2Q. A process for substantially separating the vascular tissue from the soft tissue of the stems and leaves of green vegetables (e.g. parsley, celery and chervil) comprises partially drying the vegetables, breaking the partially dried material so as to substantially detach the vascular tissue from the soft tissue, and substantially separating the vascular tissue from the soft tissue. "Vascular tissue" means the tough coarse tissues of the principal vessels in the vegetable which has a lignified nature (e.g. xylem and tracheides). "Soft tissues" means the softer, more digestible parts of the vegetables which do not contain vessels or which contain only vessels which have not a lignified nature. The soft tissue may be separated by winnowing or sieving. In the embodiment shown, the vegetable material is conveyed on screen conveyer 1 through drying unit 2 in which air heated by steam heated units 9 is circulated by fans 7, and beneath rotating drum 3, the soft tissue being broken by the abrasive action of the relative movement of drum 3 and conveyer 1, and being sieved through conveyer 1 and the vascular tissue being retained on the conveyer 1. The speed of the drum and conveyer, the pressure on the vegetable material, and the distance of the drum above the conveyer may be varied. The drum 3 may comprise a flexible material and have a variable internal pressure. The drum may be replaced by endless band (21) (Fig. 2, not shown).