Patent ID: 8084075

Claim:
A process of producing a melon extract comprising the following steps: providing at least one whole melon comprising flesh; steaming the outside surface of the whole melon to thereby soften the outside surface of the melon and remove microbials from the outside surface of the melon; reducing the size of the whole melon to form melon pieces that include melon flesh only, melon rind only and melon flesh and melon rind; and introducing the melon pieces into the first finisher and utilizing the finisher to remove the melon flesh from the melon pieces having melon flesh and melon rind such that at least from about 1/16 inch of flesh remains on the melon pieces having melon flesh and melon rind thereby forming a melon extract from the flesh that is removed from the melon pieces that include melon flesh and not rind; and wherein the steps of steaming the outside surface of the whole melon, reducing the size of the whole melon to form melon pieces and introducing the melon pieces into the first finisher is done in a continuous process.