Patent ID: 6844017

Claim:
A food processing method for edible and perishable plants comprising the steps of: preparing an aqueous solution with a higher osmotic pressure than that of said plants to be processed; heating said aqueous solution to a temperature in the range of 55° C. to 60° C., which is high enough to kill cells of said plants and microorganisms attached thereto; bringing said solution into contact with said plants while keeping said temperature range for a time period required to kill substantial amount of said cells and substantially all of said microorganisms and cause enzymatic resolution by autolytic enzymes of said plants; and bringing said plants into contact with a cooling solution in succession to said contact with said aqueous solution for a time period which is equal to 50-100% of said heating time, said cooling solution having an osmotic pressure of 5 atm or higher and a temperature of 15° C. or lower.