Patent ID: 7048957

Claim:
A method of processing green onions having an outer skin, a bulb, a root crown, comprising: receiving a green onion; transitioning the green onion to a substantially vertical disposition; supporting the green onion in a vertical disposition by securing a top portion of the green onion and moving the green onion along a horizontal line of travel between an entrance end and an exit end of a peeling station; peeling the green onion by creating first and second water streams under pressure forming a line of intersection, the line of intersection being nonparallel to the advancement direction of the green onions and being interposed between the entrance end and the exit end of the peeling station; and the line of intersection being angularly inclined downwardly toward the exit end of the peeling station; wherein the green onion point of contact on the intersecting water stream moves further toward the root of the green onion as the green onion continues to advance through the intersecting water stream so that the intersecting water stream peels downwardly the outer skin away from the green onion; and de-rooting the green onion by driving like sized rotating members sufficiently to apply an abrupt jarring downward force to a bottom portion of the green onion to rip apart a root crown to separate a bottom portion only of the root crown from the remaining portion of the green onion.