Drying of foodstuffs

Abstract

An apparatus for drying foodstuffs involves a pallet supporting a stack of containers containing the foodstuffs. The pallet has a perimeter on which the stack of containers is sealingly supportable. The top of the pallet has at least one aperture to permit air flow therethrough, and the top, bottom and sides of the pallet define a ventilation duct for receiving air through the top of the pallet. A low pressure plenum in fluid communication and sealingly engaged with the ventilation duct draws air down vertically through the foodstuffs through the top of the pallet and out of the ventilation duct into the plenum. A drying installation involves the apparatus in a climate controlled room. A method of processing foodstuffs involves controlling temperature, relative humidity or both temperature and relative humidity of air in the room and drawing the air in the room vertically down past the foodstuffs until the foodstuffs are processed. The apparatus, installation and method are particularly useful for drying grapes by an Appassimento drying method.

1 . A method of processing foodstuffs, the method comprising
 providing foodstuffs in a plurality of containers in a processing apparatus in a climate controlled room, the processing apparatus comprising:   a pallet having sides, a bottom and a top, the top of the pallet configured to support a stack of the containers from a bottom of the stack, the pallet comprising elongated support members forming a perimeter on which the stack is sealingly supportable, the top of the pallet comprising at least one aperture to permit air flow therethrough, the top, bottom and sides of the pallet defining a ventilation duct for receiving air through the top of the pallet; and,   a low pressure plenum in fluid communication and sealingly engaged with the ventilation duct, the low pressure plenum configured to draw air down vertically through the top of the pallet and out of the ventilation duct into the plenum,   controlling temperature, relative humidity or both temperature and relative humidity of air in the room, and   drawing the air in the room vertically down past the foodstuffs until the foodstuffs are processed.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing is drying and the foodstuffs are dried. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the temperature is in a range of from 2-20° C. and the relative humidity is in a range of from 40-90%. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the foodstuffs comprise berries. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the berries are dried until the berries have a °Brix level of at least 25. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the foodstuffs comprise a fruit, vegetable or herb. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the foodstuff is cured, the temperature is about 29° C. and the relative humidity is in a range of from 85-95%. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the berries are dried for less than 120 days. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the foodstuffs comprise berries, the berries are dried until the berries have a °Brix level of at least 25, the temperature in the room is in a range of from 5-10° C., the relative humidity in the room is in a range of from 65-75% and the air is drawn past the berries at a rate in a range 0.2-1 L/kg/s for a period of time in a range of 7-115 days. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the berries are grapes.