Improvements in and relating to methods for making a pasteurised in-shell soft boiled eggs, and apparatus for doing so

摘要

A process 200 for producing in-shell soft boiled eggs comprises applying a vacuum 206 to the one or more eggs to at least partially remove any air beneath the shell of the eggs and cooling one or more eggs to a desired base temperature 208, 210. The eggs are cooked at a desired cooking temperature for a length of cooking time 214, 216 and pasteurised for a pasteurisation time at a pasteurisation temperature 220, 222. The eggs are then cooled for a cooling time at a cooling temperature 226. The process provides reproducible results for producing in shell soft boiled eggs consistently and at an industrial scale. Removing air from beneath the shell makes it possible to plunge the egg into hot water without the shell cracking. Also provided is a system suitable for carrying out such as process comprising a tray or other egg support and one or more waterbaths. Automated machinery may transport the tray or support between waterbaths held at temperatures required for pre-cooling, cooking, pasteurising or post-cooking cooling.