| 摘要 |
An apparatus peels fruit, in particular citrus fruit, by washing and sterilizing the fruit in a sterilizing bath (16). The washed and sterilized fruit is delivered to a perforator (18) which makes a plurality of perforations through the outer surface of the peel of the fruit over its entire surface. The perforated fruit is then delivered to a conveyor (128) which loads and orients the fruit so that it is spinning on the stem axis with the equator of the spinning fruit exposed to a plurality of slitting knives (162). The knives (162) slit an equatorial cut through the outer surface of the peel. The slit and perforated fruit is then delivered to a carousel (28) of canisters (26). Each canister (26) is filled with fruit and an aqueous solution of a commercial pectinase. The solution is vacuum infused into the fruit so that the albedo attaching the peel to the fruit substantially disintegrates over a predetermined time period. The pectinase solution is drained from the canister (26), and the treated fruit with a loosened peel is delivered to a peel removal section of the apparatus (32). The peels are removed in two hemispheres leaving the fruit meat intact. The intact fruit meat is then brushed to remove any remaining albedo or strings. The brushed meat is then delivered to a hydrocooler (46) which cools the meats to nearly 0 degrees C. The cooled meats are then packaged in trays, labelled, sealed and packed in shipping cartons. <IMAGE> |
