Veggie production: from vegetable to finished mix

Destoning

Field-run vegetables bring stones and clods of soil with them. If these are removed early, peelers, pumps and later the raw mix stay free of foreign bodies.

• Cyclone stone separatorFor large volumes of field-run produce: stones stay behind in the water before they reach the peeling rollers or the later mix.
• Combination washerFor small halls: de-earthing, destoning and washing in one machine, at the start of a compact veggie line.

Washing

Clean raw material is the foundation of every veggie product. Depending on soil adhesion, vegetables are dry de-earthed, washed in a full bath or given a spray rinse after peeling.

• Full-bath washerFor beetroot, carrots or celeriac with a lot of soil. Whatever stays on here ends up in the product later.
• Spray washerRinses off peel residues and starch after peeling so none of it gets into salad or purée.

For example for: Veggie burgers & patties, Deli & salads, Convenience vegetables, Frozen vegetables, Vegetable purée & spreads

Peeling

How much vegetable is lost in peeling determines the yield. Elongated produce such as carrots and round tubers such as celeriac need different methods.

• Roller peelerFor carrots and tubers. The less is removed in peeling, the more vegetable is left for the product.
• Batch peelerFor round, irregular tubers such as celeriac, which turn in the bowl and are peeled all round.
• Steam peelerPeels batch-wise with steam, with low peeling loss at high capacity, so more raw material is left for the product.

For example for: Veggie burgers & patties, Deli & salads, Convenience vegetables, Frozen vegetables, Vegetable purée & spreads

Inspection

Before cooking or mixing, pieces with peel residues, bruises or foreign bodies are sorted out by hand.

• Inspection tableThis is where your staff sort out pieces with bruises or peel residues before they go into the mix or salad.
• Roller inspection tableEvery piece is turned, so defects on the underside are spotted too. Suited to round produce such as beetroot.

For example for: Convenience vegetables

Blanching

Blanching stops the enzymes that degrade colour and flavour. For frozen vegetables and many convenience products it is mandatory.

• Screw blancherEvery piece stays in the hot water for the same time, keeping colour and bite consistent in frozen vegetables and convenience products.
• Drum blancherTurns the product gently. Good for cut or soft pieces that should not fall apart.
• Horizontal blancherFor frozen vegetables in large volumes where the hall has little height.

For example for: Frozen vegetables

Cooking

For patty mixes, purées and salads, vegetables are cooked. Continuous steam cooking makes sure every piece becomes equally tender.

• Steam cookerCooks without batches or waiting times and passes the vegetables on continuously to the mixer or cooling.

For example for: Veggie burgers & patties, Deli & salads, Convenience vegetables, Vegetable purée & spreads

Mixing

This is where the actual veggie product is created: vegetables are mixed with spices, binders and other ingredients into a salad, a filling or a formable mix.

• Horizontal mixerFor formable mixes: vegetables, binders and spices are distributed evenly, the basis for burgers and patties.
• Salad mixerFolds in dressing and ingredients without crushing the vegetable pieces. For delicatessen and salads.
• Seasoning drumSeasons vegetable pieces evenly all round, for example for seasoned convenience products.

For example for: Veggie burgers & patties, Deli & salads, Vegetable purée & spreads

Preserving

Peeled and cut convenience vegetables are preserved before they are chilled and packed.

• Sterilisation bathFor cut vegetables that should keep longer when chilled: the product runs through the tempered bath on a belt.
• Sterilisation screwThe compact design when space in the convenience line is tight.

For example for: Convenience vegetables