Food Products For Multifunction Pressure Cookers

Abstract

Described herein are food items that are configured to facilitate cooking or heating in multifunction pressure cookers with increased efficiency. In some embodiments, a food item may be frozen, and may be a single, unitary, integral one-piece block or chunk that is heated by itself in the cooker. Also disclosed herein are processes associated with the above-described combination, such as methods of preparing, packaging, and heating of food products. Also disclosed are containers and molds that can be used to form frozen food products with a shape and structure corresponding to inner cavities of heating devices. In some cases, containers or molds can also serve as packaging for one or more of storage, shipping, retail display, sale and consumer handling of frozen food products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using a packaged frozen food product comprising a frozen food item including an outer peripheral surface, and a package containing the frozen food item, the method comprising:
 transferring the frozen food item from the package to a cavity of a multifunction pressure cooker, the cavity including an inner peripheral surface, a diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item being equal to or less than a diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, any gap existing between the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity being 6 cm or less; and   heating the frozen food item in the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the package comprises at least one flexible wall, and wherein transferring the frozen food item from the package to the cavity comprises manually deforming a flexible wall of the package to push the frozen food item out of the package. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the package comprises a bottom panel and a peripheral wall forming an interior, and a rim surrounding an opening to the interior. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bottom panel of the package comprises a convex portion corresponding to a concave portion on the frozen food item,
 the package further comprises an arcuate section joining the peripheral wall to the bottom panel, and   a portion of the peripheral wall adjacent to the rim comprises an over stack structure deformed radially outward from the interior of the package.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the peripheral wall comprises a first frustoconical section and a second frustoconical section, the first frustoconical section being between the rim and the second frustoconical section, the first frustoconical section being more steeply sloped relative to a plane of the rim than a slope of the second frustoconical section. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the package comprises a polymeric pouch comprising a closure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein any gap existing between the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity is 1.0 cm or less. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item is equal to the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a gap having a wedge-shaped cross-section exists between the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, such that and a width of the gap between a top portion of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface is greater than a width of the gap between a bottom portion of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a gap exists between the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, and the method further comprises interposing a trivet in the gap. 
     
     
         11 . A method of preparing a frozen food product, the method comprising:
 introducing one or more flowable foods into a mold,   reducing the temperature of the one or more flowable foods to form a frozen food item within the mold, the frozen food item including an outer peripheral surface having a diameter configured to be equal to or less than a predetermined diameter of an inner peripheral surface of a cavity of a multifunction pressure cooker, such that any gap between the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity is 6 cm or less, and   removing the frozen food item from the mold.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising introducing the one or more flowable food items into a container, disposing the container including the one or more flowable food items in the mold, and removing the container comprising the frozen food item from the mold, wherein the container forms packaging for the frozen food item. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising disposing a container within the mold, introducing the one or more flowable food items into the container within the mold, and removing the container comprising the frozen food item from the mold, wherein the container forms packaging for the frozen food item. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the container comprises a bottom panel joined to a peripheral wall to form an interior, a rim surrounding an opening to the interior, the bottom panel comprises a convex portion corresponding to a concave portion on the frozen food item, and a portion of the peripheral wall adjacent to the rim comprises an over stack structure deformed radially outward from the interior. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the container comprises a bottom panel joined to a peripheral wall to form an interior, a rim surrounding an opening to the interior, the bottom panel comprises a convex portion corresponding to a concave portion on the frozen food item, and a portion of the peripheral wall adjacent to the rim comprises an over stack structure deformed radially outward from the interior. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the container comprises a polymeric pouch. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the container comprises a polymeric pouch. 
     
     
         18 . A method of preparing and using a frozen food product, the method comprising:
 introducing one or more flowable foods into a mold,   reducing the temperature of the one or more flowable foods to form a frozen food item within the mold, the frozen food item including an outer peripheral surface having a diameter,   removing the frozen food item from the mold,   placing the frozen food item in a cavity of a multifunction pressure cooker, the cavity including an inner peripheral surface having a predetermined diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item, such that any gap between the outer peripheral surface of the frozen food item and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity is 6 cm or less, and   heating the frozen food item in the cavity.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising positioning a container in the mold, the one or more flowable foods being within the container in the mold, and removing the container including the frozen food item from the mold,
 the container comprising a bottom panel joined to a peripheral wall to form an interior, a rim surrounding an opening to the interior, the bottom panel comprising a convex portion corresponding to a concave portion on the frozen food item, and a portion of the peripheral wall adjacent to the rim comprising an over stack structure deformed radially outward from the interior.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising removing the frozen food item from the container.