1. A method comprising the steps of:
placing a frozen food assembly comprising uncooked food in a bag which is at least one of ovenable and microwavable; and
sealing the bag so that the bag is impermeable to liquids.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising frozen uncooked meat.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising at least one of a frozen uncooked vegetable and a frozen uncooked fruit.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising a frozen liquid in which the meat and the at least one of a vegetable and fruit is embedded.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising a frozen liquid in which the uncooked food is embedded.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising the frozen liquid which has a first weight which is at least 8.0% of a second weight of the food assembly.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of freezing the uncooked food and liquid in a container cavity to produce a frozen molded form of the uncooked food and liquid; and wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing the frozen molded form into the bag.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising a frozen liquid which is external to the uncooked food and has a first weight which is at least 8.0% of a second weight of the food assembly.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising the frozen liquid which is at least 90.0% water by weight.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of cooking the food assembly in the sealed bag.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of cooking comprises the step of melting the frozen liquid before melting any other component of the frozen food assembly.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of vaporizing the liquid with heat to produce a hot vapor within the sealed bag before melting any other component of the frozen food assembly; and condensing the vapor on the uncooked food.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising the frozen liquid which has a viscosity at 150\xb0 F. no greater than 1000 cPs.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising the frozen liquid which has a viscosity at 150\xb0 F. no greater than 500 cPs.
15. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising the frozen liquid which comprises a frozen broth or stock.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of cooking the food assembly in the sealed bag.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of cooking comprises the step of cooking the food assembly in the sealed bag without dehydrating the food.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising a frozen sauce having a viscosity at 150\xb0 F. in the range of 1,000 to 8,000 cPs; and further comprising the step of cooking the uncooked food without caramelizing the sauce.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of placing comprises the step of placing in the bag a frozen food assembly comprising a frozen sauce having a viscosity at 150\xb0 F. in the range of 1,000 to 8,000 cPs; and further comprising the step of cooking the uncooked food without the sauce undergoing a Maillard reaction.
20. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the frozen food assembly in a commercial establishment with the food visible through a window of the bag.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vent valve assembly for connection to the bottom open end of a liquid dispensing container, comprising:
a bottom cap having a bottom wall with a central portion, a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion, and a side wall extending upwardly from the peripheral portion, the central portion having at least one hole therethrough, the side wall having an interior surface with structure to attach the bottom cap to the bottom open end of the container,
a sealing member for sealing the bottom cap with the bottom end of the dispensing container when they are connected together,
a vent valve that is flexible, and has a top portion and an upstanding wall that extends upward to and merges with the top portion, the top portion having a thin flexible radially inwardly extending flap, the upstanding wall having an inside surface, the inside surface having a radially outwardly extending groove formed therein for removably mounting a vent disc therein, and
a substantially rigid vent disc having at least one small hole therethrough and a first peripheral portion that is removably mounted in the groove, the at least one hole being positioned so that the flap covers the at least one hole in the vent disc and the weight of the liquid in the container above the flap presses the flap down over and closes the at least one vent hole to prevent direct contact of the overlying liquid with and leakage through the at least one hole when the liquid dispensing container is in an upright position, and negative pressure during feeding or dispensing will cause the flexible flap to flex away from the hole and provide a pathway for vent air to flow into the container and alleviate the vacuum created in the container during feeding or dispensing when the container is in a tipped feeding or dispensing position.
2. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the central portion of the bottom wall is raised.
3. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion of the bottom wall has an interior surface that forms a seat for a sealing member, wherein the upstanding wall of the vent valve has a base portion, and wherein the vent valve includes a peripheral sealing flange that extends radially outwardly from the upstanding member and sits in the seat of the bottom cap.
4. The vent valve assembly of claim 2, wherein the peripheral portion of the bottom wall has an interior surface that forms a seat for a sealing member, wherein the upstanding member of the vent valve has a base portion, and wherein the vent valve includes a peripheral sealing flange that extends radially outwardly from the upstanding member and sits in the seat of the bottom cap.
5. The vent valve assembly of claim 4, wherein the vent disc is circular.
6. The vent valve assembly of claim 4, wherein the groove is annular.
7. The vent valve assembly of claim 4, wherein the top portion of the vent valve has a radially inwardly extending outer rim, wherein the rim has an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the groove is located at the junction of the inside surface of the upstanding wall and the lower surface of the rim.
8. The vent valve assembly of claim 7, wherein the groove has a lower surface, and wherein the lower surface of the groove terminates at a radially inward depending inside surface abutment portion of the upstanding wall.
9. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent disc has an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer peripheral rim, and wherein the lower surface includes at least one depending member that is radially inwardly offset from the peripheral rim of the disc so that the at least one depending member abuts the inside surface of the upstanding wall of the vent valve.
10. The vent valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one depending member of the vent disc is an annular skirt.
11. The vent valve assembly of claim 4, wherein the vent disc has a plurality of holes therethrough, and wherein the flap covers the plurality of holes in the vent disc.
12. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the vent disc has a second peripheral portion external of the groove and radially inward of the first peripheral portion of the vent disc, and wherein the plurality of vent holes is arranged in an annular pattern extending about and within the second peripheral portion of the vent disc.
13. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the vent disc has two opposed vent holes therethrough.
14. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the vent disc has six vent holes therethrough.
15. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the second peripheral portion of the vent disc has an upper surface that is substantially flat.
16. The vent valve assembly of claim 12, wherein the second peripheral portion of the vent disc has an upper surface that is substantially flat.
17. The vent valve assembly of claim 12, wherein the second peripheral portion of the vent disc has an upper surface, and wherein the upper surface of the second peripheral portion has a portion that is radially just outside of the annular pattern of vent holes, is contacted by the flap, and is textured.
18. The vent valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the textured portion of the peripheral portion of the vent disc has an annular shape.
19. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent hole has a frustoconical shape when viewed in vertical section.
20. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of vent holes has a frustoconical shape when viewed in vertical section.
21. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent hole has a lower portion and an upper portion, and wherein the lower portion has a frustoconical shape and the upper portion has a cylindrical shape when viewed in vertical section.
22. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of vent holes has a lower portion and an upper portion, and wherein the lower portion has a frustoconical shape and the upper portion has a cylindrical shape when viewed in vertical section.
23. The vent valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the bottom cap is suitable for use with a liquid dispensing container that holds about five inches of liquid, and the upper portions of the vent holes at the upper surface of the vent disc have a diameter that is from about 0.010 inch to about 0.030 inch, and the lower portions of the vent holes at the lower surface of the vent disc have a diameter that is from about 0.030 inch to about 0.060 inch.
24. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the upstanding wall of the vent valve is cylindrical.
25. The vent valve assembly of claim 2, wherein the top portion of the vent valve has a peripheral radially inwardly extending outer rim, and wherein the outer rim has an upper surface, a lower surface and a radially inward depending wall joining the upper and lower surfaces, and wherein the flap extends radially inwardly from the depending wall.
26. The vent valve assembly of claim 25, wherein the flap extends radially inwardly from a lower portion of the depending wall.
27. The vent valve assembly of claim 26, wherein the flap curves downwardly as it extends radially inwardly from the depending wall.
28. The vent valve assembly of claim 25, wherein the flap slopes downwardly as it extends radially inwardly from a lower portion of the depending wall.
29. The vent valve assembly of claim 25, wherein the flap curves downwardly as it extends radially inwardly from the depending wall.
30. The vent valve assembly of claim 29, wherein the lower surface of the rim of the top portion is in contact with the first peripheral portion of the vent disc.
31. The vent valve assembly of claim 25, wherein the lower surface of the rim of the top portion is in contact with the first peripheral portion of the vent disc.
32. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the flap has an annular configuration.
33. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the thin flexible flap is made of a material selected from the group consisting of elastomer, thermoplastic urethane, natural rubber, and synthetic rubber.
34. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent valve is made of a material selected from the group consisting of silicone, elastomer, thermoplastic urethane, natural rubber, and synthetic rubber.
35. The vent valve assembly of claim 6, wherein said at least one small hole has a shape selected from the group consisting of cylindrical, frustoconical, and a combination thereof.
36. The vent valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the flap has an annular configuration and a radially inner edge that extends to and contacts the vent disc radially inwardly of and just beyond a rim which defines the at least one small hole.
37. The vent valve assembly of claim 25, wherein the flap has an annular configuration.
38. The vent valve assembly of claim 25, wherein the upper surface of the rim of the top portion of the vent valve has at least one upwardly extending protrusion to facilitate removal of the vent valve from the raised central portion of the bottom cap.