Abrégé

A nut cracker (1) comprising a base (9) adjustably secured to a supporting surface (3), a set of cracker plates (6A, 6B) comprising a movable plate (6B) and fixed plate (6A) defining a cracking space (21) with a predetermin able size with an inlet and an outlet, the fixed plate (6A) being adjustably secured to the supporting surface (3) and the movable plate (6B) being adjustably secured to at least one slide (8) secured to the base (9), with angles of the fixed and movable plates (6A, 6B) relative to their support planes being adjustable between 45° and 90°, the base (9) being slidingly adjustable relative to the supporting surface (3) to adjust and set the mean size of the cracking space (21), the movable plate (6B) being driven by reciprocating drive means (14) which reciprocally moves the movable plate (6B) with respect to the fixed plate (6A) on the slide (8).

Classes IPC  ?

• A23N 5/00 - Machines à écaler, cerner ou casser les noix
• A47J 43/26 - Casse-noix

Abrégé

The invention relates to a pecan nut kernel extraction method including the steps of sizing pecan nuts from which kernels are to be extracted to have a maximum diameter size variation of 8mm; controlling the moisture content of the shells of the pecan nuts to within a shell moisture control range of 3% to 30%; heating the kernels to a temperature of between 20°C and 100°C; pre-cracking the shells; immersing the nuts in liquid nitrogen, or the like, for between 5 and 15 seconds; and cracking the shells within no more than 15 seconds from completing the cryogenic fluid immersion step to substantially separate the shells from the kernels. The method also includes performing the steps in the absence of a pre-cracking step or in the absence of the cryogenic fluid immersion step.

Classes IPC  ?

• A23N 5/00 - Machines à écaler, cerner ou casser les noix
• A23L 25/00 - Aliments contenant principalement des noix ou des graines; Leur préparation ou leur traitement