Narrator: TRADITIONALLY,
SORBETS HAVE BEEN DISHED UP
BETWEEN COURSES
TO REFRESH THE PALATE,
BUT SERVED IN A SQUEEZED-UP
POP,
A SORBET BECOMES A SNACK
YOU CAN GRAB ANYTIME --
NO NEED FOR SCOOPS, SPOONS,
OR DISHES.
JUST SQUEEZE THE SORBET
OUT OF THE PAPER SLEEVE.
NOW THAT'S REFRESHING.
A LONG FAVORITE OF FOODIES,
FRUIT SORBET HAS GONE
MAINSTREAM
WITH THESE SQUEEZE-UP POPS.
MORE FUN
THAN A FEW SCOOPS IN A DISH,
SORBET POPS ARE ALSO
LOWER IN CALORIES
THAN A LOT OF OTHER SNACKS.
THEY START
WITH FREEZE-DRIED RICE SYRUP.
THEY POUR IT INTO A MIXING VAT
THAT'S A MEGA VERSION
OF A HOME BLENDER.
THEY ADD STRAWBERRY PUREE.
THIS IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT
OF THE SORBET POPS.
THE BERRIES WERE PULPED
WITHIN 12 HOURS OF HARVEST.
THE NEXT INGREDIENT
IS CANE SUGAR.
IT'S FOLLOWED
BY STRAWBERRY ESSENCE --
COMPOUNDS EXTRACTED
FROM THE BERRIES
FOR MORE INTENSE FLAVOR.
THEY TURN ON THE TAP
FOR THE FINAL INGREDIENT --
WATER.
IT'S TIME TO CLOSE THE LID
AND POWER UP
THIS INDUSTRIAL BLENDER.
THE MIXER HAS FOUR BLADES
THAT TURN AT A HIGH VELOCITY.
THEY WHIP UP
THE SORBET INGREDIENTS
TO THE CONSISTENCY
OF A FRUIT SMOOTHIE.
THE SORBET MIXTURE THEN FLOWS
INTO REFRIGERATED PIPES
THAT CHILL THE MIXTURE
TO 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE PIPES
WIND AROUND THE FACTORY
AND FINALLY DELIVER IT
TO HOLDING TANKS.
INSIDE, AN AGITATOR
SWIRLS THE CHILLED MIXTURE
TO MAINTAIN
THE SMOOTHIE-LIKE CONSISTENCY.
ONCE A TANK IS FULL,
A TECHNICIAN TESTS THE ACIDITY
AND THE LEVEL OF SUSPENDED
SUGARS IN THE MIXTURE.
IF THE LEVELS ARE RIGHT,
THEY TRANSFER THE MIXTURE
INTO A CONTINUOUS FREEZER.
IT PUMPS AIR
INTO THE SORBET MIX,
AND IT CHURNS AND SCRAPS IT
AGAINST THE FREEZING-COLD
WALLS
OF THE MACHINE.
COOL WATER
RUNS THROUGH THE MOTOR
TO KEEP IT FROM OVERHEATING
AS IT FREEZES THE SORBET.
THIS IS ONLY A PARTIAL
FREEZING
TO KEEP THE SORBET
SOFT ENOUGH TO BE PUMPED
INTO THE PAPER SQUEEZE TUBES.
A DEVICE
WITH LITTLE ROBOTIC FINGERS
PRIES THE PAPERS TUBES
FROM A STACK
AND DEPOSITS THEM
IN SLOTS IN A MOVING TRAY.
THE TUBES
ARE IN POSITION TO RECEIVE
THE PARTIALLY FROZEN SORBET,
AND BECAUSE THE SORBET
IS ONLY PARTIALLY FROZEN,
IT IS ABLE TO NOW FLOW
THROUGH CONDUITS.
FROZEN SOLID,
IT COULDN'T MAKE THE JOURNEY
TO THE SQUEEZE TUBES.
AS THE SORBET IS PUMPED
INTO THE PAPER SLEEVES,
ITS TEMPERATURE IS CRITICAL.
IT IS PRECISELY
37.8 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
ONE DEGREE COOLER
AND IT WOULD BE TOO THICK
TO PUMP.
A DEGREE WARMER,
AND ICE CRYSTALS WOULD FORM
DURING THE FINAL FREEZING.
THE NEXT MACHINE
COLLECTS FOIL LIDS FROM A
PACK,
USING RUBBER HEADS
WITH TINY MAGNETS IN THE
CENTER.
IT DEPOSITS THE LIDS
ONTO THE SORBET-FILLED TUBES.
THE FOIL LIDS STICK
TO THE GLUE-COATED RIMS.
THIS LINE FILLS
280 PAPER SLEEVES
WITH FRUIT SORBET PER MINUTE.
THAT'S JUST UNDER
17,000 PER HOUR.
AN IRON APPLIES HEAT TO THE
LIDS
TO FURTHER MELT THE GLUE
AND PROVIDE A WATER-TIGHT
SEAL.
IT HAPPENS FAST
SO THE SORBET DOESN'T HAVE
TIME
TO START MELTING.
SEALED AND PARTIALLY FROZEN,
THE SORBET POPS
CASCADE INTO CRATES.
EACH ONE HOLDS ABOUT 100 POPS,
SO THEY DON'T NEED
TO KEEP COUNT.
AND THEN IT'S INTO
THE BLAST FREEZER,
ALSO KNOW AS THE SHOCK
FREEZER.
FANS CIRCULATE THE COLD AIR
TO RAPIDLY LOWER THE
TEMPERATURE
OF THE SORBET POPS,
BRINGING IT DOWN
TO -24 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THIS FAST FREEZING PREVENTS
THE FORMATION
OF LARGE ICE CRYSTALS
THAT WOULD DAMAGE
THE CONSISTENCY AND FLAVOR
OF THE SORBET POPS.
OUT OF THE FREEZER,
A MECHANIZED ARM GRABS AND
OPENS
CARDBOARD BOXES.
A PUSHER SHOVES THE SORBET
POPS
INTO THE BOXES.
AND THEY'RE READY
TO GRAB AND SQUEEZE.
