Water Immersion

A water immersion retort submerges sealed containers in heated, circulating water instead of steam. Water carries heat into the package faster than a steam-air mixture and holds temperature evenly across the load. Immersion suits heat-sensitive products and insulated containers such as glass, where faster, gentler heat transfer protects flavor, color, and texture.

How the water immersion process works

Baskets load into the vessel and process water is heated. verpressure is applied to hold seals as internal pressure rises during heating. The load holds for the scheduled time, then the water is cooled or exchanged while overpressure is maintained through the cooldown.

When to choose water immersion

Immersion is usually the answer when the container resists heat transfer or the product cannot tolerate a long process. Glass is an insulator, so a dairy beverage in a glass jar, which would be scorched in a static steam process, comes through immersion intact. Adding rotary agitation moves product inside the container and shortens the process further.

See vessel sizes, basket capacities, and agitation options on our water immersion retorts page.