The technology also allows chefs to be more sustainable, since they can take ingredients that would typically be considered waste—artichoke leaves, carrot skins, orange peels—and transform them into a useful component of a dish. “Today when we remove leaves from the artichoke or peel the carrot, those materials go in the trash,” says Gerard Bertholon, Chief Strategy Officer at Cuisine Solutions, a global leader in sous vide. “Now we’re able to cook those items sous vide and reduce them through the cryoconcentration method. We get the full-flavor juice, it’s very low in calories, and since the ingredients normally go in the trash, it’s almost free. You can use almost 100% of the fruit or vegetable with this technique.”

Another benefit of cryoconcentration? Chefs can blend the juices from individual ingredients to create a beautifully layered, full-flavor sauce, almost like a wine varietal made up of multiple grapes. Cryoconcentration has allowed chefs to reinvent sauces without butter and cream, making them lighter, healthier, and more flavorful.