Frozen block process for vegetable or fruit convenience foods

A method for producing convenience foods from food units coming from the grower in various sizes, which results in lower costs and materially less labor and an end food product of equal and standard size units which have a generally natural upon the eating thereof. The vegetable of fruit food units of various sizes as grown, are cleaned and handled and frozen in a generally conventional manner, and then are compressed by a high capacity press into a standard predetermined size of frozen block of food product, after which the block is cut by sawing, into generally equal size units which can then be further processed, such as for instance batter coated and cooked, and then package by count, prior to shipment. The method is especially directed to the preparation of battered and breaded convenience food pieces (especially vegetables) which pieces or units as produced by the method of the invention are all of the same weight and configuration, and wherein the raw food material, in its natural and frozen state is incorporated into and constitutes all or substantially all of the product resulting from the process of this invention.