Concentrated juices: classification and production technology

The production of concentrated juices was invented for convenience, this is an intermediate phase between freshly squeezed juice and reconstituted, which are filled with store shelves. The use of such raw materials raises doubts among consumers. Are they justified?

Production technology

Juices can be divided according to the method of manufacture and destination into types: freshly squeezed, direct pressed, concentrated and reconstituted. To get concentrated juices, it is necessary to remove all excess water from freshly squeezed juice. Freshly squeezed - direct squeezed juice that has not undergone any treatment. Production of concentrated juices is carried out in three ways:

• Evaporation. The juice is placed in a special vacuum bath and heated. To boil not bring, thanks to which all the useful properties of juice are preserved. As a result of evaporation, a viscous, viscous mass resembling honey is obtained.
• Freezing. The process opposite to evaporation, excess water is not evaporated, but freezes.
• Membrane method. The juice is passed through a membrane with holes that separates the water molecules from everything else.

After obtaining the concentrate, it is either frozen, or pasteurized and canned for further transportation to the manufacturing plant of the final product. If the storage conditions are met, it is suitable from 6 months to a year. Different fruits give different amounts of concentrate. Fruits collected in different countries give a different flavor of concentrate. The same applies to the harvest year and the variety of fruits.

Specifications (GOST R 52185-2003)

The conditions for the production of concentrated juices are determined by Gosstandart. Fruit concentrated juices, technical conditions of which are observed in accordance with the norms, become a safe raw material for further use. Here are the requirements for the raw materials used. It is allowed to use concentrated aromatic substances obtained from fruits of the same species. It is allowed to use imported raw materials with the appropriate characteristics and safety indicators in accordance with GOST. Do not use natural and artificial dyes, fragrances, preservatives, except sorbic acid.

Packagings, consumer or transport, should be hermetically closed, ensure the safety of the products throughout the shelf life. Juices, packed in glass containers, must be protected from sunlight and light. Shelf life and storage conditions are determined by the manufacturer.

The labeling should contain the name of the juice, the manufacturer, its location, net weight, way of consumption, nutritional value, shelf life, storage conditions, juice type - clarified or uncoloured.

What are concentrated juices for? Using

Concentrated juices are not intended for use as food. They are an intermediate product, raw materials. Of these, reconstituted juices are produced, which are then sold to stores, and jelly, jam, and other products are added. When the juice is restored, it undergoes a reverse procedure - water is returned to it. The recovery technology includes several stages, the concentrate is heated up sharply, then it is also abruptly cooled, sterile pure water, sugar or other sweeteners are added, as well as natural aromatic substances lost during the concentration process.

So it turns out all the famous juice that you can buy at any store. By its qualities, it is no different from the juice of direct pressing, has the same properties and a set of vitamins. Why use such a complex process? Concentrated juices take up less space than freshly squeezed, so they are easier to transport and store. This technology facilitates transportation from other countries. Another plus - concentrate can be stored for a long time, while retaining all the useful properties.

Classification

Juices concentrate from various fruits in the countries where these fruits grow. This happens for obvious reasons - it's easier and cheaper. For Russia, the list of fruit juice concentrates is defined by the state standard: cranberry, cherry plum, raspberry, cherry, pear, apple, blueberry, grape, blueberry, cranberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, cherry, black-cherry, redcodic.

Concentrated juices by the method of manufacture are divided into clarified (freed from all solid particles until obtaining transparency) and uncleared (with suspensions). According to the canning method, the concentrated juice can be frozen at a temperature of no higher than -18 degrees, sterilized, unsterilized.

Apple juice

The production of apple juice begins with the collection of raw materials - fruits of a certain variety. At the factory, cleaning, fruit quality control and removal of spoiled apples are carried out. By pressing, juice of direct spin is obtained, from which concentrate will be prepared. Concentrated apple juice is mainly produced by evaporation. First it is placed in a centrifuge, where it is cleaned of suspensions. Then in a special installation it is heated, the juice loses 15% of the water from the total volume and the aromatic substances contained in it, which are separately concentrated and packaged. Residues of raw materials without aromatic substances are clarified with enzymes, then passed through filters to obtain a clear juice, after evaporating to obtain 70% of dry matter.

The apple juice concentrate has a rich chemical composition. It contains amino acids leucine, valine, lysine, serine, alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, asparagine, threonine, aminobutyric, aspartic, glutamic acid. It contains a large amount of monosaccharides, but most of all it contains amine nitrogen.

Lemon juice

Of lemons do not produce concentrates, like other fruits. The so-called concentrated lemon juice has a liquid form, it is produced and sold by several businesses for home use in miniature plastic packaging. Due to its taste qualities, lemon juice is used in small quantities, and it makes no sense to make a thick concentrate from it and transport it with huge cisterns.

Fresh lemon already contains a highly concentrated juice. It can not be used undiluted, it will irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive organs and damage the tooth enamel, since it contains organic acids. Lemon juice is used in cooking as a dressing for salads, seasoning for meat or fish.

Grape juice

From fresh grapes squeeze the juice, which is filtered to form a transparent raw material. From the resulting clarified juice, concentrate is obtained in special apparatuses under vacuum. This method preserves all the useful properties of grapes. The resulting concentrate is placed in a metal or glass container for storage or transportation. Keep it at a temperature of not more than 20 degrees.

Grape juice concentrate is used not only for subsequent recovery, but also in the production of wine, soft drinks, confectionery and dairy industries.

Myths about juices from the store

There is an opinion that packaged juices are unnatural and are produced using preservatives or other chemicals. Understanding the technique of production, which is really simple and understandable, we can conclude that the opposite: it is nothing more than a myth. Concentrated juices are a natural semi-finished product. Water from it is removed only for the convenience of transportation between countries. And when you restore it, add it back, the juice gets its original appearance with practically no loss of useful components. The only permitted preservative in the juice - sorbic acid - is safe for humans. Also, the freshness of the juice helps to preserve aseptic packaging without the use of preservatives for up to a year. In addition, the juices reconstituted from the concentrate retain the full benefit of the fruits from which they are made.