The most common method using vacuum apparatuses. How low pressure allows the colour and vitamins to be preserved when heated.
Crystallisation of water upon cooling. A gentle method of removing ice with a centrifuge to obtain a product with 40-50% dry matter.
Molecular engineering in action: forcing juice through membranes without any temperature exposure.
But, seriously, the initial preparation stage is always the same. After harvesting, the crop must be delivered for processing as quickly and carefully as possible: washing, cleaning from plant and mineral debris, crushing and pressing (juices) or grinding (purees). Different types of crushers and presses are used for different fruits, taking into account their structure, the presence of seeds, etc. Accordingly, you will get a natural NFC (not made from concentrate) juice or puree. The difference is in the amount of insoluble fruit pulp.
Explore our range of concentrated juices and purees right now.
And then, the main task is to remove as much water as possible from the juice while preserving its taste, colour and nutrients. The whole meaning lies in removing water, as well as several very useful properties of concentrated juice:
3 main ways to remove water from juice:
Evaporation is carried out in vacuum evaporators, achieving a concentration of up to 70% dry matter. Creating a rarefied atmosphere in the vacuum apparatus makes it possible to significantly reduce the boiling point of the juice (usually 40-65°C) and, accordingly, reduce the negative effect of heat, which causes darkening of the product and the destruction of part of the vitamins and other useful substances. Citrus juices are especially sensitive to heating, while apple juice is less sensitive. The evaporation process is regulated (temperature and duration) individually for each product.
Practice and research have developed optimal concentration conditions for different fruits and vegetables. Clarified concentrated apple juice is usually concentrated to 70 BRIX, grape to 65-68 BRIX, orange and berries (strawberry, cherry, currant, etc.) to 65 BRIX, while sour lemon only to 42-45 BRIX. Unclarified (cloudy) concentrated juices have a slightly lower BRIX.
During evaporation, aromatic substances evaporate along with the water, so special installations with condensers are used to capture them. The aromatic substances are captured, collected and returned to the final product.
Next, the product is quickly cooled and packed. The most common packaging is a steel drum containing a sterile inner bag. The concentrated juice is poured under sterile conditions, through a special aseptic head and hermetically sealed. This allows the product to be kept for up to 24 months at ambient temperature (20°C). Aroma concentrates are stored at a temperature not higher than 0°C. The production of concentrated juices by evaporation is the most frequently used technology.
Use our calculator for accurate calculation of the proportions of diluting the concentrate to the required Brix.
The shelf life and storage conditions for different products are set by the Manufacturer.
Freeze concentration is based on cooling the juices below their freezing point. Concentration of juices by freezing is based on the fact that water crystallises at a higher temperature and can be removed earlier, while dissolved substances (sugars, acids, etc.) remain in the solution.
The technology consists in the fact that the juice, previously cooled to 2-4°C, is frozen in a crystalliser. The frozen juice is a mushy or snow-like mass with ice crystals. The ice is separated from the juice on a centrifuge or in a wash column. The freezing of moisture and separation of ice is repeated 2-3 times. A product made by freeze concentration contains up to 40-50% dry matter and is stored at low temperatures.
For concentration by reverse osmosis, modern technologies created using molecular engineering are used. The essence of the method is to force the solution through filters (membranes) with tiny holes that let through only water molecules. On one side of the membrane is the juice under significant pressure (about 17.5 MPa), on the other side almost distilled water accumulates. The absence of temperature exposure to the juice is the main advantage of this method.
With this method, it is possible to concentrate up to 30-40% dry matter.
Important: Concentrated juice is recommended to be stored at a temperature of 5-10°C. At elevated storage temperatures, chemical processes of interaction of the product substances with each other may occur. Especially intense changes can occur in brightly coloured juices containing anthocyanins and polyphenolic compounds, which, when destroyed, deteriorate the colour.
