The manufacture of concentrated juices was invented for convenience; this is an intermediate phase between freshly squeezed juice and reconstituted juice, which is used to fill store shelves. The benefits of such raw materials are in doubt among consumers. Are they justified?
Production technology
Juices can be divided according to the method of manufacture and purpose 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-pressed juice that has not undergone any processing. The production of concentrated juices is carried out in three ways:
- Evaporation. Juice is placed in special vacuum baths and heated. They do not bring to a boil, due to which all the beneficial properties of the juice are preserved. Evaporation results in a viscous, viscous mass resembling honey.
- Freezing The process opposite to evaporation, the excess water is not evaporated, but frozen.
- Membrane Method Juice is passed through a membrane with holes that separates water molecules from everything else.
After receiving the concentrate, it is either frozen or pasteurized and canned for further transportation to the manufacturing plant of the final product. Subject to storage conditions, it is suitable from 6 months to a year. Different fruits produce different amounts of concentrate. Fruits collected in different countries give a distinct taste of the concentrate. The same goes for the crop year and the fruit variety.
Specifications (GOST R 52185-2003)
The conditions for the production of concentrated juices are determined by the State Standard. Concentrated fruit juices, the technical conditions of which are observed in accordance with the standards, become a safe raw material for future use. Here are the requirements for the raw materials used. The use of concentrated aromatic substances obtained from fruits of the same type is allowed. It is allowed to use imported raw materials with suitable characteristics and safety indicators in accordance with GOST. The use of natural and artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, except sorbic acid, is not allowed.
Packaging containers, consumer or transport, must be hermetically sealed, to ensure the safety of products throughout the shelf life. Juices packaged in glass containers must be protected from sunlight and light. Shelf life and storage conditions are set by the manufacturer.
The labeling should contain the name of the juice, producer, its location, net weight, method of use, nutritional value, shelf life, storage conditions, type of juice - clarified or unclarified.
What are concentrated juices for? Using
Concentrated juices are not intended for use as food. They are an intermediate product, raw materials. Restored juices are made from them, which are then sold in stores, and also added to jelly, jam, and other products. When restoring the juice, he goes through the reverse procedure - water returns to it. The recovery technology includes several stages, the concentrate is heated rapidly, then it is also cooled rapidly, sterile pure water, sugar or other sweeteners are added, as well as natural aromatic substances lost during the concentration process.
So it turns out the well-known juice that you can buy in any store. In its qualities, it is no different from direct-pressed juice, has the same properties and a set of vitamins. Why apply such a complex process? Concentrated juices take up less space compared to freshly squeezed juices, making them easier to transport and store. This technology facilitates transportation from other countries. Another plus - the concentrate can be stored for a long time, while retaining all the beneficial properties.
Classification
Concentrated juices are produced from various fruits in those countries where these fruits grow. This happens for obvious reasons - it's easier and cheaper. For Russia, the state standard defines a list of the names of concentrated fruit juices: lingonberry, cherry plum, raspberry, cherry, pear, sea buckthorn, strawberry, apple, blueberry, grape, blueberry, cranberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, cherry, blackcurrant, redcurrant.
Concentrated juices according to the manufacturing method are divided into clarified (freed from all solid particles to obtain transparency) and unclarified (with suspensions). According to the canning method, 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, quality control of fruits and the removal of spoiled apples are carried out. By pressing, direct-pressed juice is obtained, from which a concentrate will be prepared. Concentrated apple juice is mainly produced by evaporation. First, it is placed in a centrifuge, where it is cleaned from suspensions. Then it is heated in a special installation, the juice loses 15% of the total water volume and the aromatic substances contained in it, which are separately concentrated and packaged. The residues of raw materials without aromatic substances are clarified with enzymes, then passed through filters to obtain clear juice, and then evaporated to obtain 70% dry matter.
Apple juice concentrate has a rich chemical composition. It contains the amino acids leucine, valine, lysine, serine, alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, asparagine, threonine, aminobutyric, asparaginic, glutamic acid. It has a large number of monosugars, but most of it is amine nitrogen.
Lemon juice
Concentrates are not made from lemons, like other fruits. The so-called concentrated lemon juice has a liquid form, it is produced and sold by several enterprises for home use in miniature plastic packaging. Due to its taste, lemon juice is used in small quantities, and it makes no sense to make a thick concentrate out of it and transport it in huge tanks.
Fresh lemon already contains highly concentrated juice. It is impossible to use it undiluted, it will cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive organs and damage to tooth enamel, as it contains organic acids. Lemon juice is used in cooking as dressing for salads, seasoning for meat or fish.
The grape juice
Juice is pressed from fresh grapes, 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 beneficial properties of grapes. The resulting concentrate is placed in a metal or glass container for storage or transportation. It should be stored at a temperature not exceeding 20 degrees.
Concentrated grape juice 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
It is believed that packaged juices are unnatural and are produced using preservatives or other chemicals. Having understood the production technique, which is actually simple and understandable, we can conclude the opposite: this is nothing more than a myth. Concentrated juices - natural semi-finished product. Water is removed from it only for the convenience of transportation between countries. And when it is restored, it is added back, the juice acquires its original form with practically no loss of useful components. The only permitted preservative in juices - sorbic acid - is safe for humans. Also, aseptic packaging helps preserve the freshness of the juice without the use of preservatives for up to a year. In addition, juices recovered from the concentrate retain all the benefits of the fruit from which they are made.