Patented ‘Nov. 9, 1948 2,453,109 ‘ I UNITED STATES PATENT‘ OFFICE

METHOD OF PREPARING FULL-FLAVORED ' FRUIT JUICE GONCENTRATESv Louis G. MacDowell, Lakeland, and Edwin L. Moore and Cedric I). Atkins, Winter Haven, Fla., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture ' No Drawing. Application August 7, 1945, Serial No. 809,473 5 Claims. (01. 99-205’) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as‘ amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757') 2 This application is made under the act of original concentration with water, the resulting ‘March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April product is superior in‘ aroma, flavor, and palat- ' 30, 1928, and the invention herein described and ability to‘ similar products prepared from con claimed, if‘patented, may be manufactured and ventional .vacuumv concentrates, and is hardly ' used by'or for the Government of the United distinguishable from :freshjuice. _ ' I States of ‘America for governmental purposes In order to assure ample fresh flavor‘ in the without the payment to us of any royalty thereon. case of orange juice, for example, the amount This invention relates to a process for prepar of fresh single-strength juice, either pasteurized . . ing fruit juice concentrates of superior ?avor and ‘or unpasteurized, added should preferably “con is particularly directed to citrus juicevconcen 10 stitute at least 6 percent of the total amount of

trates. I ' ‘ single-strength juice used in preparing the fin ,Fruit juice concentrates are usually prepared ished concentrate. Amounts in excess of 25 per from fruit ‘juices by evaporating water therefrom cent are usually unnecessary. As a preferred at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum. In method of operation, the fresh single-strength addition, various fruit juice concentrates have 15 orange juice added either should be deaerated, or been prepared by freezing and removing the wa the resulting mixture should be deaerated. When ' ' tar as ice from the concentrated juice, pasteurized fresh single-strength orange juice is It is well known that the delicate ?avors of added,the orange juice should be deaerated be mostlfruit juices are easily injured by heat, es fore pasteurization. , ' - pecially in the presence of oxygen. It is also true, 20, When these orange juice concentrates are held i with most fruit juices, that the more they are in freezing storage, oxidation appears ‘to be the ' concentrated, the less they resemble the natural principal cause of their deterioration; and it can product even when diluted with water to original be almost completely elimi'natedby .deaeration strength. This is due in a- large part to the fact of the fresh orange juice or finished concentrate, that a major portion of the aroma of fruit juices 25 and packing of the concentrate under vacuum or consists of volatile ?avoring compounds which inert gas. . > a are readily destroyed or volatilized by heat, even ' The degree of ‘concentration. of the strong and in vacuo. Thus, in the usual process of concen medium concentrates dependslon the use to be trating' fruit juices by evaporation, most of these made of the ?nal product and the (equipment volatile flavoringcompounds, generally referred on hand. At present, 'rnost vacuum concentrators to as “volatile esters,” are lost. of citrus juices are designed to produce a product Various attempts have been made to recover containing about 65 percent soluble solids. This‘ these so-called “volatile esters," and ?nally re represents, approximately a seven and one-half turn them to the ?nished concentrate. In some vfold concentration. At times eight- or higher cases, the recovery of the volatile esters may be 35 fold concentrates are made. Three- or four-fold accomplished by installing between. the evapor concentrates offer advantages in that, if they are . ator and the source of reduced pressure a very frozen, dilution with two or three .volumes, re low temperature condenser, often referred to as spectively, of tap water is su?lcient to melt the an “ester trap.” It is possible to improve the ice and result in a cool refreshing drink. Only jilavor of apple and grape juice concentrates by 40 a few seconds are required in the preparation the reincorporation of the ?avoring compounds; of these drinks; whereas, higher-fold concen but in the case of other fruit juices, particularly trates reconstitute more slowly. citrus juices, the results have been unsatisfac The original juice used in concentrating may or tory. may not be pasteurized. Both give satisfactory The principal object of this invention is to pre 45. results, but special precautionsmust be taken to" pare a'concentrated fruit juice containing a sub keep‘ the count of microorganisms low if the juice stantial portion of the original aroma, ?avor, and is not pasteurized. Also the juice used in diluting palatability. This may be accomplished by add the concentrate may or may not be pasteurized. ing a portion of fresh, single-strength juice to a The degree of concentration may be varied to a relatively strong concentrate (however prepared) 50 considerable extent and also the degree of dilu and thereby obtaining a concentrate of medium tion with fresh juice. strength. The fresh juice returns much of the The ?nal concentrate may be frozen quickly natural aroma, ?avor, and palatability to the and stored in a frozen condition. A maximum concentrate. We have found‘ that when concen storage temperature of 5° F. is recommended for I trates prepared in this manner were diluted to 55 the frozen product. Unfrozen concentrates may 2,453,109 4 be stored-‘at 35° or even at room‘ temperature, 1.‘ concentrate capable of ‘speedy I reconstitution by j - but in these cases it is preferred that the’ product . ,addition'of water to make a cold‘ drink having a ,' Y be pasteurized. and .sealed in a ‘hermetic con- ‘ substantial portion ofthe original aroma, ?avor tainer. Pasteurizing may be accomplished "by: I and palatability of the citrus fruit, comprising concentrating‘whole. juice of citrus fruit under ' _ the'?ashItis to method. be understood that-“fresh?‘ -, a juice as vacuum to about nve- to eight-fold, then ‘diluting, 1 referred to herein means fresh fruit juice that I ‘the concentrated juice with fresh, unconcen ‘ is either unpasteurized'or pasteurized. ' ; trated, rdeaerated whole juice of the same ‘citrus The following examples will'serve' to mus-um; ’ fruit to lower the concentration to about three- - the practice of the invention; ' ' ' ,w' 1510 -~to four-fold, sealing,and freezing. - > v - - -- - limdmple'l .' ,2.‘ The process of claim 1' in which theconcen-f . 1 , trating is atno higher than. about 80° ‘F. ‘ _ ~ ‘ Valencia oranges were washed, allowed to dry, ‘ 3. rI‘he process of claim 1 in which the fruit is - and halved. The juice was extracted on a re-v volving burr and screened of suspended pulp. ‘15 _ 4. The; process of claim ‘1 in which the ‘fruit _ Four gallons of this juice (12° Brixywere con is orange and the temperature .of concentration c'entrated under vacuum at a temperature of. . - is no higher than 80° F. - Y about 40° F. to a Brix of 65°- (about 7-fold). _ - 5. A process of producing a citrus fruit juice Fresh deaerated single-strength juice was added ' concentrate capable of speedy reconstitution by to the concentrate until [a Brix of 42° (about so addition of water to make. a cold drink having 4-fold) was obtained. The productwas then a substantial portion of the original aroma, ?avor, sealed under vacuum and placed in cold storage _ and palatability of the citrus fruit, comprising. and'frozen storage. _ ' - concentrating whole juice of citrus fruit under Y Example 2' ' ‘vacuum to about ?ve- to eight-fold, then diluting 25 the concentrated juice vwith fresh, unconceh- ' Tangerines were washed, allowed to dry,’ and trated whole juice of the same citrus fruit to the juice extracted on a commercial juice ex lower the concentration to about three- to four tractor. Six and one-half gallons. of, the juice fold, deaerating where air has entered the‘ mix (1'1.5°_Brix) were deaerated, pasteurized, cooled, ture, sealing the mixture under vacuum, and and concentrated under vacuum at a‘ tempera freezing. _ _ ‘ -. ture of about 80° F. to 61° Brix- (about 61/2-fold) . 80 Sumcient deaerated, pasteurized, and cooled‘v ‘ LOUIS G. MacDOWELL. single-strength tangerine juice was added to yield EDWIN L MOORE. a Brix of about 43° (about 4-fold) and the prod QEDRIC D. ATKINS. uct sealed under vacuum and .placed in frozen a5‘. REFERENCES CITED storage. . . ‘ ‘ Although orange juice. and tangerine juice The following references are of record in the 7 have been used as examples to illustrate this in file of this patent: ' - » vention, it is to be understood that theinvention UNITED STATES PATENTS is not limited to orange juice concentrate, or tangerine juice concentrate, or ‘even citrus juice 4o Nuggegsg (3,1532; I J nfgelaao concentrates generally,_but may be used for other v _' 950’950 oheme ' """ "7' £14m; 1’ 1910 fruit juices. Modi?cations of they invention other 1 189’127 Kellogg “'7” """ "Juna '27,’ 1916 than those disclosed will be readily'apparent t0 1’497’043 Ta 101. """"" " June. 10’ 192 those skilled in the art and‘are intendedto be‘ 45 1’717’489 Bazlow ““ "~ "" " Ju e 18’ 192; 7 included within the invention as; de?ned by the > z’on’ou -wendt """"" " F3: 16’ 1937 appended claims. ,. - , '- ' ’ ’ """ """ " ' ’ Having thus described our invention, we claim: 2'338’608 ’ weisberg """"" "' Jan’ 4’ 1944 -1. A process ‘of producing a citrus fruit juice 2,282,622 Torrence __? ______May 12, 1942