Progressive Freeze-Concentration Technology of Vegetable and Fruits Juice

Abstract

A concentration process is one of the most important technologies in vegetable and fruits processing, and greatly influences quality and cost of juice concentrate. In this research, it aimed to develop a new freeze-concentration technology to fit for concentration of many kinds of foods and small quantity production. The principle of the new freeze-concentration technology is to be progressive-freeze concentration. This system has characteristic that the formation, growth and separation of ice crystal can be done in the same ice manufacturing vessel. Therefore, this system is easy to operate. We have researched the best concentration condition, the best design of ice vessel and all equipment, and the automatic control system, and developed pilot scale freeze-concentration system. The examination of freeze-concentration of tomato juice was done with this system. The result was to be high density concentration about Brix40% possible, and the solute of 20~30% for juice concentrate in the separated ice was contained. And the quality of concentrate was very good taste and flavor. © 2008, Japan Society for Food Engineering. All rights reserved.