Juice evaporation

Fruit juice concentration by evaporation is one of the oldest and well-known methods for preserving fruit and vegetables and their derived products. This operation consists in removing part of the water content of the juice, so that all the solid components such as fruit sugars, minerals and vitamins are left in a more concentrated solution. 

Juice evaporation is performed to lengthen the shelf life, minimize packing and storage, facilitate transportation and simplify the handling of the concentrated product.

Chemical curve: R.I. per BRIX at Ref. Temp. of 20˚C

After the juice is extracted from the fruit, it is screened and purified, for example by centrifugation. The concentration of the juice at this stage varies from 9 to 12 Brix. The inconsistency is due to various factors such as the fruit quality, origin and annual rainfall. To balance the differences in concentration, the juice is sent to a primary tank, before it is evaporated. 

For fruit juice concentration, a three stage falling film evaporation plant is commonly used. The evaporators usually operate at a constant boiling rate. In the evaporation process, the concentration value is typically increased from 10 to 65 Brix.

Typical end products

• Fruit and vegetable juice concentrate from apple, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, tomato, passion fruit, mango, carrot, grape, cherry, cranberry, guava, pomegranate, etc