Patent ID: 6383546
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: A23L,A23V

Abstract:
A process of producing a non-frozen universal fruit base from apples suitable for the production of a smooth apple-based fruit beverage which comprises:(a) washing and sanitizing the apples; (b) cutting, the apples into pieces; (c) cooking the apple pieces with steam of a temperature between 100Â° C. and 110Â° C. for about 2 to about a minutes got the steam breaks down the water-insoluble protopectin in the middle lamellae of the apple to water-dispersible pects, inactivates polyphenol oxidase in the apple for the prevention of enzymic browning, inactivates other oxidases in the apple to inhibit the oxidation of ascorbic acid, gelatinizes the protoplasts in the apple to bring about elastic, semi-solid protoplasts in the intact apple cells, plasticizes the apple cell walls to enhance extensibility and resistance to impact fractures, and exposes the adhesive surfaces of intact apple cells; (d) macerating and screening the cooked apple pieces with a finisher/pulper having screen openings between about 0.05 and 0.13 inches to produce an apple mince; (e) comminuting the apple mince with a comminutor having screen openings between about 0.033 and 0.093 inches to produce an apple mash having predominantly intact single cells; (f) adding a pregelatinized cross-linked high amylopectin maize starch and xanthan gum to the apple mash to produce a universal fruit base; (g) adding fruit puree(s) and optionally concentrated fruit juice(s) to the universal fruit base to form a beverage concentrate; and (h) adding, water and/or fruit juice(s) to the beverage concentrate to produce a smooth apple-based fruit beverage.