Patent ID: 8277864

Claim:
A method of forming a stabilized liquid coffee concentrate, the method comprising: providing a liquid coffee concentrate base having about 5 to about 60 percent coffee solids, a pH of about 4.7 to about 5.3, and aroma compounds including furfuryl mercaptan; thermally treating the liquid coffee concentrate base at about 285 to about 295° F. for about 60 to about 180 seconds to artificially drive acid generating reactions in the concentrate base to completion as evidenced by a drop in pH of about 0.5 to about 1.5 pH units after thermal treatment while maintaining the aroma components and furfuryl mercaptan in the liquid coffee concentrate base during and after thermal treatment; blending an effective amount of an edible alkali source to the concentrate base in order to artificially increase the pH of the liquid coffee concentrate base between about 0.5 to about 1.5 pH units to form a stabilized liquid coffee concentrate, wherein the blending occurs before or after the thermal treatment; and wherein the thermal treatment and blending steps are effective such that the pH of the stabilized liquid coffee concentrate exhibits a pH between about 4.7 and about 5.3 after the combination of the thermal treatment and blending steps and also after at least about 12 months of room temperature storage; and the thermal treatment and blending are effective so that a variation in a level of furfuryl mercaptan from the liquid coffee concentrate base is maintained after about 26 weeks of storage at 90° F. within about 3% of the level of furfuryl mercaptan immediately after thermal treatment.