What Does "Made from Concentrate" Mean When Referring to Cherry Juice?
Our Cherry Juice is a staple in many households, often seen as a quick source of vitamins and a tasty beverage. But if you've ever taken a moment to read the label on a juice glass bottle, you might have come across the term "made from concentrate." We only offer 100% pure cherry juice concentrate from Traverse Bay Farms.
What does this term really mean, and how does it affect the quality, nutrition, and taste of the juice you're drinking? Since we opened our doors in 2001, we have been asked "what does from concentrate mean"? To answer this question, let’s delve deeper into the world of cherry juice concentrate and concentrated fruit juices.
Check out the Northern Michigan Cherry Harvest from Blossom to Bottle:
1. Understanding Concentration:
At its core, "concentrate" simply means that water has been removed from the fruit juice. This is typically done to make the juice more concentrated and more economical to transport. Here's the basic process:
- Extraction: Fresh fruits are squeezed to extract juice.
- Filtration: The juice is filtered to remove any seeds, pulp, or other solid matter.
- Evaporation: The juice is then heated to remove bacteria, etc., and the water content is evaporated, leaving behind a rich-tasting and full flavor cherry juice concentrate.
2. Reconstitution:
The concentrated juice is then bottled into leach-free glass bottles. As our customers receive the glass bottles of cherry juice, they add water is added back to return it to its original consistency. This process is known as reconstitution.
3. Advantages of Concentrated Juice:
- Reduced Transport Costs: By removing the water, the weight and volume of the juice are significantly reduced, making it cheaper to transport. This is one reason we are able to offer free shipping on our mini-case (6-bottles) and case (12-bottles) of our cherry juice packages.
- Extended Shelf Life: Concentrates can be stored for longer periods without spoiling. Our cherry juice concentrate is good to consumer for at-least 20+ months from the bottling date. In addition, since it is bottles in glass bottles, it doesn't require any refrigeration until the bottle is opened. Once opened, it is good in your refrigeration for 6 - 8+ months.
- Flexibility in Production: While some other cherry juice manufacturers add sweeteners or additional water back in to the product, our Fruit Advantage Cherry Juice Concentrate is 100% pure cherry juice and is 68 brix. This is the highest quality available on the market.
4. Not From Concentrate:
You might also come across juices labeled as "not from concentrate." These juices are essentially squeezed from the fruit and then pasteurized to kill bacteria. These type of fruit juice concentrates usually require refrigeration during shipping and storage. In addition, the shelf-life is usually shorter in term, too. They are not concentrated and then reconstituted. They tend to be fresher in taste but can be more expensive due to higher transportation and storage costs.
5. Nutritional Implications:
The nutritional profile of juice made from concentrate can be comparable to that of fresh juice, but it largely depends on the manufacturing process.Our cherry juice never has any additional like sugar and preservatives. It is 100% pure cherry juice without added sugars or other additives.
6. Environmental Perspective:
Concentrating juice reduces its volume since the product has less water. Water is very heavy in weight and takes up additional space in the bottles. Our concentrate requires less packaging and fewer transportation emissions because it has less water and, when reconstituted provides great volume.
For example, our Fruit Advantage cherry juice concentrate in a 16 oz. glass bottle provides one gallon of 100% pure cherry juice when reconstituted.
You would have purchase 4 quarts of cherry juice to equal to same about volume when you purchase one bottle of our cherry juice. Thus, our customers are spending less money and enjoying more glasses of cherry juice.
Conclusion:
As with any food product, understanding the label and being informed about the processing methods empowers you to make the best choices for your health and the planet.
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