Freeze concentration process
View Patent ↗The use of an improved method for freeze concentration is disclosed. The method provides for first freezing components of a pulpy slurry of Morinda citrifolia . More dilute components are extracted after the initial freezing. A secondary freezing process at a lower temperature allows more concentrated portions of a Morinda citrifolia slurry to be removed. Flavor and therapeutic oils remain in the resulting concentrate for improved flavor and health benefits.
1. A method for freeze concentrating Morinda citrifolia comprising the steps of:
freezing, at a first temperature, a Morinda citrifolia slurry to effectuate a separation of pure water as ice crystals from said Morinda citrifolia slurry;
extracting said ice crystals from Morinda citrifolia slurry by sifting;
freezing, at a second temperature, the remaining non-aqueous constituents of said Morinda citrifolia slurry, wherein said second temperature is less than said first temperature; and
recovering, from said remaining non-aqueous constituents of said Morinda citrifolia slurry, frozen, non-aqueous constituents wherein said recovered frozen, non-aqueous constituents frozen at said second temperature is concentrated Morinda citrifolia.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said freezing at a second temperature occurs in gradients associated with freezing points of said remaining non-aqueous constituents of said Morinda citrifolia slurry.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said recovered non-aqueous constituents comprise different concentrations of Morinda citrifolia.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein therapeutic oils indigenous to the Morinda citrifolia slurry are not volatilized during the method.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said Morinda citrifolia slurry comprises flavor, and wherein said concentrated Morinda citrifolia retains said flavor.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said Morinda citrifolia slurry comprises pulp.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said Morinda citrifolia slurry comprises chemical constituents, and wherein performing said method allows the concentrated Morinda citrifolia to retain almost all of said chemical constituents.
8. A Morinda citrifolia concentrate obtained by the process of claim 1 .