Stevia composition to improve sweetness and flavor profile
Stevia compositions are prepared from steviol glycosides of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. The compositions are able to provide a superior taste profile and can be used as sweetness enhancers, flavor enhancers and sweeteners in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
1. A method for producing a high solubility Stevia sweetener consisting essentially of the steps of:
a) Providing Reb D as a first Stevia sweetener;
b) providing a second Stevia sweetener that is comprised of Reb A and Reb B of different ratios;
c) providing water;
d) mixing the water and the first and second Stevia sweeteners to make a mixture;
e) increasing the temperature of the mixture by a gradient heat treatment having a controlled rate of temperature change of 1° C/minute to an elevated temperature of about 118° C. to about 125° C. to make a solution:
f) holding the solution at the elevated temperature;
g) decreasing the temperature of the solution by a gradient cooling method having a controlled rate of temperature change of 1° C/minute to obtain a Stevia sweetener solution having a clear solution stability at 80° C. for up to 15 minutes at a total sweetener concentration of up to 20% by weight; and
h) spray drying the Stevia sweetener solution, to provide the high solubility Stevia sweetener having a Reb D:Reb A:Reb B ratio of about 60:35:5 and having a clear solubility at a sweetener concentration of up to 1% by weight.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the water and Stevia sweetener mixture is held at a temperature of about 118 -125° C. for a period of about 50-70 minutes.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the Stevia sweetener solution is spray dried on a spray drying apparatus operating at about 175° C. inlet and about 100° C. outlet temperatures.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pH of the Stevia sweetener solution is adjusted by alkaline solution to about pH 4.5 to 7.0.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pH of the Stevia sweetener solution is adjusted by alkaline solution to about pH 5.5 to 6.5.