Juice extraction from apples and other fruits and vegetables

Presses are the usual and traditional method of removing juice from fruit and vegetable materials. However, recently diffusion extraction, centrifugation, and specialized ultrafiltration techniques have been explored and have been exploited commercially to a limited extent. Yield efficiency diagrams that relate juice yields to mash feed rates provide a mechanism for comparing presses and other processes such as enzyme treatments or decanter centrifuges for efficiency under a stated set of circumstances. Diffusion extraction is capable of removing 90 to 94% of soluble solids from properly prepared apple slices, but the resulting juice is diluted with extraction water and is high in extracted tannins. Concentration is necessary to obtain juice solids equivalency, and the resulting juice has sour/astringent flavors that must be removed with tannin absorbants to provide acceptable flavor. Currently, decanter centrifuges are used commercially and have provided an alternative to presses under certain circumstances. When naturally colored and flavored (unoxidized) juices are desired, the decanter provides a useful alternative to presses because it is easily inert gas blanketed. Utilization of a metallic ultrafilter as a press has been patented but has not achieved commercial utilization. The technical literature describing the application of these juice extraction juices, primarily to apples, is reviewed extensively.